Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday Evening Ride Report
Recently dubbed the wednesday evening ride by Mr. Guzzld, it was an earlier start than it's been for a few years because frankly start times have been getting later and later, so late that the resolve to actually go for a ride, as opposed to the bar, was low by the time people started pedalling. Leaving at 8:30 instead of 10:30 equals more ride time and less headache the next day. Expect more of same for at least a while.
Anyhow, last night I didn't meet up at the usual starting point. Instead, I worked on my creaky BB for a while, then had a beer, then headed straight west to meet up with them at a time I figured most likely to coincide with their arrival at the trail. I got there, rode a lap, then waited for them to show, and show they did, racing past me at a fair clip before I realized they had arrived (me swatting mosquitoes around the corner behind some trees so as not to draw the attention of any passing po-lice cars. I was a lurker).
So the group cruised by about 50 yards away and I had to haul ass to catch them, then jumped on the back of the train and we completed about half of the main Wirth circuit before stopping to collect stragglers, at which point the skies, which had been flashing and grumbly for some time, opened up and dumped rain on us. And dumped. And then dumped some more. We cracked cans of hoppy goodness hoping to wait it out, but finally jumped back on the trail, finished the section we were on, and bailed when we crossed a road, taking it down to the entrance and riding back downtown, by which time the rain had let up.
Once back in the familiar alleyways of our fair city, derby ensued, claiming no injuries, though Nick's brilliant chess move brought down four riders in one go, including yours truly, by the simple method of waiting until the tangle got tight and then pulling away in a couple quick pedal strokes. Without him as lynchpin, we imploded on each other in a shouting tangle of bikes and limbs. At one point a bit later, feeling juiced and peppy, I wheelied while clipped in, forgetting my race brake set up. With the brake lever pulled all the way back to the bar, my brakes drag rather than lock up, and so did no good at all when I tipped back too far. I landed, still clipped in, on my elbow (ouch) and back (double ouch), specifically on my water pack, which likely saved me from a lot more pain but also popped and drained approximately 60 oz. of water down my backside upon impact. It refreshed the clammy feeling that had just begun to subside.
Special recognition to Nate who I found out today does not normally ever ride offroad, so he learned to ride trail on twisty tight singletrack at night in the rain. True, he had a special talent for riding straight when the trail curved, and for hitting trees, and perhaps this wasn't the ideal training ground, but he didn't whine at all.
P/S/ An unrelated, unpaid, & unrequested endorsement: I like this stuff more than Lindt hazelnut chocolate bars. However I can't afford this stuff. Hold on, lemme check my wallet.... nope, not even close. If I could afford it, though, I'd already have one of these being sent first class to my mailbox.
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