Sarah & Bubba tried to kill me!
Well... maybe not.
Yesterday we rode at Rockville, a small city owned park with legal single track! Not something you find much of in the Bay Area. There is none at Black Diamond Mines where Thom and I normally ride, and just a little bit on Mount Diablo.
The riders are Sarah and Bubba, Sue ( a friend of theirs), Steve ( a friend of Sue's and a local), Thom and I. The weather is a little dicey. It's overcast but not raining yet.
Why is it nearly every mountain bike ride starts off with a killer climb? You know the kind that is tough when you're warmed up, but is just insane when you're starting out? Anyway, Rockville has one of those. There are two sections that are basically rock faces and Steve says the right line is up and over the faces. Okay... - I don't make it over either. Then you come to a pretty steep section that is strewn with rocks the size of grapefuits to volleyballs. This part I do. The trail then evens out for a bit and goes around a small pond. We start up another climb and there are just amazing views. It's beautiful even though the sky is gray. Everything is so green and sort of mist enshrouded.
About this time we hear from Sue, who's running a little late. She's in the parking lot and Sarah tells her where to meet us. We then get on some single track that winds its way around the top of this particular hill. It's beautiful. There are wildflowers everywhere - purple, white and yellow all mixed up. I decide the light is not good enough for pictures and to just enjoy it.
It's descent time. Steve warns us that this is a tricky descent with some water breaks. I didn't find it too bad. It wasn't as gnarly as a descent I did last week out at Black Diamond. Steve tells us the next section has a few rocks and which way to ride them. I don't negotiate either. That's okay. You don't get better if you don't challenge yourself.
We meet up with Sue and I guess Steve decides it's rock garden time. AND, it begins to rain. We ride a beautiful section of single track through some trees and then the rocks start. From here on I spend about 10 feet on my bike, walk ten feet, ride ten feet, walk ten feet. You get the idea. I've stopped clipping in with my right foot because I'm spending so much time walking.
We finish one section of this and start down another one (even worse.) Sarah and Bill are behind me and they decide to go over to the fire road. Wise Sarah and Bill. I should have turned around and joined them. But hey, I'm here to learn, so I keep doing my ride a little, walk a little routine. I come up on a couple of rocks and I realize I'm not going to make it over them. I put my right foot down and it slides down the rock under my bike and I topple over to my right with left foot still clipped in. I hit the rock with the upper half of my right shin HARD. My legs are all tangled up in my bike. The left foot is still clipped in. My right foot is out the other side of the bike.
I untangle myself, stand up and want to scream. It hurts. It's just a mondo bruise, but it hurts. I'm thinking where's the f***ing road. I seldom use that word. I have to be pretty upset to even think it. I can't tell how far the road is to my right, so I start limping my way back down the trail.
Thom discovers I'm not with Sarah and Bill and starts back to look for me. Poor guy. He sees me and hollers over asking if I'm okay and I don't respond. I'm trying to come up with a response of, "Yeah I'll live. Nothing's broken, but it hurts and I am done. I don't want to ride my bike anymore today. Whisk out your magic lamp and get me down to the parking lot because I don't want to ride anymore. And I really want you to come give me a hug because somehow that makes everything better. I know I have to ride down to the parking lot, but I don't want to." But I can't articulate all that. So he runs over to me, thinking something is really wrong. Note to self - next time answer husband so he doesn't freak out. Thom walks my bike over to the fire road, which I ride back down to the parking lot. Wincing in pain every time I have to pedal.
It's not until I'm home that I discover that I have a big bruise on my left knee from hitting the bike, and snake bites and a big bruise from the chain ring on my left ankle.
We will go back to Rockville and I will try the rock garden stuff again. Just not so much of it. I like to ride my bike. :p
Poor Sarah and Bill did not get any cookies. I had chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry. Maybe next time.
V.
