First Crash!

[Aggie_Ama]

This morning I went out to do some single track with DH. The morning started off not so hot (mentally mostly) and I was not feeling overly confident but after bombing down one crazy hill I was finally ready to go. Of course the ride was drawing to a close but there was still a couple of loops to do.

We headed over to my favorite loop, Severe Consequences, after going down the hill I finally got last week I was able to do the entire loop without cross training- score!

Next on the agneda was the Windy Loop. Last week I had to walk about 5-6 times and I was determined to do more riding. It started out really great, I was rolling through the tight spots and making it through the sharp turns. Then came the burms those things really freak me out. I made it through one, then two and finally around number three. After number three there was a hill to climb, I was really feeling confident and just started trucking up it. Rookie mistake was I wasn't in the little ring.

I got about half way up and suddenly started to fall. I was desperately trying to unclip but fell to the side I was unclipping on and onto a pile of brush. When DH came back to my pleas for help he found me on the brush, bike on top of my left leg and right foot still stuck in the darn pedal. I could get my foot out, he finally had to twist my ankle for me. By this time I was laughing hysterically and someone came by as he was unclipping me to ask "are you okay?" I was thinking "my bike is still on top of me and someone is unclipping my foot so not so much". But I was still laughing at myself so DH just said I was. I walked up the hill and immediately got on the bike, I did walk a few more sections but overall rode more of the trail.

I bruised my thigh, hip and butt in the debacle but otherwise feel fine. It was actually a good experience because now I understand not ever wreck will leave me with a broken bone or a bloody mess. It did however shake my hill climbing confidence which was already not so hot. All I can do is practice and keep trying.

[ima_bleeder]

Congratulations on your first minor 'oops'. And the realization that not every spill will leave you with a broken bone. In fact, most spills just leave some bruising, and maybe a little blood.

I know it's a difficult thing to control, but objectively, this shouldn't shake your confidence at all. You'll get more aware of your shifting/current gear as you ride more, and over time you won't get caught by surprise like you did in this case.

You'll also get quicker at clipping out. I had a number of these kinds of spills early on, because I wouldn't give up on going up/over/around the whatever (the hill or obstacle) until I had completely stopped moving, and then didn't have time to clip out. I'm pretty decent at slow speed technical riding, but if I get too slow ... well I can't track stand!

Now, my blood always comes from one of two things. Shrubbery (blackberry bushes, stinging nettles, pointy sticks hiding in the ferns, and other natural wonders), and pushing my bike! I can't seem to keep my shins out of the way when I get pooped and have to push my bike.

Congratulations on your successes on this ride! And you'll clear Windy Loop the next time.

[pardes]

Aggie, I'm glad you made it out laughing.

There are so many wonderful mtb trails in this area, a cornucopia of them and a wonderful mtb group, and it makes me want to replace the mountain bike I lost .... and then ..... I notice all the bloddied knees and elbows coming off the trails. I pause for a moment but then see their grinning faces and hear their laughter. So I tell myself to get a mtb and just go slow but where's the fun in that?

[alleyoop]

We headed over to my favorite loop, Severe Consequences, after going down the hill I finally got last week I was able to do the entire loop without cross training- score!

Next on the agneda was the Windy Loop.

You are better than I! I still won't do the decent on Severe Consequences, and that hill on Windy is a walker for sure! Sounds like you did an awesome job!

Let's see... the root drop, the hill on Tangle of Trails, the logs on Marks Art, the Wall on BMX, the Windy hill, the SC decent.... the list of challenges goes on and on. However, there are so many things that I used to walk that still make me whoop when I ride now. I keep telling myself that it is a journey!!

[sundial]

Aggie, I would love to join you for the loopy fall fest--I'm great at creating new falling techniques, lol. One thing I like so much about mtb'ing is the falls generally hurt far less than ones on the road bike. Usually I come home with mud, a bruise or two, and a feeling of accomplishment.

[Aggie_Ama]

You are better than I! I still won't do the decent on Severe Consequences, and that hill on Windy is a walker for sure! Sounds like you did an awesome job!

Let's see... the root drop, the hill on Tangle of Trails, the logs on Marks Art, the Wall on BMX, the Windy hill, the SC decent.... the list of challenges goes on and on. However, there are so many things that I used to walk that still make me whoop when I ride now. I keep telling myself that it is a journey!!

I did the downhill on the Tangle of Trails for the first time yesterday. Goodnight nurse that was scary. I think I sustained a curse word the entire time. It took me four times of rolling up to it yesterday to even go down! Root drop I walk, not ready for that although I will go down the Main Creek coming back.

Hill on Severe Consequences I absolutely love but I tricked myself into it last time for my first downhill. Oh and the Hill on Windy to the creek, that scares the bejeezus out of me but DH bombs down it. We usually do it coming from closer to the entrance to the park, not the Windy entrance by the service road.

I have only tried the BMX trail one time, tight and fast is still something I am working through and that wall will be a long time coming. You know for a mostly begginer trail it sure has some technical stuff to scare me as a newbie.

This morning I cannot believe some of the spots I have bruises in and the bruise on my butt is pretty funny looking, the ones on my hip hurt.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I finally killed my cellphone today...mental note, leave the cellphone in the camelbak. I usually swap it from the pocket in my cargo shorts to my camelbak but I was in a hurry. I got clotheslined by a branch, there was just no where to go. But down. And of course, I was on a steady diet of rocks and well, when I popped up laughing, I realized that my phone was in my pocket. Fortunately, the phone Gods didn't totally kill it but they killed the screen. I have that 4.99/mo insurance for a reason. Second phone in 10 months But I had to laugh because after that I kept going "Remember, you have NO CELLPHONE!"

[rocknrollgirl]

I went down hard yesterday too. Over the bars on really, really rocky terrain. I am bruises from head to toe. Not fun. At least the guys did not witness!

[sundial]

Oh my goodness! You didn't break anything, did you??

[Aggie_Ama]

We went tubing today and I had to wear my bathing suit. I discovered bruising on my back, arms and legs I didn't know was there! My friend Sheila stared at me and asked "what the heck did you do Amanda?!" I bruise easily so it isn't an abnormal thing to be banged up but I got some pretty nasty looking ones on my back and thighs. I didn't show her my bruised butt.

[rocknrollgirl]

Nothing is broken, but I feel like I have been beaten with a stick. The sad part is, this was a pre-ride on a race venue. I am scheduled to race at this location THIS Sunday, 17 miles. I am sooooo screwed! I am going to be off walking, which is something I never do in a race. It stinks.

Maybe it will rain......oh please, please, please....

[alleyoop]

Hey Aggie, are you riding with us yet??

If not, you should be!

[sundial]

I am going to be off walking, which is something I never do in a race. It stinks.

Maybe it will rain......oh please, please, please....

Sending you our rain in hopes you get to sleep in.

[Aggie_Ama]

Hey Aggie, are you riding with us yet??

If not, you should be!

Not yet but my husband told me about it. I might be able to make it to the next Walnut ride, next Monday I have a doctor's appointment late afternoon and last year they were really late getting me in.

Wish I had known about it sooner, of course I am just barely ready to leave the comfort of having DH to look after me. But I am definitely going to keep it in mind because I need to try riding with beginners, DH is way too good and that just frustrates me somedays! Plus he has some boys to ride with but I just have him.