Sometimes you’re the nail

Slowly rolling up the trail, like too many times to recount or recall. Instantly, the state of climbing meditation is truncated by whatever it is that’s hooked on my helmet, my bean forced backward by my forward momentum. Face up like a mad monster baying at the sky, my bike stops and then inches backward.

Stymied by a two-inch stub of a branch thinner than a pencil.

I don’t believe I’ve ever experienced trail rage before, so I had no idea what an effective cardio blast it could fuel. The aerobics ended with the sagging tree broken at one of the roots and pulled away from the trail. Probably not the best method of trail maintenance, but NTB for no tools beyond piss and vinegar.

No worse on the spine than the many other times I’ve crowned myself riding, I reckon, but this one probably burned a few more calories.

Takeaways:
1) Trim the visor
2) Be the hammer

 

Thanks for the trail work

 

Better to be dragged off at low speed, than knocked off by a Donkey Kong hammer-blow to the crown by that low-hanging branch that sagged a little too low!
Cost me a new helmet!

 

I did that a couple of months ago on shady descent. I was slowing for a fallen tree and a few feet before that a branch that I didn't see went through the vents on my helmet and it literally brought me to a stop. I had to take my helmet off to dislodge as it was actually stuck in there.

 

I've had the pleasure of riding with several of the fine folks here and I have seen more than enough of you guys thump your melon on a "low bridge" along the trail.

I've never been ripped off my bike but I have had my bell rung more times than I'd like to remember. One time, while riding with a circle of AZ & NV buds, one of the more talented guys hit his head hard on a very solid low hanging Juniper during a fast descent. He was cursing aloud for at least 5 minutes after that as we blasted down the mountain. The rest of us were laughing so hard that we all almost crashed. On the next pass down the that shuttle run, I hit my head at the same location. I had to stop momentarily because I actually saw stars.