Dirt
Forum Replies Created
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Cirque du Cyclisma show in Leesburg. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrogringo/sets/72157644720990445/@dasgeh 85689 wrote:
Every day is bike to something day. Unless it’s sit at home in your pajamas day, which is also awesome.
I clicked *Unlike* many times for the sole purpose of being able to click *Like* again.
@lordofthemark 85682 wrote:
No its not!
For those of us who work 7 days per week, every day is Bike To Work Day.
@rcannon100 85329 wrote:
Okay, I know DIRT will likely win this competition….
I forgot to reproduce, so I’ll have no grandchildren. I’ve had enough concussions and wouldn’t remember what to tell them anyways.
I do, however, love your contest. I love reading your stories, as well as those of others. Thank you all for sharing them. Keep ’em coming!!
Had fun riding the mountain bike today. The recent flood carried away a bunch of pavement on the CCT
Mike Miller’s Phil Liggett’s impersonations crack me up EVERY time. That’s why I make him ride every year.
Plus I love that we all yelled “Hi Drew” as we rolled past Drew’s house and he posted “Hi Everyone!” on my Facebook wall last night.
The thing that I love/hate about this ride is that the challenge isn’t just one thing. The strength that we find to meet that challenge also doesn’t come from one place… or one set of skills.
The hills, for sure, are brutal. The wind was tough. The number and frequency of turns are mind-boggling. The training, mental grit, wisdom and experience to feed and hydrate correctly, ability to find your way and a little help from your friends all needs to be there in both quantity and quality to finish the ride. We all have days where one, two, three or all fail us… and then we’re depending on luck to get us through. Sometimes that isn’t enough. It happens to me. I think it happens to all of us.
It is weird, but NOT finishing the Kill Bill rides have been some of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had on a bicycle… and I’ve been riding bicycles for a long, long time. (Yes. I’ve failed to finish this ride 3 times over the years. As ride leader for every one of the dozens of rides I’ve lead on this evolving course, I’ve been flat-out lucky that I was always at least tied for the last person to bail.)
This year my biggest challenges came on 2 completely different levels. I didn’t have the fitness this year that I’ve had in the past. Work and life changes haven’t given me the training time/miles to lead like I have in the last few years. Once Tim pulled off and I was balancing the need to get myself to the finish with the need to lead the fastest in the group, I found myself mumbling “gotta get to the front” between the big hills as I shifted up a few gears and stood up on the pedals. What got me through? The positive and patient support and teamwork of the group. Having the social ride there for moral support was big.
The second challenge was purely physical. My wrist is still recovering from the break in September. Before Sunday I hadn’t shifted a front derailleur more than 5 or 6 times in a day. Sunday I lost count somewhere in the mid 30s. In a way it is odd that on such a leg intensive day, that it is my arm that gave me the most trouble. That is part of the challenge and ultimately the joy of this ride. My wrist is VERY tired and a little sore. I wrenched with it at work today for 9+ hours. It feels better today. It’ll feel better tomorrow.
I intended this post to be something that is encouraging to the people who both did this ride and want to try it in the future. It is never one thing that makes a bike ride challenging. When rides TRULY take you out of your comfort zone, it is because of the combination of different challenges. How we meet those challenges is what makes me happily say “We should go for a bike ride!” every freakin’ day of my life. It also is the genesis of the sticker on the back of most of my bikes. “Follow me to certain death.”
I’ll say it again. I love you people.
Pete
