I came....I saw.....I hate gravity!

[sundial]

You gals are so great to have as company. I really do appreciate your words of encouragement as well as your personal testimonies of rides gone bad. Your prayers and thoughts are helping me. I slept much better last night and I am not as sore today as I was yesterday. I'm on the mend!

I was just thinking about adjusting the front brake so that it wouldn't grab as bad. I guess that's a good idea, right?

Snowtulip, I'm curious about your crashes. Do you just relax and go with the flow? I think that's what I did--at least I think I did. I certainly didn't have time to react.

Since I can't be out biking, would you guys do something fun for me? Would you post a picture of your favorite trail? I really like the different terrains you ride. I don't have many pics of the trails I ride, but I have this gorgeous sunset to share.



Cathy

[Tuckervill]

Beautemous!

Here's a pic of the bridge/dam over Lake Leatherwood in Eureka Springs. This was taken sometime in February, I think. It was taken after I fell on the flat rock I told you about earlier.

Karen

[blueskies]

Gorgeous sunset.

I don't have a mountain bike (yet!!!), so I'll post a picture from one of my favorite places to hike, the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park.

[DirtDiva]

Personally, I wouldn't adjust the front brake - there are times when you will need all the braking power you've got. Try instead to keep your weight a little further back when you stop so you are less likely to go over the bars, or just slow down more before you get there!

[snowtulip]

Sundial, I've learned to just naturally duck and roll (it's automatic now), although I attribute it to following dh on his downhill course runs when he used to race. I also think the more you get used to mountain biking, you don't often have that blackout feel (how did this happen?), you seem more aware, at least for me that's how it worked.

This is one of my favorite days of riding, we did a self-supported mountain bike tour of the Colorado trail a few years ago (still have some of the distance to finish). It took some time getting used to having the rear panniers on some of the singletrack, but I loved the meadows becuase there was always plenty of room for my panniers and the wildflowers were amazing. Enjoy!

[crazycanuck]

This isn't the greatest photo showing singletrack or a good trail in Western Australia but until i find one, this'll have to do!

[sundial]

I felt my elbow give way on 3 occasions and I called my regular doc to report it. He in turn called in to his favorite ortho friend and got me in to see his partner on Friday afternoon. Turns out it was the ortho doc I had planned on seeing because he's an avid cyclist.

He examined my elbow and stated that it would heal on it's own. Surgery is not indicated. Yay! I did graduate from the sling to a hinged elbow brace for support. He also told me I could wear a supportive spandex brace on the left knee and to not use the knee immobilizer. Yippee! I have to rest it for 2 weeks and I'll have another follow-up visit. And being the true cyclist that he is, he asked how my bike faired in the endo.

I have really enjoyed seeing pics of the different trails. Thank you all.

Crazycanuck I almost expect to see a wallaby cross the trail.
Snowtulip I just love that shot of the trail. I would be a nervous wreck though if I tried riding it. It looks so narrow. I could just see me tipping over and sliding down the hill.
Dirdiva my husband is going to talk to our favorite mechanic about this and we'll decide. I think he's in the protection mode right now and doesn't want to see me take a bad spill like that anytime soon.
Tuckervill, my knee hurt everytime I read about your rock encounter. Did you shatter your knee cap? I would have definitely cried mommy if I had fallen on that rock. Ack! I love that bridge. I didn't know Eureka Springs had a trail there. We'll have to give it a whirl next time we're there--but not go kamikaze.

[Tuckervill]

Sundial, it's an easy trail, but there are about 14 miles around Lake Leatherwood and you can do a lot of switchbacks and climbing if you want.

I only do easy trails. Fossil Flats at Devil's Den, Lake Wedington Trail in the Ozark National Forest.

No, I didn't hurt my knee at all. Here's a picture of me that day, and my injury, when I weighed 25 lbs heavier. Amazingly, that's the only injury I've had on the bike. I was so proud I made Will take a picture of it!

I'm glad to hear your elbow needs no surgery!

Karen

[snowtulip]

Sundial, that's great news about not having to have surgery!!!!! I thought of you when we had some cranes flying over our house this morning, thought it'd be a great calming feel better photo, but alas, no camera on hand!

[sundial]

I missed the cranes?? What kind?

Tuckervill, that's a pretty good ding you took to the knee.

[Tuckervill]

Nah, it was nuthin'. Didn't even tear my pants. But I still have the scars. This old skin doesn't heal up like it used to.

The worst scar I have (besides my surgeries) is one I did with my own thumbnail while driving! Just turned the wheel with my other hand on the lap, and my thumbnail sliced right through the skin near the webbing by my thumb. Didn't hurt much, but it left a scar!

Karen

[Kano]

This is one of my favorite days of riding, we did a self-supported mountain bike tour of the Colorado trail a few years ago (still have some of the distance to finish). It took some time getting used to having the rear panniers on some of the singletrack, but I loved the meadows becuase there was always plenty of room for my panniers and the wildflowers were amazing. Enjoy!

Snowtulip, this is a LOVELY picture! Would that the mountain biking trips DH has dragged me along on were so delightful! (and I could really enjoy Sundial's dappled trails!)

Sundial -- see that nifty narrow trail? up the rock count, and rotate that picture about 25 degrees clockwise, then dry out all the vegetation and add thorns. Then you'll have the stuff DH thinks I should like to ride on. Oh, and make it go downhill, as well as narrow ledge on the side of a steep mountain!

And thus, my enjoyment of the "I came, I saw, I Hate" topic line that shows on my screen when I see this thread on the main forum page!

Karen in Boise

[sundial]

I'm headed to the studio this morning to paint. I have evil thoughts of putting my bike on the trainer to get a ride in.