- Apr 2, 2006
- 4
- 0
I have to share my fun :think: from last weekend and the subsequent good news as I think you all can appreciate the emotional gamut this represents. My neighbor, another buddy (newbie), and I drove up to Tin Cup to do a bit of "training" on Saturday. Well, 2 hours worth of driving and $40 in gas to get there, we are starting like 3 hours later than I had hoped (I was up at 7 to go - we left at 11:30). Anyway, we get there and start zipping along and we are exactly 1.8 miles into the whooped out trail and I get tossed off the side of the trail ("how the hell did THAT happen??"). So, being the svelte seasoned veteran *ahem* that I am, I employ my cat like reflexes and grace to re-orient the bike and drive for the trail. Needless to say, there was a rather ornery and obstinate old tree directly in front of me. Now, this was no ordinary tree. It was one them mean ones and wasn't 'bout to take no guff from some young whipper snapper, relatively speaking, like myself. I was, unfortunately, oblivious to the trees demeanor at this point as four letter expletives began to roll off my tongue.
Realizing that my amazing feat of agility to right the bike is about to be negated by running smack dab into a big tree I do the most oblivious thing - I try like hell to dump the bike!! :yikes: So close - yet so far. I needed about another inch of "dump" and I might have escaped unscathed.
Picking myself out of the following whoop that I was so unceremoniously dumped into and wondering how the hell I just gave myself a fat lip I realize that I have radiator fluid all over my bike. As it were, I wound up folding my left radiator back onto the bike. DAMN!! Long story short, I was done. 2 more hours of driving to get home and $40 more in gas rolls me into the driveway with a broke dick bike and my brakes grinding metal on metal.
Feeling the indignation of wadding my bike up in less than 2 miles of riding, blowing $80 in gas to basically break my bike, and now I have shot brakes on my daily driver. Add in the mounting throb of my knee (which tried valiantly to defend me from the ornery tree) and the a$$ reaming my pride got from getting gang raped by that big ole' tree - I was a little down.
Never fear my two-wheeled brethren - the force was with me and despite spending 7 hours on Monday trying to pull the rotors off my truck and subsequently finding out you MUST have a special tool, I was saved. I have a cousin who works at a shop and his sagely advice got my truck into them (who knew what they were doing!!) and repaired. In the course of conversing with them upon receipt of my truck they suggested I take my radiator over to a local radiator place. Well, I was all set to send my mangled radiator to Mylers when I decided to take a risk since I MUST ride this weekend. ARA Automotive Accessories in Lansing (S. Cedar St.) was my savior. $30 more and I had a working radiator, straight, sealed and good to go! :)
To celebrate, we are going (somewhere - probably Manistee area) on Monday to implement the inaugural "Thrash the hell out of these mechanical *******s!!" gathering. The plan is to get some "training" for Jack Pine but, my true intent is to exact revenge on the WR for diverting from course into that deviant tree. I'm bringing some more backup this time though so those leaved perverts won't have such easy pickins! :nener:
Hope everyone is having a great weekend, thought you might enjoy a little chuckle at my last "adventure" and maybe if anyone is planning to ride over that area on Monday we can coordinate. Take care all, good riding!!
Realizing that my amazing feat of agility to right the bike is about to be negated by running smack dab into a big tree I do the most oblivious thing - I try like hell to dump the bike!! :yikes: So close - yet so far. I needed about another inch of "dump" and I might have escaped unscathed.
Picking myself out of the following whoop that I was so unceremoniously dumped into and wondering how the hell I just gave myself a fat lip I realize that I have radiator fluid all over my bike. As it were, I wound up folding my left radiator back onto the bike. DAMN!! Long story short, I was done. 2 more hours of driving to get home and $40 more in gas rolls me into the driveway with a broke dick bike and my brakes grinding metal on metal.
Feeling the indignation of wadding my bike up in less than 2 miles of riding, blowing $80 in gas to basically break my bike, and now I have shot brakes on my daily driver. Add in the mounting throb of my knee (which tried valiantly to defend me from the ornery tree) and the a$$ reaming my pride got from getting gang raped by that big ole' tree - I was a little down.
Never fear my two-wheeled brethren - the force was with me and despite spending 7 hours on Monday trying to pull the rotors off my truck and subsequently finding out you MUST have a special tool, I was saved. I have a cousin who works at a shop and his sagely advice got my truck into them (who knew what they were doing!!) and repaired. In the course of conversing with them upon receipt of my truck they suggested I take my radiator over to a local radiator place. Well, I was all set to send my mangled radiator to Mylers when I decided to take a risk since I MUST ride this weekend. ARA Automotive Accessories in Lansing (S. Cedar St.) was my savior. $30 more and I had a working radiator, straight, sealed and good to go! :)
To celebrate, we are going (somewhere - probably Manistee area) on Monday to implement the inaugural "Thrash the hell out of these mechanical *******s!!" gathering. The plan is to get some "training" for Jack Pine but, my true intent is to exact revenge on the WR for diverting from course into that deviant tree. I'm bringing some more backup this time though so those leaved perverts won't have such easy pickins! :nener:
Hope everyone is having a great weekend, thought you might enjoy a little chuckle at my last "adventure" and maybe if anyone is planning to ride over that area on Monday we can coordinate. Take care all, good riding!!
