I suppose it all comes down to personal preference as to ...

Yep!

a standard machine can sew webbing.  just slow down and use a fat needle. 

for the rest of your question, i do not know.  if i am i understanding you correctly, my approach would be to fold the three sides, turn it right side out, then fold the fourth edge twice to hide the raw edge, and sew it.  that edge would be the edge you can't see when the sling is in use.

maybe try a longer stem?  or a couple more spacers underneath?

Great trip!  Thanks for posting.

lots of people say that your mtb saddle should be just as high as your road bike.  i feel like it should be a little lower so that i don't get bucked off as easily on bumps.  if you feel like the mtb seat should be higher, then it probably should.  are you at max extension on the seat tube?

a guy planning a trip!
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/833290-Chaparral-Trail-NorthEast-Texas-Trail-RIDE-OPPORTUNITY!!!!-AUGUST-10TH!?p=14498259#post14498259

On the plus side there seems to be a lot of legit traffic going on, always somebody new posting up a trip or looking for info.   

Yes, the site seems to be doing well, huh?  I will keep reporting spamage when I see it.

Something to keep in mind if this (and similar threads) nauseate you.  There is nothing wrong with avoiding these threads.

Yep.  If I actually cared what other people did, I would have to skip these threads, because they would stress me out too much.  As it is, it's a slow week at work and I am just enjoying the company and discussion.

Not to get sidetracked but I don't understand this hate for racers vs those who are on another plane of enlightenment.  

I can't imagine hating someone for having a different approach.  It's just a different way of doing things.  Ride your own ride.

Any distractions lead away from any enlightenment and a deeper understanding of the self.

Yup.  I like to get away and be with my thoughts and feelings on my own.  But, there is a certain breed of "racer" who is completely disinterested in self-enlightenment.  You have probably seen the type out there.

Does "knowing" stuff from friends via cell phone give an advantage?

Yes.  Up above, a racer admitted that knowing other racers' positions helped him maintain his position in a situation where he otherwise would not have.  Without a doubt, people who use cell phones have an advantage.  Whether that advantage should be allowed or not is what we are talking about.

sounds like material support then.    if i did a ride like that, i would definitely want to have my phone.  texts and a little talking would really brighten my day. 

3 pages of definitions for material support, then. 

It sure would be nice to have friends who look up all that stuff for me and then call me or text me back, rather than trying to mess with some glitchy mobile OS.  If I could keep riding or sleep for 20 minutes rather than messing with an iPhone, that would be great.  I wonder if that would be "material support"?

Yeah, but at some point, talking to friends on the phone turns into people with support crews of preriders who scout each section ahead of time.  And then once that is okay, maybe they even do minor trail repairs and in very extreme cases accidentally drop bags of food.  Or who go into town to a bike shop and purchase parts and leave them at the shop for pickup, and then send gps coordinates and directions to the rider.  Just thinking out loud.

If it is for an actual race with a winner and prizes and such, then you will need a list of cell phone rules 3 pages long.  If it's just for the joy of accomplishment and a job well done, then people will make up their own rules and there will be lots of bickering about who did it the fastest with the least talking on the phone.  It's just how people are.  I haven't seen it here, but I saw it all over the Appalachian Trail hiking boards I used to visit.  Who knew there could be so many rules for something that is just supposed to be for your own enjoyment and fulfillment?

creativity, aesthetics, and functionality.  i really like that.

Wow, I like it.  Nice job.  It looks like it will work amazingly well.

Beautiful, man.  Stick a straw in it, and it's a 2 gallon hydration pack.

Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has any recent GPS tracks of the coastal sections (since I last posted), really anything from High Hills to the coast.  Thanks in advance.  Trying to link a GPS of the whole trail.

If you go to MTBR.com forums, and ask on their GPS forum, a guy named natehawk will answer and tell you where to find a track.  Actually, if you read the existing threads I bet you will find it.  I have seen the answer lately, but since I don't use a GPS like that, I didn't pay attention.

sounds cool!

most riders have said that fat tires and front sus are musts.  that said, i think wisaunders took a bunch of people out there on hybrids and they survived.  i am not sure what the definition of cx or hybrid includes or doesn't include.  on the upside, when its time to hop fences, the cx will be lighter to lift over.  plus if you race, you probably have a certain degree of studly-tude, which will help you get a cross bike thru the deep gravel.