Hi,
I don't get to ride much anymore and this weekend had my parents and a
full house of kids. I was going stir crazy.
Three blocks from my house is a downed telephone pole. A few weeks
ago, it looks like a car hit it and they pulled out the base in the
ground and strapped the top 40 feet to the ground. I have been eyeing
that since then going, "That looks like a nice line to ride."
Well, today, I took the day off to save my voice from increasing
laryngitis, to "relax". I have report cards due today that aren't
finished and other papers need to be graded to build the grades and a
meeting after school at 3:30.
But, in a determined act of procrastination, I left my work, and geared
up with some stretches for my middle aged body and rode over on my
MUni. The neighborhood was pleasantly quiet and the recent strong
winds had abated. Ohh, the feeling of being in the saddle, again.
Could barely ride a straight line on the sidewalk. Rolling hops were
pathetically lame. I hoped my groove would come back in the next 30
minutes which I had allotted. 10 minute ride over there.
I sized it up. Looked really fun. The base was strapped to the side
of the top part of the pole as it lay on its side. So, I could hop up
to the fatter base then smaller hop down to a bouncy tip of the pole,
then to the curb below. The telephone pole was @14" in diameter at the
fatter end where it had been split, then tapered to about 10" at the
end - 40' away. Additionally, the last 6 feet where bouncy because that
part was a few inches above the ground, making things a bit unstable.
I proceeded to hop up and down one end and then started working on the
entire length. I worked it from fatter end to narrower end. Of
interest, was that the pole was lying over the hole in which it used to
reside. When they pulled out the base below the split, they left a 7
foot long hole that was a foot lower than the surface of the road. So,
when you ride along the top of the telephone pole, you go over the hole
area. It was kind of mind psych, in that all of a sudden, you are
riding along the pole and then there's this hole that effectively adds
another 18" to your drop height, nearly making it 30", and if you fall
in, I could have twisted my ankle because the gap between the pole and
back of the curb was narrow. Ahhhh, the thrill of it all.
I tried this line off and on for about 20 minutes. A few honks from
people, which I took to be affirmatives, not the opposite. The pole
lies on a busy very wide 4 lane boulevard. Not a place for the
bashful.
Finally, I was winded and took a drink from the cool Sparklettes water
bottle I hauled over in my pocket. Felt good going down. Ahhh. I
looked at the pole, rested, brought the pulse rate down to normal.
Okay, I thought, I got three tries to make this work. I started on the
pole, leaving hopping onto it and riding the length for another time.
I got up on it. My right pedal seats well underfoot. It's a crisp
feeling. Ohhh, how oddly relaxed I was, steady, steady, I thought. I
can pretend I am Kris Holm for a few seconds (well, probably when he
was 11). Images of seeing Andrew Carter go wide on a log side to side
with his Gazz go through my mind, noting, that I can stay on too, and
not fall off. Go, go. I approached the length over the hole. Not
here, I will not fall, no, cruise by. My momentum from an initially
labored start has smoothed out. Steady and relax.
ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I make it over the chasm. Onward, fella,
onward. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can do this. I
ride all the way to the bouncy end, ride off and exult in the moment.
Hands raised, I feel like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. I did it!!!!
I look back at the pole, wishing it could be in my back yard. I am
winded and jubilant. I smile ear to ear. Gawd, I love to ride.
Nuts, it's not a dream. The homework for this week has to be prepared
by 2:00 pm. Back to reality.🙄
--
teachndad
Rod Wylie
'MountainUnicyclingLA.com' (http://www.mountainunicyclingla.com)
'Greater Los Angeles Area Trails - Images'
(http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Greater-Los-Angeles-Trails)
'Greater Los Angeles Area Trails - Descriptions'
(http://www.freewebs.com/lamountainunicycling/favoritetrails.htm)
'UnicycleRoundupLA.com/' (http://unicycleroundupla.com/)
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