- Aug 2, 2000
- 13,510
- 19
What a day! I sit here typing, with a sore wrist and many bumps and bruises, and a small hole in my leg, but I couldn't be happier! It all started . . .
I got up early, showered and loaded up my bike and gear. Had to be in Potlatch by 7 am to meet at my cousin's house. We all get there, the 5 of us for the day, and head to the trailhead up on Gold Hill. We take the Waterhole trail, which I'm noticing Vic having a helluva lot better time than the ol' Earth Pig ever did! I'm lovin' it! So we get along to a "new" old section of trail (brushed out a bit for some nice singletrack again) and go bombing over toward Sanders. The trail cuts over a couple fire-lines along some old logging operations, and this is where my troubles begin.
It's a steep transition to the trail, and slightly loose soil. We've been at it for about 45 minutes so far, and my arms are feeling like Popeye's. So I head up the hill and, of course, I screw up and don't hold the gas on (I'm having hard enough time just holding on!), so I halfway stall out. This is where Vic's magic button comes in handy. So I get going again and am having a helluva time keeping Vic's front end down (mucho power and traction! Bully for me!) Anyhoo, Vic decides to raise the front like a mighty stallion pawing at the sky! So I rassle him down, and, unfortunately, I highside it and go down the hill (see figure one). So after I tumble down the hill, I climb back up and right my steed and get him fired before all the gas runs out the overflow. Not too bad a trouble after that up that hill.
So the trails are pretty good, then our fearless leader decides we need to head up this hillclimb. Okay, the transition is better here, so we go for it. Vic decides he is again the Lone Ranger's "Silver" and starts raring up, so I decide (since this is a very wide hillside) to switchback my way up somewhat. That works, so I work my way back and forth a couple times and head back to the trail and on uphill. After about another 500 feet, mission accomplished. So we get to the top and decide we didn't really want to go that way, so back down the hill.
Now here's where things got weird . . .
A little background info -- this is the first real ride after an oil change. I was afraid I may have overfilled it a bit, but wasn't too worried. Well, maybe I shoulda been! I get down the hill, and due to the sheer verticality of the incline, I could not keep Vic lit, even with the happy button. When we got back on level ground, I got freeked out a bit by the fact that the bike was smoking pretty good and oil was coming out the exhaust! Talk about making me pee my pants! I have an idea what the problem is/was, because once I got it cleaned up I didn't have any further problems.
Anyhoo, we tool around on some more good trails and decide it's time to head back. We get along about 8 miles from the rigs, and there is this spot where the trail branches a bit around a tiny little 6" diameter tree. I'm going along good, then WHAM! I come to a sudden stop. Vic decided that tree should not be there, so he was gonna take it out. Well, the tree won this time and I had a burning pain in my shin above my boot! (see figure 2) I limp back to Vic, get going, and make my way back. I get Vic loaded, and get my boots and pants off and notice that I'm not wearing a white sock anymore. Evidently Vic bit me with the footpeg, cuz I now have a couple holes in my lower leg.
Okay, so that's how a nice 50 mile ride went today. We made good time, too, under 5 hours (amazed all of us!) And now I gotta get into the "medicine cabinet" and mix a little redrum and coke to take the edge off. I think I'll be moving a little slower tomorrow, but I'll have a smile on my face! :)
I got up early, showered and loaded up my bike and gear. Had to be in Potlatch by 7 am to meet at my cousin's house. We all get there, the 5 of us for the day, and head to the trailhead up on Gold Hill. We take the Waterhole trail, which I'm noticing Vic having a helluva lot better time than the ol' Earth Pig ever did! I'm lovin' it! So we get along to a "new" old section of trail (brushed out a bit for some nice singletrack again) and go bombing over toward Sanders. The trail cuts over a couple fire-lines along some old logging operations, and this is where my troubles begin.
It's a steep transition to the trail, and slightly loose soil. We've been at it for about 45 minutes so far, and my arms are feeling like Popeye's. So I head up the hill and, of course, I screw up and don't hold the gas on (I'm having hard enough time just holding on!), so I halfway stall out. This is where Vic's magic button comes in handy. So I get going again and am having a helluva time keeping Vic's front end down (mucho power and traction! Bully for me!) Anyhoo, Vic decides to raise the front like a mighty stallion pawing at the sky! So I rassle him down, and, unfortunately, I highside it and go down the hill (see figure one). So after I tumble down the hill, I climb back up and right my steed and get him fired before all the gas runs out the overflow. Not too bad a trouble after that up that hill.
So the trails are pretty good, then our fearless leader decides we need to head up this hillclimb. Okay, the transition is better here, so we go for it. Vic decides he is again the Lone Ranger's "Silver" and starts raring up, so I decide (since this is a very wide hillside) to switchback my way up somewhat. That works, so I work my way back and forth a couple times and head back to the trail and on uphill. After about another 500 feet, mission accomplished. So we get to the top and decide we didn't really want to go that way, so back down the hill.
Now here's where things got weird . . .
A little background info -- this is the first real ride after an oil change. I was afraid I may have overfilled it a bit, but wasn't too worried. Well, maybe I shoulda been! I get down the hill, and due to the sheer verticality of the incline, I could not keep Vic lit, even with the happy button. When we got back on level ground, I got freeked out a bit by the fact that the bike was smoking pretty good and oil was coming out the exhaust! Talk about making me pee my pants! I have an idea what the problem is/was, because once I got it cleaned up I didn't have any further problems.
Anyhoo, we tool around on some more good trails and decide it's time to head back. We get along about 8 miles from the rigs, and there is this spot where the trail branches a bit around a tiny little 6" diameter tree. I'm going along good, then WHAM! I come to a sudden stop. Vic decided that tree should not be there, so he was gonna take it out. Well, the tree won this time and I had a burning pain in my shin above my boot! (see figure 2) I limp back to Vic, get going, and make my way back. I get Vic loaded, and get my boots and pants off and notice that I'm not wearing a white sock anymore. Evidently Vic bit me with the footpeg, cuz I now have a couple holes in my lower leg.
Okay, so that's how a nice 50 mile ride went today. We made good time, too, under 5 hours (amazed all of us!) And now I gotta get into the "medicine cabinet" and mix a little redrum and coke to take the edge off. I think I'll be moving a little slower tomorrow, but I'll have a smile on my face! :)
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