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Wrecking

I wreck too much. I can think back on all my wrecks and there's one thing in common: I was careless.

That's pretty much me in a nutshell. Careless. I'm not very careful. If I'm working on a car, I usually end up leaving something off or losing a piece. If I'm working on a web site, I usually have to re-edit the thing a hundred times before it's right.

When I'm riding, I try to be careful, but usually end up doing something stupid that ends up with me flying over the handlebars. My first wreck was a fall-over at Heil Ranch in Colorado. I pulled over to the side, forgot I had clipless pedals (I'd only had them for 2 rides), and promptly rolled down the side of the hill.

My second wreck was also a fall-over in Moab. I'd just tightened up the cleats and my pedals a little. They felt a little too tight, but I told myself I'd adjust them later. I tried to make a turn on the slickrock, hit something, wobbled, tried to wrench my feet out of the pedals, and fell over with my feet still clipped in.

The third time I wrecked was a bad one. I was going to fast at Hall Ranch, came around a corner, was distracted by some people coming up the trail, hit a rock, and launched myself down the embankment. I broke some ribs and skinned up my arms and legs. I just wasn't careful enough.

The next wreck was at Rabbit Mountain. I was on some loose soil, turned the bar too much, and went over. That didn't hurt, but pissed me off. Freaked my brother out too. I knew I was on some loose stuff. I don't know why I did what I did.

I wrecked at Green Mountain because I was going down a steep hill, and I was too far over the front. That was just bad form. That one cost me a wheel, tire, and tube.

My latest wreck was at Chicopee in Gainesville, GA. This is the dumbest one ever. I pulled over to take some pictures and saw a photo op up the trail a bit. It looked smooth so I kept the camera out. I figured I'd just do a slow roll up to the spot. Well, steering with one hand is not a good idea when there's a root in the path. I hit the root, it kicked the wheel a little sideways, I over-corrected because I couldn't control the bar with one had, and went over the side again. Luckily I was going pretty slow, but it still banged up my ribs. Stupid!

They're just bruised, I guess, because it's not as crippling as when I wrecked at Hall Ranch, but it still hurts.

We ride our bikes because it is good exercise and a bit of a rush. We ride mountain bikes because we like to get back in the woods, away from the things of man, and we enjoy the thrill of slamming down a sweet piece of singletrack, hitting the turn, launching from the berm. Wrecking is part of the business. If you don't wreck, you aren't riding hard enough, or so I've read.

The funny thing is, I don't wreck when I'm hitting it hard. I wreck because I'm farting around and being stupid or careless. If I could be less careless, I would find that mountain biking is a lot less painless. So that's my goal from now on: be less careless, in life as well as in biking. I think that things will go a lot smoother from here on out.

Bikes Bikes Bikes

We love bikes. Bikes Bikes Bikes.
Riding bikes, working on bikes, looking at bikes, reading about bikes.

http://www.donnienix.net for my real blog.