Today's High and Low - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

10-22-2004, 10:00 PM

OK, first the low...

Finished the ride down Monticello and decided to take this lake trail in
Saunders-Mont. Park. It looked great:

http://www.people.virginia.edu/~slj/pond.jpg
(note, large file, but suitable for wallpaper. (1544x1024), imo.)

As I come around the bend the "road" is deteriorating, and I'm bumping
along (setting up the excuse), and it kind of abruptly goes up to the
highway, and I wanted to either go around it, or go back up to the crushed
granite section and then to the car.

So at the point where you see that little orange tree in the upper left
corner, I decide to ride up on the grass and circle the tree and have a
U-turn. Fortunately, I'm going like 1mph, b/c as soon as I turn the
handlebars, I fall over like the guy from laugh-in (Arte Johnson), on his
tricycle (hidden bank cut blocked the wheel). D'oh. At that point, I'm
thinking 'yeranidiot...but at least nobody saw you'. Then my right calf
starts to cramp. Not the calf, but the little muscle that pulls your foot
into a blade, toe up.

As I'm lying there like a demented turtle, I look up and there this long
line of cars going up Rt 56 looking right at me...like I'm the carnival
attraction.

I want to get up and be nonchalant, but couldn't b/c of the cramp - it's
the kind you need to stand on your foot to get out. Couldn't reach my foot
with my hand...nothing. Then I start laughing and still trying to do a
situp, which makes it worse!

Eventually I got back on the bike, waved to everyone, and everything was
fine. (d'oh).

Now the high:
Half-way down the S-M Trail:
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~slj/trailmap1.jpg

There's a cut up the mountainside, making a corkscrew/curlycue to a little
observation point. (Carter Overlook). I had missed this on the first 2
rides.

Normally I like to climb seated, but this is about twice (wild ass
reckoning) as steep as the 4-5% trail. I went up it and had to stand
immediately - didn't even get to 'think' about it.

At about 100yds, I sit and get about 5 rpm, and then have to stand again,
but things are going fine...then I see it's about twice as far up this
pitch as I thought. So I get back in the saddle, and just try to relax, and
use every 'trick' I know, and try to smooth this out.

At 30 yds and a full 180 curl to go, I have this thought. 'Am I not going
to make this?' It passes in a second, as I realize 'dude, you can't walk on
your bad hip, you -have- to make this', and something inside shifts gears
(thank gawd), and I'm at the top. It's a neat horseshoe shaped wall, with a
dart-board type of patio, or compass pattern circular patio. Well worth any
effort. I had the cell and not the camera, so I'll get a pic tomorrow if
anyone is interested.

So I call my brother, on a lark, and he picks up the phone.

I suddenly realize I can't talk and am just breathing heavy into the phone
like an obscene phone call!!

He goes 'who is this!!', like all suspicious.

Then, of course I start laughing and choking and can't talk at all. ;-D

Fortunately, he stays on the line, and realizes it's me.

Suddenly, I realize I have to uh, take a screaming piss. I say 'hold on, I
have to run into the woods'.

I hear him saying 'what, huh?' off in the distance.

What a strange brother he must think I am. lol.

Anyway, that was fun!

-B
As soon as I got to the woods, I didn't have to anymore, but now my glasses
were all steamed up and I couldn't see where I was going...(insert more
laughing and falling over).