I Got Dropped

Well, not dropped as in they left me to rot. My riding buddies were actually very nice and waited for me at the top of every hill as I huffed and puffed and pedaled my butt up.

I wish I had pictures but there was no energy in me to take any, or time to catch my breath to take any. I will be riding with this group every week though, so there will be photos in the future.

It has been a long time since I went mountain biking with a group of people in such great shape. They were almost all younger then me to....but there were two groups and I went with the beginner group. A couple of the guys were a little older then me and they rocked the 11 miles we rode. It all started out good. I was jumping over the logs, pumping the terrains undulation, and dropping in over all the roots smoothly......just like the old days. Then came the first hill and I climbed it aggressively. That was about 10 minutes in. After that, I was burnt toast. For the next hour and a half, I couldn't get my breath back. This is why riding with others is so important. It pushes you to strive to do more then you think you can. This is how you become a better rider.

Schaffer Farm is a really fun place to ride your bike. There are smooth trails, gnarly trails, stunts, obstacles, shade and sun. We saw deer sprint in front of us. While Bob was telling stories of jumping his three speed as a kid, I asked "That isn't someone moaning off in the distance is it?" Ed replied, "Nope, those are cows". The trees all had leaves and the prickers weren't too invasive yet. There had also been quite a bit of work done making the wet areas nicer to ride employing stones bridges. Probably the good work of MORE. Even though it rained the night before, the trees sucked up all that water and left a nice hard smooth surface for us to enjoy.

Mountain biking has changed radically since I was really into the sport. Back then, full suspension was all the rage. I had a GT XCR with 5" of travel, 24speeds, hydaulic disk brakes and 26" wheels. Now, 75% of people or more had 29"wheels, 1 speed, and if any, a few inches of front suspension. I watched as this new riding style conquered hills confidently and speedily while I downshifted and huffed and puffed some more. When I get into better shape, I have got to try one of these.

Stay tuned for more updates as to my progress as I get back into shape and again enjoy life in the woods on a bike.

words by Ray Heinsman