Last year, I rode 60 miles and felt great. This year was different. Too many late nights at work resulted in my fitness level plummeting. I think I have been on my bicycle 10 times in two months! And it showed. Aside from dusty handlebars, it was a balmy 34 degrees at the start line. I don't like the cold temperatures when I'm used to it; let alone when I'm still missing summer. I loathe it when my body hasn't acclimated at all to the nippy air and breeze. But this day was different. This was the big event!
Our group started with 10 or so riders, mostly from the Bicycle Station. Mike P also came up for another year of fun! Quickly 3 fast riders separated as we opted to take the STEEP hill instead of the easy, Pine Loop. We all theorized the hill would warm us up; it did for a short time. Coldness rapidly seeped into my fingers and bones making shifting frustrating. I kept telling myself I would warm up.
With severe rains in the preceding days the trails were OK, but the roots and rocks were especially slippery. I witnessed 3 crashes before one of our own went down. Melissa, on her new fly Cannondale Scalpel, slipped on a rock and ended up with a pretty good nose bleed. Below is a stock photo of her new ride. Matt B. complemented the pink accents with some pink grips, saddle, and water bottle cage. Being the weight weenie that he is, her bike is sub 20 lbs! I'm only a tad jealous (because I'm not that enamored with pink).
We all made it to the top of Hesitation Point, which is a super cool vista within the park. The pic on this site does a good job of showing off this highlight. It was cold. While the sun emerged for a short time, the slight breeze reminded us that winter is approaching. Some turned around, some continued on, and 4 of us stayed a little longer to thoroughly lock our joints into place. Finally we started pedaling again. I was ecstatic to be moving again but still lacking some enthusiasm.
Matt L had gone ahead; when we caught up to him, he was patiently waiting for the crowd to clear so he could turn his bike around and head home. With gloved fingers, he explained he had just crashed and broke a finger. After several gasps and questions,
"Are you all right?" Everyone.
"No. I broke my finger." Matt
"Do you need anything?" Everyone.
"No. I just need to get through." Matt.
Turns out two fingers are broken. Did I mention the rocks and roots were really slippery?
Now we were down to 2--me and Mike P. I was indecisive in how far I wanted to ride, and the news report said the horse trails were a mess. Our plan was to ride to the horse trail and check it out. The first trail was an absolute BLAST! There were quite a few down hills that I just bombed down with a smile on my face the whole time. The 29er really rolls over that stuff so smoothly. My only concern was having to climb them on the way back out. I knew I had to enjoy it while I could.
Arriving at the second horse trail, the mud was a thin peanut butter-like substance that sucked the energy out of our legs. Because Mike had just cleaned his bike, or was it because I was still whining at this point, we decided to call it a day and head back. After climbing aforementioned hills, we stopped to eat the PB&J's we had packed. MMMMM.
We took the trail back this year and chowed on the pulled pork, beans, potatoes, and fried biscuits. And to top it off, Mike bought his girlfriend a bike! So, despite my bad attitude, the day could have been a whole lot worse.
Best wishes to the ones who didn't finish; heal quickly.
Below are some pics lifted from HMBA posters.
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