July 14 rides

[kenyonchris]

It has been so hot here in North Texas that we decided to ditch the road bikes and opt for the shade of the MTB trail at a nearby lake. I went with an officer friend who faithfully rides with me, even though I inadvertently drop him regularly on the road bike (I am fitter and better equipped) and have to pick him up off the trail on the mountain bike. He is game, if bruised.
We decided to ride a small trail that the bike instructor is going to use on Friday with his new bike officer class. I am going to go along and wanted to scope it out beforehand. It turned out to be the worst!! Terribly marked, boring for parts and impossible in others. And very short. I came out irritated that I had wasted my time and never got my heart rate up. So we loaded up and went to a much harder, more technical, and longer trail with the idea to ride it as far as the IMPOSSIBLE part, then turn and come back (about 13 or so miles). It was 10:30 and about 90 degrees or so when we started.
About halfway through I came across a little rock garden. Not hard, but you gotta pick your line carefully. Two riders ahead were walking through it. I took my eye off my line to look at them, and wham...down I went, rolling on to my back. A few cuts and bruises, and my broken hand took a blow, but nothing debilitating. My friend got a good chuckle about helping me up, usually it is the other way around.
Just as we hit the turnaround, his chain broke. I had a chain tool and we got it patched, but about 100 yards back down the trail, it broke again, this time taking the entire derailleur with it. Agh. I sent him back to the halfway parking lot, and set off for home to get the car and come get him. So I was FLYING home, it was getting hotter and hotter, of course I ran out of Cytomax, when I missed a turn due to my unusual speed and grabbed my handlebar on a tree and wound up upside down in the brush on the other side of the trail. I managed to grab a branch on the way down and was able to do a Nadia Comenichi move, but then was stuck upside down, hand on tree, still clipped in. It was let go and fall on my head, or wait for someone to come get me. The blood was running to my head, so I finally opted to fall. Into a sticker bush.
I finally got back to the lot, branches sticking out of my helmet, sand stuck to the sweat on my legs, partially delirious from dehydration, to find my buddy, who had hitched a ride with a passerby. He gave me the "what on EARTH??" look, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
I did, however, get a good workout out of it.

[TrekTheKaty]

(note to self--no mountain biking with kenyonchris!) Glad you're OK! No pics?

[kenyonchris]

(note to self--no mountain biking with kenyonchris!) Glad you're OK! No pics?

I am the worst picture taker ever. My poor kids have no pic memories of themselves. However, an upside down pic would have been good.

[salsabike]

Chris, if you ever come up here for a visit, I am going to buy you dinner.

Great ride report. Glad you're okay.

[HappyTexasMom]

Holy moly, that has to be one of the best/worst stories I've heard!

My ride: I had a 7 am meeting, so only had time for a short one, so I set out for my 9ish mile route. I decided to focus on my speed. I had a headwind for some of the way and for whatever reason felt like I didn't have much in me, but I did my best. As I was on the home stretch I thought "boy, this ride seems *awfully* short!". Thought it was just a different perspective after doing my first 20 miler on Sunday. So I get home and check the GPS (handhelt unit I just throw in my Camelbak to track mileage & speed) and it says I did 7.5 miles. Huh? So I go to log it on mapmyride.com and realize I completely left out a section of my route! DUH!

[PinkBike]

just the daily commute to work at 2 in the afternoon. can you even imagine what 115 degree riding is like???? fortunately its only six miles. but sunday we rode the 18 miles home from church at noon. madness.

[kenyonchris]

Chris, if you ever come up here for a visit, I am going to buy you dinner.

Great ride report. Glad you're okay.

Totally will take you up on that!!!
I am fine, like Tigger, I bounce. I have a lovely bruise though...I'm wearing shorts only these days (well, a shirt too) but it lets the guys comment on my bruised legs.
Tomorrow I am a year older, maybe the bounce is short term??

[Miranda]

#1) ...but then was stuck upside down, hand on tree, still clipped in...

#2) ...to find my buddy, who had hitched a ride with a passerby. He gave me the "what on EARTH??" look, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

#3) ...I did, however, get a good workout out of it.

First of all, on a totally serious note... I am *glad* you made it ok!

Secondly, I was just sitting here tonight having a case of the blues for some reason and your post on #1 made me lol like a hyeina! THX!

OK... I am not totally sadistic... just slightly wharped... BUT, I just re-told part of your same story to one of my Spinning class students tonight about my latest mtb crash... omg, major ouch crash in rock garden... being clipped in upside-down for you--PRICELESS... the class guy says, 'oh, I've never ridden my mtb ridden clipped in... whoa, no wonder how you crashed..." ...I rant and rave though at how much I love being able to pull up on climbs etc. NOW, after your story, I can also tell the guy at how handy clips come in on hanging upside-down like BatMan Biker.

On #2... very wise man... perhaps can teach lessons to others for great $$$ ?!?! lol

#3... gotta have priorities... you go GF!

MY OWN RIDE...
Tried out part of new route add on... pace 30mi. Stopped at lil kids cutest old fashioned lemonade stand. Price 5 cents. All I had was $1 bill. Big tip I guess. The kids say, "you have been our only customer in days!". Umm, middle of no-where in the country, kiddies. Then, the g-pa comes out and takes my pic w/kiddies on the sale as the "only customer". Not sure I wanted to be photographed covered in ride sweat... but at least I had on one of my nice jerseys from TE... counts for style points anyways. OH.. no dog chases today either--yippiee.

[kenyonchris]

First of all, on a totally serious note... I am *glad* you made it ok!

Secondly, I was just sitting here tonight having a case of the blues for some reason and your post on #1 made me lol like a hyeina! THX!

OK... I am not totally sadistic... just slightly wharped... BUT, I just re-told part of your same story to one of my Spinning class students tonight about my latest mtb crash... omg, major ouch crash in rock garden... being clipped in upside-down for you--PRICELESS... the class guy says, 'oh, I've never ridden my mtb ridden clipped in... whoa, no wonder how you crashed..." ...I rant and rave though at how much I love being able to pull up on climbs etc. NOW, after your story, I can also tell the guy at how handy clips come in on hanging upside-down like BatMan Biker.

On #2... very wise man... perhaps can teach lessons to others for great $$$ ?!?! lol

#3... gotta have priorities... you go GF!

MY OWN RIDE...
Tried out part of new route add on... pace 30mi. Stopped at lil kids cutest old fashioned lemonade stand. Price 5 cents. All I had was $1 bill. Big tip I guess. The kids say, "you have been our only customer in days!". Umm, middle of no-where in the country, kiddies. Then, the g-pa comes out and takes my pic w/kiddies on the sale as the "only customer". Not sure I wanted to be photographed covered in ride sweat... but at least I had on one of my nice jerseys from TE... counts for style points anyways. OH.. no dog chases today either--yippiee.

LOL!!! Glad I could help! I am always good for a laugh....the guys just wait for me to say something on the radio...