There's a butt-ton (button?) of stuff to slowly sort out and post, but I'll start with the thing that's really started to grow on me the past coupla months: mountain biking.
Pictured: a butt-ton button.
About a year ago, I bought a Surly 1x1 from a friend of mine on the cheap with the intention of giving polo on a freewheel a serious try. It definitely seems to be the way most of the rest of the sport has headed and I wanted to see if there was a reason for it. Well, whether I just didn't give it a long enough try, or had just progressed too far fixed to turn back and try something new, or maybe even just wanted the extra cool points, I didn't end up liking the experience and ended up with (yet another) extra bike.
The 1x1, which I have dubbed "Hot Pants" due to the flamin' saddle it came with.
I took it on the Wolf River Trails a coupla times and had fun, but it really hasn't been until the past few months that I've waded waist-deep into it. After thinking I was hot shit on the WRT doing a coupla blue trail laps at mach 5, I finally got up the nerve to go to Stanky Creek with Kermit. Naturally he pushed the shit out of me (almost literally, as I overheated a little over halfway in and had to fight back puking), but it was still amazingly fun - albeit humbling. I've got a pretty long way to go before I can consider myself a decent rider, but every time I go I shave off a few minutes. Course, based on my most recent times, I'd still be competing for third-to-last place in category 3, but if I keep improving at the same rate I am right now (yeah right), I'll have first place on lock in...about three months?
Anyways, it's exhilarating as hell and very different from any other type of cycling I've ever done. If you're one of those road-only, commute/group ride/polo kinda people like I was, you should at least give it a try. Not to oversell it, but IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIIIIIIIND.
No comments:
Post a Comment