Another one ride week!

This weekend saw us hitting Pa again! This time to visit daughter #1 at college for the Family Fall Festival - on campus to visit your daughter, that'll make ya feel old!! Anyways this meant it was to be another week without a Sunday MTB ride - bummer!



So a lot was invested, emotionally and physically in the mid week night ride. Park N Ride chosen for the launch point and a rather fine Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale chosen for the post-ride libation, looking good so far! More good news when we get there as George and I have company! Todd has returned from his Ohian exile and we have a "guest appearance" by "Hard Ridin' Rodger", gracing us with his presence for his semi-annual night ride. Rodger is all "blood and thunder" and wants to hit pretty much all the unridable trails, I'm already having second thoughts! When he realizes that Todd and me are on SS's he relents somewhat and with a slightly more relaxed agenda we hit the trials.



Well someone must have upset the cycling gods this week!!! It wasn't me honest! Cos the ride was a riot of misfortune and aggravation. First casualty of the cycling gods wrath was Rodger - he didn't even make it onto the trail proper before his light packed up! Ten minutes of fussing later a knackered battery was the diagnosis and so Rodger's semi-annual night ride came toa premature end after 50 yards! the remaining trio scooted down Soapstone then up the Soapstone climb (only the second time I've ever nailed that one - good job!). Then we did the usual route,half way round which Todd's saddle can loose, on the Superhighway rock garden casualty three was your's truly. Being a pathetically slow decender I was trying to "haul ass" to keep with George and Todd. Misjudged a tree, clipped my left handle bar and wit the bars whipped out from my hands I took a graceful dismount over the bars and directly into another tree. Having slid down the tree trunk into a groaning heap my first thought was "thank god I didn't hit that tree with my bad shoulder" second thought was "oh shit I did!" third thought (after some flexing of the shoulder was " so... guess tha's healed up then" - It's all good.

Got my wind back and headed off in search of my compadres (who thoughtfully were waitying for me). At the base of Patarini hill, we hang a left and for the second time in my life (and the first in Todd's) we take on Mission Impossible, as bad if not worse than I remember, I really don't see how this trail can be riden! So that's the challenge for this winter - to get to grips with Mission Impossible - might actually try it in the light!

Quick (ish) ride up House of Pain and were just about to head back when George broke his chain and Todd had a puncture! The consensus was sod this let's get a beer. Bikes were repaired and the quick route home down the power lines was taken - just as well cos before we made it home Todd's light packed up!

Back at the launch site - beers were cracked, instructions were given to lost (and bemused - by the sight of seminaked men in lycra at the Park and Ride at midnight) motorists and the usual bikecentric chat was engaged in. Then it was time to hit the road back to reality. Oh well until next week!

Cheers!

Dogzbollux