D
Darsh
Guest
I labored the Giant from it's leaning spot at a quiet spot at work. People at work sometimes would
walk by to inspect her from time to time over the winter. They would poke and prod, sometimes taking
the bike into the shop to fill up the tubeless tires, and at one time giving it a wash.
I inspected it. It was the same as I left it, but cleaner, and the tires were more full of
air. Amazing.
I filled the CamelBak, and checked my tools. I figured I would need to do some seat adjustment so
suit my healing scar.
I rode off. There was no pain, but a slight discomfort. I adjusted the angle of the seat a bit, and
felt pretty good. I pedaled through the golf course, and jumped the curb to the tennis courts. I
almost wrecked. The front end got sloppy. I got lucky.
I tried in my mind to settle down. I needed to get back into it a bit. The Giant is a bit small for
me, so I have to pay attention to it or it bites.
I wondered where I should go. I needed a secluded place to be pathetic. A place that had enough
climbing to make me puke, but with no people around to see it if it happened. I looked up at a
gleaming sky and lost my balance. I careened into the dirt one handed... trying to establish
control, and control of the handlebar.
I grabbed the bar as I jumped back onto the concrete trail. The bike bucked, and lifted my rear up
into the air. The confusion went on for many seconds it seemed, at a horribly slow pace. I had not
strapped my helmet on, and it had slid down over my eyes. Every turn folded in on itself. I finally
reeled her in.
I was breathing hard. I was annoyed.
Not to be beat down, I decided to ride up the Tiehack road. I would be able to see if I could loop a
little bit of the Government trail. It would be really easy. If I wanted to do something more after,
I still could. It was the reasonable thing to do considering my complete lack of dexterity on the
little Giant after months of being sedation.
I pedaled up the hill. I cursed myself for forgetting my mp3 player. I get the most ridiculous
songs in my head that are like dreams, they fade away as soon as they are there. One after the
other, song after song, none that I can remember. I think Yankee Doodle Dandee is one. Who or what
is punishing me?
The little paved hill was fine. It was not going to make me puke, and that was OK. I would puke at
some other time. I passed the trail turn off. There was a lot of snow, but I thought I would go down
a bit of singletrack to just check it out. Afterall, I was there. Might as well check it out.
I made my way down the singletrack. It had no traffic since the melting of the snow. I crossed a
few spots of snow being careful. I pedeled down a bit. It started to look pretty good. I gained a
bit of speed.
The trail is on a very steep slope. I was looking down the slope, trying to see the trail, and the
snow. I was sitting down. I could not quite see. I knew that the sn...
WHAMMMMMOOOO!!!!
I was airborne.
I knew what happened in the air. I knew I was pretty elevated. I knew my bike would probably be
higher than me... spinning itself in my directing. I knew it would probably bounce, and gain speed
as it arced. I thought it would probably smash down on my head.
I crashed down on my head and rolled. I did the standard skid on my elbow, then hip, then knee. I
winced from the expected protruded, metal, riding, instrament that was certain to plunge a point
into a soft spot on my body.
I put my arm back, and crunched my body in that expectant way; Neck crunched in, shoulders up,
buttocks tight, mouth in agony, eyes squinting. The bike popped off a rock, and the front tire hit
me square in the side of the head. The resulting effect put my face in the dirt again as I rolled
patheticly down the slope.
I felt like I was getting beat up on the street. I picked my head up expecting another blugening
from some unknown force. The pummelling was over. The perp had ran off. Didn't even get my walet.
I got up. I was breathing hard. I was annoyed. I was bleeding.
My pedal had left a nice red paint on a solid, exposed rock. I chuckled a bit as I tried to move the
rock in the mountain. It was solid.
Assuming that the next step in my day would be death, I made a hasty, and careful retreat to the
road. I looked both ways before crossing. I walked my bike across.
I found a safe spot, away from trees and other large objects. I checked my wounds. Great, just
great. Not hurt bad, but the swelling would be a pain, and the scabs would be a drag. I got off
pretty lucky for such a flight. I would have kicked that guys ass had I seen him. hehe
______________
So today. I thought I would try it again. I stuck to the bike path this time. I had my gloves with
me, my mp3 player loaded, and my seat ALOT higher this time. I needed to spin some miles. I needed
to get back on track. I needed to check the fundamentals.
The music made me ride a bit stronger. It was Paramecium strong, but strong for the
one-celled class.
I rode up to Snowmass, then I did a little more. I got about 20 miles in on bike paths today. The
Giant is too small for me. I think I might sell it. I might make a few changes first, but I don't
know if it will ever really fit me well. Large bikes are a bit big, medium bikes are a bit small. I
will have to explore it in earnest this time around.
Either way, I think that is all it took. It did not take long ripping down some awesome,
switch-backing bike trail, before I was off the seat in happy mode. You might think cement
switch-backs is odd, but they are some of the tightest switch-backs you will see, dirt or cement.
They are steep, tight, many, and damn fun.
