Yep got the Down Hill Bike out on a true DH run this past weekend and it was a total blast...It is truly amazing how a bike can REALLY make a difference. First off we (Sanders and I) headed out to Gambrills...we drove seperate cars so that we could shuttle...well we got up there to the mountain and parked my car at the bottom then headed up to the trail head...as we pulled into the parking area a couple guys there were getting ready to head out...we made intros and they suggested we ride with them, they had a PICKUP truck at the bottom of the Mt. Yeah!!! the bikes go in the bed and we all can ride up together the easy way...
Well it was very cool these guys knew the route and their not killer banzi leave ya behind kinda riders...the top 1/4 we already knew but then as soon as we went past where I am accustomed to turning it really started to become fast and fun...we then "bermed" up out of the culvert we were flying down and headed into some sweet single track...a couple little jumps, then the flow....STOPPED...a friggin tree had blown over and stopped the flow, and to bad cause just on the other side of the tree was the run down to some sweet BIGGER jumps...so we had to start there and pour it on to hit the first jump then it hits a big right hand smooooth berm towards a LARGE jump..the biggest I've done to date in my short riding history...wow the bike makes the diff...it landed like I just dropped off a curb...on the sites and through write ups I found that the Perp is a top notch bike for "Big Hits" and it certainly proved itself today...after the big hit it was a short stretch down to another little jump which dropped you into a culvert that you then shot up the other side...but wait....dont jump it unless ya got alot of speed....you see...there is a step up on the top, so ya have to have speed to get up on it or fly over it...well MOST come out of the culvert and merge to the right around the "step-up"...oh I didn't do that...I had about half the air I should have NOT had or should have had MORE...consequently I ran straight into the "up" ramp and went flying over the bars and to the right into a big hole...NO PROB...ya gotta love all the body armour and full face helmet, not a bruise, scratch and best of all NO BLOOD...
We played there a bit then continued on down the steep hill to the end...on the way down the "steep", Sanders caught a stick and bent the hell out of his rear derailuer. We got it bent straight again and it continued to work the rest of the day...well one of the "new buddies" David lost his chain so we made a line and all of us climbed the hill slowly looking for the chain...no chain, so we headed down looking again, I couldn't help think its probably right back at the bike at the bottom of the hill...well....yep there it was 3 feet from the bike right in the middle of the trail...Murphys Law...:) Then we loaded the bikes in the truck, and there began my conversion to "The Dark Side"...wow WE RIDE BACK TO THE TOP...now that is riding bikes...funny the only strain today to my heart was due to excitment not the usual strain from pedaling uphill...my Doctor might really appreciate this new venture of mine....:)
Well we spent the reat of the day trying different trails and shuttling back up...we all had so much fun the last run ended at the bottom just as it was getting dark..got off the mountain at 5:30pm...so it was a GREAT DAY and I'm looking so forward to this coming weekend to do it again...for that matter this entire spring/summer has BIG plans for some exciting mountain bike park riding and racing... Check out the Flickr site for pics of the riding...this coming weekend I am going to mount my video camera so that should be fun to watch....
Happy trails...If Ya Hit It...Hit it Big!!!
1 comment:
It's weird to see you in full body armor and a full face with a downhill bike under you instead of a singlespeed. You have truly gone over to the dark side... look forward to seeing you at some races this year!
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