first group mountain bike ride

[fastdogs]

Today I rode the "pedal the parklands" ride in park hills, mo. They offered a 62 mile, 34 mile, and 12 mile road ride, and a 15 mile mtb ride. We've had good weather all week, but what I didn't know is they had rain all night last night- we had none.
My husband and 4 year old son went along; after we left on the ride my DH took Andy to a leisurely breakfast, then to the park so he could play around on his little bike on the paved bike path. I had one of dog gps units (garmin astro) in my hydrapack, DH had the handheld with him- this way he could see exactly where I was, how far, and if I was moving or not. It worked great- he could pick me up at a mile and a half away (line of sight, which worked since the trail kinda made a loop).
But, I don't do well in mud. I'm over my head on any trail if it's real muddy. This was a tough trail, and it was muddy. And not well marked, so the group I was with got lost. Several took a wrong turn right off the bat, so when I got there someone was directing me to the right direction, and I was the first one there- no tracks in the mud but mine. Mud, steep inclines, and large sharp limestone and quartz meant I walked up some of the long steep hills. And there were lots of them, not balanced out by descents (how can you just go up and never come down???) I stopped to eat some trail mix and drink some water after a real long climb (on foot), and another rider passed me, also on foot. He had one of those 29ers, with only one shock in front, nothing on the other side. After a break I followed him, and noticed with a little satisfaction that although he climbed a little longer than I did, we both ended on foot pretty much the same. I had no problem riding over the logs and most of the rocks, unless on a muddy uphill.
Finally a long downhill- steep, with pointed rocks about 13" tall hidden leaves, branches and sticks everywhere. I couldn't see the guy ahead of me. I had to duck under a tree about neck height across the trail, and after that got taken out by a large rock, falling on my knee on another one. My first mtb scar!! I ripped a hole in the knee of my new PI knickers too. I walked the rest of the way down. He was there, blood running down his leg- he hit the tree I ducked under and went down. Two other riders arrived, bombing down the hill like it was nothing. We'd lost the markers, and had no idea which way was the trail. They waited for other riders they knew- the group following included two people who'd marked the trail.
They never came. We went different directions looking for markers, and finally found one, so headed in that direction. Even these experienced riders thought surely they wouldn't have laid a trail for a group ride on trails like these- we all walked much of it. (it made me feel better to see them having to walk too). Finally, on another scouting expedition where we all went looking for markers, someone found a gravel trail and we cut through the woods to it and rode it to the "watering hole" where they had water and peanut butter sandwiches. We were battered and muddy, and some of the bikes were malfunctioning from being gummed up with mud. We'd done about 8 miles. My husband called to see why I wasn't moving, he was on the paved bike trail with andy near the beginning.
I bailed. Normally I'd rather die than quit, but I just can't handle mud. My knee was stiffening up. I told the three guys I'd ridden with that I was going to take the paved bike trail back; they laughed and said that's what they planned to do too.
I got around 12 miles, with the 8 mtb riding/pushing miles. When I got back to start, I gladly put my bike on my own personal SAG vehicle and got a ride back to the college where they had a great meal laid out.
I still had fun, I'd do it again- if it wasn't so muddy.
I hate mud.

[tzvia]

Can't stand the stuff too. My worst crash was due to mud, on a downhill. Ended up pinning my thigh between the handlebar and toptube as I slid down the hill with the wheel turned 90deg down into the dirt dirt, plowing all the way down. By the time I hit bottom, stuck in my bike, I had a hematoma, a big blood filled bruise bigger than my open hand on my thigh. Thought I had broken my leg at first, my leg was numb. Cut some branches from a bush next to me and splinted my leg with strips from my shirt and used the bike like a crutch to climb, and coasted the downhills to get out. The bruise was so big I had to wrap it for more than a week so I could walk as it jiggled like a big boob. Purple and wine then brownish colored.

It sounds like your crash was not so bad, which is a good thing. And you still managed to have fun. I wouldn't say you bailed. You did well in a rough situation and kept your cool even when conditions would be considered difficult for a more experienced rider. And you knew when not to go in over your head and get hurt bad as I had done. That's not bailing, that's being smart. I still have a divot in my thigh where the handlebar crushed into my leg, about the width of a small egg. I call it 'my dent.'

[Irulan]

...must pull out soapbox for a moment...

I don't' know what kind of public event would host a mountain bike ride when the mud is so muddy that

some of the bikes were malfunctioning from being gummed up with mud. We'd done about 8 miles.

That is horribly destructive to the trails. Most times its irreparable damage. I'm not slamming you - just wondering who's great idea this was.

.... puts soapbox away....

