Crash Test Dummy

In the movie The Rock, Nicholas Cage's character says, "The second you stop respecting this stuff -- it kills you." He is referring to nerve gas. As it turns out your seemingly harmless local mountain bike trail has a lot in common with said nerve gas. On the morning of Memorial Day, I headed back to MEQ for another go at it. I had customized my route to cut out some technical switchbacks and add a mile plus stretch through the back part of Maywood. I wasn't a mile in, when my mind started to wander, "If I make one more hill then I did yesterday, I will improve my time." The next thing I remember was watching my front tire sink into 4inch deep mud and come to a stop on a root. This launched me over the handlebar and flipped me into the air. I landed on my right shoulder and rolled onto my back, looking up at the tree-tops and sky just in time to watch my bike land on me! That part of the trail is right on, or immediately below a natural spring that ensures that it is ALWAYS wet and sloppy. In fact, before the WORS race, they dump a load of crushed limestone on it before the race to try and dry it up. By the time practice laps are over -- it's a mess again. I got up and shook it off. At 41 years old, I live with the knowledge that it now takes a month to heal what would have taken a week ten years ago. Luckily, the fore-mentioned mud made for a soft, injury-free landing. I was a mess; but unharmed. My bike, however, snapped a cable stay (or so i thought). So I'd have to do the rest of the ride without my back breaks. I made it up the rest of the killer hills and did shave a little over a minute off my 7-mile ride. When I got home, I washed my bike and had to hose off all my clothes BEFORE i could throw them in the laundry. Just another day at the office!

Memorial Day Weekend/Back to the Local Haunt

Sunday was an amazing day when it comes to 'playing outside'. It started with a 7:30am bike ride and ended when Lori and I pulled out new kayak out of the river at 6:30pm.
My ride was my first trip to my local trail. The ride encompasses three different parks: Evergreen, the Quarry, and Maywood Ecology Center. I'll call it my MEQ ride. It plays host to one of WORS (Wisconsin Off-Road Series) biggest races. It's a nasty trail. Tons of technical crap that slows you up and knocks you down. I hit the trail talking myself down, "Enjoy the ride. Pick a good line. Don't race." I had a decent ride. I made it up 'the puker' (but I didn't throw-up), I intentionally walked a hill, and slick roots kept me from making another hill. The log jump was down-graded over the winter: a fallen tree now forces you around the jump and the water-cossing got harder in the off season. Other then that, it's pretty much the same trail. It was, all around, a respectable first ride. When I got home, Lori, Koval, and I headed to to the beach (via a coffeehouse) to chase seagulls. We cooked out in the afternoon and headed to the river for a couple hours after dinner.

First Trip to the Woods.

On May 19th, I headed to to kettles for the first run of my favorite trail. Unfortunately my trail was closed. I rode a different path that i was unfamiliar with and didn't have a great ride.
It never fails. I spend a chunk of sping riding a nice 10-mile route around town. Patiently waiting for the trails to dry. Along the lake, in and out of the river valley, a nice not-too-boring route through town. It's nice.....but it's NOT the woods. 2.77 miles into the kettle trail, i was puking over my handlebars. My cardio and lungs can never seem to get in shape as quickly as my legs. Lessons learned.

Mr Repair Man

When I was 12 or 13, my father and I built my first road bike from the ground up. We started with a $10 police auction bike and spent the winter creating my first real ride. That bike lasted a few years until I got a new Royce Union bike that weighed about 45lbs! I pampered that bike season in and season out. Every spring, my friend Jim and I would field strip our bikes and re-grease the fittings and clean and oil everything that couldn't be re-greased. The reason I bring up my credentials, is because today I realized I'm an idiot. I am now 41 and can barely figure out how to put air in my tires! I have three bikes and can do most of the basics. Or at least I feel I can. I still get looks at the bike store for what I consider repairs the average guy can't do. I may be wrong. Last weekend I crashed. A spectacular crash that I will elaborate on later. The spill left me without rear brakes for the rest of the ride because I snapped a cable stay. Today I brought my bike to my favorite shop because I don't have the means...or the will, to re-string a cable. I walked in to the shop and Harley, the owner, came out and asked "What's up?" After I told him, he reached down and found the cable-stay still on the cable. It had snapped free and simply slid down. An observant 6 year old could have fixed it. Now, if only I rode with a 6 year old!