Hubby and I see mountain bikers at the park all the time, and we like to make fun of them. Actually, Hubby makes fun of cyclists in general because he knows it rattles my cage. Every time we see a mountain biker bloodied and scratched up, I say, "Well he achieved his purpose today. They consider that a badge of honor."
Today I decided to take my new (cheap) mountain bike over to the park and try the trail out for myself. Rozmo has been wanting to ride over here, and I wanted to know the right way to go and be able to tell her what to expect.
In my case, expect to have your ego bruised and battered.
Luckily, that was ALL that got bruised and battered, because after I had ridden 3 miles of the 12-mile loop, I figured out where I was and made a beeline back to the truck.
It's not just the hills and the hairpin turns. It's the damn tree roots. Those mountain bikers LIKE those.
I had a few close calls, having to put my foot down to keep from falling. A couple of times the trail went BETWEEN two trees, and I wasn't sure my handlebars would fit. There was one place where there was an incredibly steep downhill. We all know how much I love downhills. I screeched to a halt at the top of it, because on the other side not only was there a steep uphill, but it was treacherous with ruts and tree roots. I finally rode down it -- reluctantly -- braking the whole way because I didn't want to start up the other side with any momentum.
People do this for FUN? Why don't they just stand in the street and have people throw rocks and bottles at them?
Another close call involved a hairpin turn right next to the lake. Only by the grace of the cycling gods did I avoid riding right into the water.
It didn't help that my seat came loose at about the 1.5 mile mark. It didn't break, but it wasn't tight enough, so it wouldn't stay level. Never mind that I wasn't using it very much, because I had to stand up on the pedals to climb the hills. It was a good enough excuse to tuck my tail between my legs and put the bike back in the truck.
I refuse to be defeated. I fully intend to go back and ride the other 9 miles of the trail. Including something indicated on the map as...... Heart Attack Hill.
Isn't that all of them?
2 comments:
You're going back? Have you lost your mind? Wow-- be careful, and good luck! (This did not sound like fun...LOL)
I'm guessing that we're about the same age, you do realize that our bones become more brittle, right?
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