[fastdogs]

one of the other riders was wondering the same thing. I was surprised when I got out of the wet packed sand area and into the mud- until later when we were standing around in between looking for markers and one guy remarked that they'd had quite a downpour during the night. This area is quite a bit south of me, and is a big area for ATV and motorbike riding (those trails are separate from the horse trails we were on).
It seemed like a very large turnout (I've only been on one other organized ride- a road ride), but only about 8 of us on the mountain bike part.
vickie

[emily_in_nc]

You are a good sport, fastdogs. I woulda been pissed at the so-called organizers. And it really doesn't sound like fun at all to me.

[singletrackmind]

Whew! Sounds like you got to do at least some of the race course. I wouldn't want to mess with that clay when it's wet, either. Slimey. I am glad you got to see that you are by far not the only one that walks stuff or has the good sense to know when to bail.
Sorry to hear about your knickers but glad it was only the knee....a friend crashed on the downhill and ended up flashing us with one cheek the rest of the race.

It doesn't surprise me that the organizers didn't cancel. Tread Lightly isn't much thought of, much less followed, around there.

[fastdogs]

I'm glad they offered the mountain bike option on this ride, and it was a great group of people. I don't know what happened with the markers. We were definitely following orange construction ribbon; maybe there was some old markers or something. I hope the other trail was better. The parts that weren't muddy were really rocky- big pointy rocks sticking up, nothing rounded about them.

I would have liked to find out where the correct trail was, but didn't really know the people to know who to ask, or even where they ended up! I did know I couldn't face going back out in that mud and the probability of losing the trail again.
I think if my husband ever decides to go down there to ride ATVs, I'll probably go along and try some of the trails again, when it's dry.
vickie

[uforgot]

Yeah, you should have done flat as a floodplain with me. Clearly marked, dry, although the route was shortened. It certainly was flat, but windy. Nice ride and a beautiful day.

Man oh man, you just jump right in. You really love the mountain biking, don't you? If this was a normal Missouri Sept. we would be in the middle of a drought and it would be perfect mountain biking weather. Nice work keeping up with everyone! I really see that 29er in your future!

[Aggie_Ama]

I am on Irulan's soapbox about not cancelling. I have limited trail experience but I have seen a few spots at my favorite trail with deep ruts, DH said they are from riding in the mud. These aren't a spot where it would be worn down from being the best line, it should be hard packed. The local clubs here are pretty adamant about not riding if the trail is muddy, of course many of our trails they maintain. Completely irresponsible and dangerous to have you ride in the mud.

[uforgot]

Vickie, who sponsored this ride?

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I hope you are icing that knee!

The riding on the trail thing is different everywhere I go. Out west in the Sierras, where I volunteered to build and maintain the Tahoe Rim Trail, you are absolutely not supposed to ride where it is muddy. Carting your bike or 'high lining' if you absolutely have to, but don't ride through the puddle! Out here I was riding in Fair Hill (where is Becky?!) and I asked the ranger if it was too muddy to ride...she goes "nah..it's fine!". OMG. I almost lost my bike in the mud! Then there is here in Mass- they want you to ride through the puddle, not highlining it. I still get off and cart my bike. I only ride those places that drain when it's muddy.

For that event, they probably should of routed the trail where it wasn't muddy or just rode the paved trails with maybe some mud. Like I said, everywhere is different. Some trails, I think, heal better than others too, and out here on the east coast, I think you get so much rain that the trails morph so much that running through the puddle doesn't matter. It's that they don't want the trail to get wider and wider so they don't want you riding around the puddle. Out west, where we get tons of snow in the mountains and occasional rain, tire tracks stay around and make deep ruts.

But then, if they really cared, they would nix all these social trails that confuse riders and sometimes discourage people out of parks and riding areas because they get so lost.

Sorry...I took that soap box...I'll give it back now

I think the GPS thing is funny, I'm not sure which one you are using but I would NOT want the man in my life to be monitoring how fast I was going. I'm sure he would have SOMETHING to say!

[fastdogs]

not sure who sponsored it- they had two cycle shops set up to work on bikes, and police escort for the road rides. The police were stopping traffic at intersections on the way out, and the mayor spoke to us before the ride, so it seemed like a pretty big one.
The gps is the garmin astro, for hunting dogs. The dog collar unit sends signal every 5 seconds to the handheld, telling it where it is, whether it's moving or not, and how fast it's going (average speed; you download the details of the track later)- I should do that. You download it superimposed on google earth so you can see right where you were, and how fast you were going at that point. The blocky collar unit just fit in the upper pocket of my hydrapack, with the antenna sticking out.
I think the trails in that area are so rocky that maybe they don't even think about when it rains. But the rocks are set in mud. There were only a few big puddles and some creek crossings, the rest was slick clay and sharp rocks. My bike did fine, but one guy was having problems with his gears, and they all were having problems clipping in (walking so much in the mud). The guy with the cannondale 29er had some sort of brake noise sometimes whenever he moved (I don't know anything about disc brakes).
vickie