|   You want passion?!? You can't handle the pas..... | Stick
May 29, 2003 11:26 AM | | errr...nevermind.
When I woke up tuesday morning and saw that the sky was clear and the sun was shining for the first time in what seems like eternity. Made some coffee and went outside with Emma (aka most hyperactive puppy on Earth).
Blue sky. Fresh-mown lawn covered with dew. Birds singing. Rabits crouching low in the grass to achieve stealth below dog-radar. A deer stopped lapping water from the spring long enough to glance at me, then at the furry thing that barked once before dashing in a furry streak after her Kong. A squirrel I call Chuck sat atop the springhouse roof munching on an old black walnut.
I stood there, barefoot in the wet grass, surveying the scene behind the house. Alternately rubbing my eyes and gawking at the fireball in the sky. Taking it all in like one of those Hollywood POWs who'd been freed from a pitch-black hole in the ground who, upon climbing from the darkness, didn't exactly know what to make of the bright, over-stimulating world around him.
When my senses caught up and at last I felt the full sensory impact of this beautiful morning, only one thing was certain in my mind.
"I am not going to work today!"
After fixing breakfast and dropping Isaiah off at preschool, I set up shop in the yard. It was time to get the bikes ready. Started by rinsing the previous day's abrasive sand and dirt off of my Cove. Then I debated for a while...
"Hmm...which bike should I prep for Felicia if we're going to High Rocks?"
On one hand, there's my old Klein Mantra. On the other...the Pig Bike.
A Planet X Jack Flash classic w/ a 6" Jr T, planet x stem, titec hell-bent riser, Sun Rhyno Lite XL and Mammoth DH rims with Gazzi Jr and Intense DH tires, Hayes discs, Azonic Lounge seat & Poverty cro-mo post, race face cranks and single 32t chainring, Primo pedals, and a SRAM 8 spd drivetrain?
A porcine hardtail, to be sure!
The Klein is much lighter and better geared, but has less aggressive tires and not nearly as much stopping power. High Rocks is slippery when wet. Very slippery.
I decided, for safety's sake, to go with the Planet X. She had a blast riding it at Mount Snow last year and she handled it really well, so why not? Got everything set up for her, lubed it and gave a quick test ride around the yard, then called my mom and asked her to pick up Isaiah.
Felicia came home from work to find the bikes were already on the car. When I told her what I had in mind she was very excited. Though she's been hiking there a bunch of times in the last 2 yrs, she's never gone riding with me there. (My fault, really, for not getting her bike together sooner!)
Sadly, clouds rolled in and it started raining before we even got out of the driveway. Oh well. Too much time spent preparing for this ride not to go! When we finally got on the trail, it was misty, but barely noticeable at all under the trees.
First thing we come to on the trail is a short, steep slope laced with roots. "Just let it roll and you'll go right through the little bed of rocks at the bottom!"
I turned to watch her clean it with ease.
Continuing on, she constantly amaze me with how well she handled the bike over and through all manner of slimy obstacles. A cross-country bike it is not, but she made it work.
Sure, she had to push it up a few steeper sections, but I might have done the same thing in her shoes. It killed me to see her get discouraged by this, and I tried a dozen ways to explain to her that she should be anything but discouraged. She'd manage a smile, then get back on the bike and keep on going.
I'm so glad that she enjoys the challenge of riding. I think that's one of the hardest things about entering the sport of mountain biking as an adult. When you're a child, everything is fun. But there's a sadistic element to mountain biking when you get older. It's hard work, and you really do suffer while striving to improve. Seems to me like this is either something you get, or you don't. Those who don't are the ones who buy mountain bikes and allow them to collect dust in the garage after one or two rides, or they confine themselves to rail-trails and bike paths.
Fortunately, Felicia gets it. And enjoys it.
We rode the rest of the way through the park, cruised down a nice ribbon of singletrack into the Tohickon gorge. Stopped by the creek and watched it rush by us; swollen with weeks of rain and little sun. Reminisced about how much Maggie (our departed wonder-Lab) loved that place and how, if still with us, she'd probably be riding the current to some place downstream only to run back to us and do it over again. Talked about how this spot was one of the first places we went hiking together after she moved here and how nice it was to be out there riding together...
Despite her protest (and one failed attempt to ride past me) I switched pedals on the bikes so she wouldn't have to climb back out on the Planet X. Man, what a pain it is to climb a long hill on that thing! By the time I reached the top, I was triply impressed by her efforts on the trail that day.
We opted to take the long road around the park back to my car. Along the way, we talked about how sweet it would be to buy a house across from the park. Sat on a quiet country lane, surrounded by acres of open space, a big treehouse in the yard. Wasn't even for sale but, hey, it's just a daydream right?
"I feel really good!" she said.
"Me too. That's what it's all about." I replied.
We raced back to the car, 'last one there is a rotten egg!' stylee. |
| You know what this post needs: Photos... | Fat-tire
May 29, 2003 11:36 AM | | nevermind, I can picture the whole thing in my head...
Way to make us feel jealous. Sweet write-up!!!!! |
| BOYCOTT STICK!! | Pup
May 29, 2003 12:58 PM | | heh. Sorry.
That was awesome.
pup |
| I'd rather be <b>banned</b>. . . | Stick
May 29, 2003 3:54 PM | | It'd stop me from waxing all mushy-like and whatnot. Oughta be some kinda law or something...
thanks, pup! |
| Bastiges | pedalAZ
May 29, 2003 1:30 PM | | Callin' in sick to ride. That's passion. |
| What excuse did you give to work? | Bikebreath
May 30, 2003 4:57 AM | | Nice stuff!
I'd love to have that Planet X for 2-3 dozen test rides down here. It does sound like pig, but a big-fun pig.
Felicia sounds so cool. Once again, your a lucky man.
Bb,[ must control bike lust...must control bike lust...] |
| none... | Stick
May 30, 2003 5:36 AM | | just said I wouldn't be in.
It's good to be me, sometimes. :) Re: pig bike, you can ride it anytime you want, but you have to make the trip up here to do it. Why dontcha give Jason's arm a good twist and the two of you can come up for some fun at french creek, wissahickon or H.R.? |
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