So now, I will buy a new bike, and the snow will melt.
darsh
walk by to inspect her from time to time over the winter. They would poke and prod, sometimes taking
the bike into the shop to fill up the tubeless tires, and at one time giving it a wash.
I inspected it. It was the same as I left it, but cleaner, and the tires were more full of
air. Amazing.
I filled the CamelBak, and checked my tools. I figured I would need to do some seat adjustment so
suit my healing scar.
I rode off. There was no pain, but a slight discomfort. I adjusted the angle of the seat a bit, and
felt pretty good. I pedaled through the golf course, and jumped the curb to the tennis courts. I
almost wrecked. The front end got sloppy. I got lucky.
I tried in my mind to settle down. I needed to get back into it a bit. The Giant is a bit small for
me, so I have to pay attention to it or it bites.
I wondered where I should go. I needed a secluded place to be pathetic. A place that had enough
climbing to make me puke, but with no people around to see it if it happened. I looked up at a
gleaming sky and lost my balance. I careened into the dirt one handed... trying to establish
control, and control of the handlebar.
I grabbed the bar as I jumped back onto the concrete trail. The bike bucked, and lifted my rear up
into the air. The confusion went on for many seconds it seemed, at a horribly slow pace. I had not
strapped my helmet on, and it had slid down over my eyes. Every turn folded in on itself. I finally
reeled her in.
I was breathing hard. I was annoyed.
Not to be beat down, I decided to ride up the Tiehack road. I would be able to see if I could loop a
little bit of the Government trail. It would be really easy. If I wanted to do something more after,
I still could. It was the reasonable thing to do considering my complete lack of dexterity on the
little Giant after months of being sedation.
I pedaled up the hill. I cursed myself for forgetting my mp3 player. I get the most ridiculous
songs in my head that are like dreams, they fade away as soon as they are there. One after the
other, song after song, none that I can remember. I think Yankee Doodle Dandee is one. Who or what
is punishing me?
The little paved hill was fine. It was not going to make me puke, and that was OK. I would puke at
some other time. I passed the trail turn off. There was a lot of snow, but I thought I would go down
a bit of singletrack to just check it out. Afterall, I was there. Might as well check it out.
I made my way down the singletrack. It had no traffic since the melting of the snow. I crossed a
few spots of snow being careful. I pedeled down a bit. It started to look pretty good. I gained a
bit of speed.
The trail is on a very steep slope. I was looking down the slope, trying to see the trail, and the
snow. I was sitting down. I could not quite see. I knew that the sn...
WHAMMMMMOOOO!!!!
I was airborne.
I knew what happened in the air. I knew I was pretty elevated. I knew my bike would probably be
higher than me... spinning itself in my directing. I knew it would probably bounce, and gain speed
as it arced. I thought it would probably smash down on my head.
I crashed down on my head and rolled. I did the standard skid on my elbow, then hip, then knee. I
winced from the expected protruded, metal, riding, instrament that was certain to plunge a point
into a soft spot on my body.
I put my arm back, and crunched my body in that expectant way; Neck crunched in, shoulders up,
buttocks tight, mouth in agony, eyes squinting. The bike popped off a rock, and the front tire hit
me square in the side of the head. The resulting effect put my face in the dirt again as I rolled
patheticly down the slope.
I felt like I was getting beat up on the street. I picked my head up expecting another blugening
from some unknown force. The pummelling was over. The perp had ran off. Didn't even get my walet.
I got up. I was breathing hard. I was annoyed. I was bleeding.
My pedal had left a nice red paint on a solid, exposed rock. I chuckled a bit as I tried to move the
rock in the mountain. It was solid.
Assuming that the next step in my day would be death, I made a hasty, and careful retreat to the
road. I looked both ways before crossing. I walked my bike across.
I found a safe spot, away from trees and other large objects. I checked my wounds. Great, just
great. Not hurt bad, but the swelling would be a pain, and the scabs would be a drag. I got off
pretty lucky for such a flight. I would have kicked that guys ass had I seen him. hehe
______________
So today. I thought I would try it again. I stuck to the bike path this time. I had my gloves with
me, my mp3 player loaded, and my seat ALOT higher this time. I needed to spin some miles. I needed
to get back on track. I needed to check the fundamentals.
The music made me ride a bit stronger. It was Paramecium strong, but strong for the
one-celled class.
I rode up to Snowmass, then I did a little more. I got about 20 miles in on bike paths today. The
Giant is too small for me. I think I might sell it. I might make a few changes first, but I don't
know if it will ever really fit me well. Large bikes are a bit big, medium bikes are a bit small. I
will have to explore it in earnest this time around.
Either way, I think that is all it took. It did not take long ripping down some awesome,
switch-backing bike trail, before I was off the seat in happy mode. You might think cement
switch-backs is odd, but they are some of the tightest switch-backs you will see, dirt or cement.
They are steep, tight, many, and damn fun.
So now, I will buy a new bike, and the snow will melt.
darsh
