New technology is messing me about! The guys from the night ride have started using this new fangled texting lark to organize the time/launch point. Yes I get the texts, and can probably even access them and read them, but that is dependent on me actually turning my cell phone on! Not going to happen!
So I didn't find out until midday (when someone kinding emailed me) that the ride was on for that evening! Great and shit at the same time! Always great to be heading out for a night ride, shit cos I'd assumed there was no ride (missedthe frantic text messaging) and so had commuted to work on the fixie! Result i turned up a bit late for the ride and with tired legs! Guys had done a 30 min small loop before heading back to pick me up and......... there is a new face! Excellent! Brian has brought his friend David along! As we head off I notice immediately the ride is different. Looking round I realize everyone else is on a shifty! That together with David's desire to show what he can do and the other guys wanting to show david what they can do means that the pace is red-bloody-hot. I just try and holdon at the back and hope to the gods that the pace will slow at some point!
No Small Intestine tonight, but head down the Belmont Hill and up the steep slope after the water - I am gasping like a stranded fish and so no "extra point obstacles" for me tonight, just try to keep it simple and stay in touch. The group consensus at the four way junction is that the BC-side is a must and George wants to hit House and Pain and Double Drop. It is decided that the best route is along Ridge and down the fire road to the Swing Bridge. All along Ridge the pace remains absolutely sodding relentless - I am miserable and paying for the previous weeks excesses. The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that once we hit the bit climbs across the Swing Bridge we will all be pushing! By the time we hit the Fire road I am so far behind Todd has stopped to make sure I am not lost! Oh the embarrassment!
Across the bridge and George opts to go for the climb up Double Drop! We take the road to it's base and I let everyone head off in front in the knowledge that my pedaling time will be very short on this hill. As it turns out it is short for everyone, so within a minute we are all off our bikes and forming a merry little line of bike pushers! As the trail becomes more ridable we remount and soon I am riding in splendid isolation again - legs just don't have the kick needed to attack the combination of grade and obstacles. At the top of Sudden Impact Todd is waiting again to show me the way. I try (I really do) but this descent kicks my butt every time, steep as anything and with wicked drop offs that are just itching to catapult me over my bars. Add to this the knowledge that the trail always ends (for me) in the ignominy of having to walk down the last uber-steep section! I limp down, well last and almost a defeated man! Heading back along the road and as we discuss the next move a mad idea takes shape - up House of Pain and thence to Mission Impossible! Fortunately by the time we hit House of Pain I seem to have recovered my climbing legs, to a degree at least. Todd leads the way but I am able to hold my own in second - even manage the big step up at the base of the climb. At the top we regroup, for the first time tonight not for my benefit, and head for the Superhighway. Now Ladies and Gentlemen, for those who have not tacked this section, it is fun! It is a gradual down slope made fun by the fact that the surface is a mass of fist sized rocks. The effect is of a sadists cobbled street, rigid single speed anyone? Beats the living poop out of you!
As we enter the Superhighway George (who is on point) shouts to me that the new log that was built up isn't now. I didn't even know there was a new log! When it hoves into view it is a doozy. Big and lying over the aforementioned jagged cobblestones. George of course makes it look easy and there does in fact appear to be a reasonable ramp up made of small logs. Riding fast and feeling brave I give it a go - FOOL. Turns out the uphill side is ramped but the downhill side isn't! My front wheel takes a dive for the ground and I sail, not so gracefully, over the bars!Fortunately though the effect is quite spectacular the result is no more significant than a bruised palm on my left hand. David starts to mumble at this point that we may in fact be absolutely bloody mad!
On to Mission Impossible and the going is pretty good - David goes over his bars once as do I but no injuries and after our falls we decide to be more circumspect for the rest of the ride. At the end of Mission Impossible the ridiculous final descent (rocky, rooty and kin steep) is taken at speed by George (who clearly has his "foolish head" on tonight), Brian starts to take it on but aborts half way down when he realizes the enjoyment to imminent death risk ratio for this particular section is too low. After witnessing Georges performance, David is now confident in his earlier prediction concerning out mental state. The rest of us just walk/slide down the trail to the railway bridge!
Then it is time to head back towards beer. Back over the Swing Bridge and up the fire road onto Ridge. Just after the Cascade rock garden we regroup (Brian having some bike issues) to decide on the way forward - down the steep rock, or the "mans' route" up and over the rooty section. George doesn't give it a second though and launches himself bodily at the rooty section. George is on form tonight! Front wheel jams and he is thrown forwards and almost over the side of the trail down the 15 foot drop, fortunately one of his shoes doesn't come unclipped and his bike -snagged in a tree - stops him falling too far. After this little excitement the rest of the ride is fairly innocuous, Cascade, Lewis and Clarke and then New Trail for finishers. another solid 2 hours effort (2.5 hours for those who went before me).
Back at the cars and the party begins! Beers (as usual) but yet again the ante is being raised! Todd produces some cake and not to be outdone George has brought along two loaves of bread (one cheese and one garlic). So now the night ride is catered! Just settling down to our post-ride repast when we are joined by a biker riding home after his own night ride revelry. Jon (member of the SSOFT) is heading home from Columbia on his fixie after a night riding with a different group. Never met, but hey! Night riders and fixie riders are one big happy family - so he joins us for a beer and we spend the usual time chatting and plotting/planning future rides. Soon enough time to go home so we bid each other a weary farewell and head off back to reality!
Till next time
DogzBollux
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