"Gwen Morse" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> After not getting to ride for two weeks because the weather wasn't permitting, I've ridden three
> times this week (Mon, Fri, Sat). I'm going to ride again on Sunday, too. Here's an update on my
> last two rides:
>
> I took my bike to the bike shop, yesterday, to get the chain tightened. It's been falling off
> every time I go riding, once a ride. The bike shop owner tightened it and said I need to get the
> gear cables tightened, too, but, that I could bring it in next week. That was good because I
> wanted to hit the trails and didn't want to wait any longer.
>
> I went mountain biking yesterday afternoon. I'd meant to go in the morning, but, "stuff" came up
> and I went just before work (and after getting the chain adjusted). I had a great ride, although
> nothing particularly stood out in my head, other than there was nothing negative. No falls. No
> wrong turns. I climbed a few hills and failed a few climbs.
>
> I reset my Cat Eye odometer computer before that ride and it stopped working, entirely. Hmm. I
> wonder if it has something to do with getting the chain tightened.
>
> Today, I went out and met my friend Mike to go biking. I've been working since March trying to get
> him to go with me. My persistence finally paid off. We pre-scheduled to meet at 9:30 am.
>
> I timed my arrival so I would be just a few minutes early. 9:28. Perfect. Given that I'm "always
> late", I've been working on improving my arrival time to things. It's been a tough struggle, but,
> it's gradually improving. I used to be half an hour late to things. Then, fifteen minutes. These
> days, I'm usually no more than 5 minutes late, and quite often "on time". Early still seems to be
> beyond me, however.
>
> This time, Mike was late, not me. I'll gladly gloat from my moral high ground about that one.
> Mike's never been mountain biking on a trail, only riding bikes on roads. He's been road biking on
> his brother's mountain bike, while he tried to figure out what sort of bike he wants to buy for
> himself. So, after a few quick explanations "Try this, try that, worry about this, don't worry
> about that"...we both set off.
>
> The trail at Cathedral Pines starts off with a climb. I can *usually* get up it now, but, there's
> some knotty roots right in the middle that give me trouble if I can't get "around" them on one
> side. Needless to say, I didn't get around them this time. However, I was able to restart my climb
> from where I got stuck, rather than walking up the rest of the way. Still, I felt sort of dumb.
> Not only did I look like I "couldn't" climb, but, Mike was following right behind me and had to
> stop, too. I think he learned his lesson after that, because he stayed further back on the
> remaining hills. We sort of tooled along for a bit. I started out going slow because I didn't know
> what Mike would be comfortable with, but, after a bit I speeded up. Sadly, he didn't actually
> *notice* this, and he thought I was setting a baby-slow pace for him the whole way I led the
> trail. I admitted when the ride was over that that's just the pace I set on my own.
>
> There's a double hill that gives me trouble. I have alot of trouble climbing the first hill, but,
> I can climb the second one. I couldn't remember *where* it was. It turns out it was at least a
> mile later than I thought it was. Ooops! When we found it and got past both hills (we both failed
> to climb the first and both succeeded on the second), I tried to get him to go ahead of me. No
> go. But, a bit after was a point where he just ended up ahead of me, and I stayed back when he
> tried to wave me forward. I mastered this highly subtle technique from my hiking partner, Fred.
> Fred's done this to give me confidence when I'm doing tough hikes. Mike had seen me follow the
> trail markers, and he'd seen the "worst" of the climbs, so, there was nothing he couldn't deal
> with up ahead.
>
> I have to say, he lit out like a donkey with his tail on fire. I don't know if he's been eating
> his Wheaties or what, but, he was just zooming along. So, of course, not wanting to be the
> candyassed girl who was left behind, I tried to match my pace with his. *AND I DID IT*. This just
> goes to show I *was* being candyassed all along about my speed.
>
> There was nothing too significant for a good part of the hike, except that Mike tried riding over
> a log obstacle and *almost* fell on his ass. And, he complained about some jouncy bits of the
> trail, so, I offered to switch seats (I have an ergonomic gel seat), but, our seatposts were
> different sizes by like a millimeter or two, which meant it couldn't happen.
>
> But, the true beauty was when we were working our way down the extended final descent, and Mike
> suddenly swerved to one side, and then his bike went to the right, and his body flipped over the
> handlebars to the left.
>
> I'm a bit ashamed to report that my first thought was "Gosh, I wish I had my camera" and only my
> SECOND was to wonder if he was "okay". He was. He was actually laughing over it. I'm a bit amazed
> that he was undamaged by the fall (as was his brother's bike) because both of them were entangled
> in four trees that were close together. How his head or joints avoided contact with all of them is
> a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes.
>
> A bit further along the same descent, I was able to get into proper "attack position", and not
> fall (or even just feel "wobbly") for several seconds. I think all the responses from people
> in the group helped. I have alot of trouble with this, so, I'm proud to have been able to do
> it at all.
>
> My computer still wasn't working. I might bring my bike in tomorrow. The battery's not dead -- the
> numbers are still there. They just don't change. I think maybe a wire is loose somewhere.
>
> Mike and I are supposed to meet again tomorrow for another ride. He wants to do the loop twice. I
> think he's hooked
.
>
> Gwen
>
> --
> Gwen Morse -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Love is a snowmobile racing
> across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice
> weasels come." -- Matt Groening
This is a wind-up, right? How do you tighten a chain? What can it have to do with your odometer?
