With the sun shining and the crisp chill of Fall on the air the Ripmo and I set out seeking the perfect Autumn ride. The temperature was perfect, the Ripmo was perfect, the trail was perfect, I was less perfect. Whipping down the BJ’s on my first run I came across a patch of greasy trail torn up by horse hooves which resulted some unanticipated sliding and the clipping of a tree. The bike is fine, all is well and I made a few more rounds but I have a nice raspberry on my left arm.
The greater damage was to my brain. When I’m in the zone everything is perfect and I feel invincible. Man and machine act as one to achieve perfect flow on perfect trail. (My perfect which is not saying much).
Then I clip a tree and my brain screams “What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to kill us?!” and then it all falls apart. I slow down, I hit the brakes when I shouldn’t. The joyful, playful flow is replaced with timid picking my way through the rocks. I think the ride becomes more dangerous in this state of mind. To get over obstacles you need speed and power. Slam into rocks lacking the momentum to travel over them and you will likely find yourself hosting a garage sale mid-trail. (This is from experience).
I ignored the pain in my left arm and ran a couple more loops. By the last one I was still taking it easy in the greasy bit that bit my arm the first time but the rest was returning to a harmonious song. Trust the bike. Love the ride.
The ride – Providence Canyon