Figured I’d give you all chuckle at my own expense (personally it hurts to laugh, since my run in with the ground on Saturday).

I told BF that I wanted to try and ride a local trail before we moved out of the area. Of course my bike option was this old nasty red bike that hates me (BF's old - old MTB), but I figured – what the hell. We tried and tried to get the pedals off of my road bike (I ride w/ MTB shoes and clipless pedals), but they wouldn’t budge. So I wore my bike shoes but had to use the flat pedals. I've gone clipless since the very beginning w/ my road bike (my first ride) so it was hard to not be able to clip in.

Anyway – we set off on the trail – and it was fun….but my feet kept sliding on/off the pedals, and every time I hit a root or rock with my back tire, the whole back end (the bike’s not mine) popped up in the air and tried to buck me off. BF and I got off course/off trail a couple times and both ended up with a lot of thorn scratches on our arms and legs (of course I fell over into a thorn bush, so that was my fault). I was doing great until one downhill where, again, the back of the bike bounced up off of a root, and I couldn’t grip the pedals, so I did a front flip over the handle bars. All I know is I ended sitting up facing downhill, and the bike was behind me facing uphill. I had leaves stuck in my ponytail, but still had my sunglasses on . It scared the crap out of me at the time, but it was pretty funny (in hindsight).

I swear that bike hates me (the feeling is mutual). I must’ve landed on my right shoulder blade with feet over head and then kept rolling – think I bruised a rib or something b/c it hurts to take a deep breath (though it's getting better).

BF said I have good falling instinct – I tucked my head under and rolled like a ball. I have lots of new bruises (both knees, left ankle, right arm, right hip, left shoulder, right shoulder blade), but I guess that’s what my LBS guy was warning me about when I was trying to decide b/t a road or MTB.
"there is a better than good chance you WILL fall". yeah yeah yeah.

Just thought I’d share. You’re all more apt to appreciate the story than say…my mom, or my doctor.

cheri
(who desperately needs a NEW, pretty MTB - that fits me - and has clipless pedals, before I try going downhill over tree stumps again)