Magic Carpet Ride ( 9 )

(Not actually me)

So Colorado continues to amaze with its completely random weather patterns. And when I say patterns, I mean it. There is some method to the madness, just not enough to be totally predictable. It may also have something to do with the fact that I rarely bother to check the weather forecasts...

So as you may remember, when I was just finishing the build of my brand-spanking-new mountain bike, the Niner M.C.R.9, Colorado decided to throw some snow at us and make the trails unridable. Stupid Mountain state. Well, I then planned another ride with Andy and yup, Colorado snowed again. Well, Andy and I finally got out on the bikes and missed another snow shower (10ish inches) by about 12 hours.

The ride was AWESOME! It was my inaugural ride on the M.C.R.9 and I am pleased to report the big bag of money-turned-steel-bike-frame rides just as its name implies. Magic Carpet Ride, baby! Though, if you start big, you are bound to crash, sometimes literally. Andy and I put up a pretty big day for early season and 2 miles from the trailhead on the way back, the bike earned its name in another, less expected manner.

Remember Aladin and his pet magic carpet? Yeah, well, his magic carpet had a mind of its own and you could piss it off. Apparently, so does my pet Magic Carpet Ride.

I was tired, not totally focused and yes, getting a bit lazy and I pick ONE bad line and my bike decides its lesson time. In just enough time for me to think "Shit, should have gone left... or right..." I find myself no longer on top of my Magic Carpet, but in front of my Magic Carpet. In the next split second I land on the boulder infested trail and hear the gut retching sound of steel contacting boulder. It takes another second, after I see that my bike is still in one piece, to realize that I hurt. I got some pretty sweet road rash in a couple places and there is a bit of blood making a spider leg pattern down my shin, but all in all, not a bad accident.

I crawl back onto the bike, reorient the handlebars (which were facing the wrong way) and try to clip in through the pain to make it to the non-technical section just ahead. I make it, standing in the pedals and then sit down for a second to relax my not painful leg only to realize my butt is on crooked. Turns out it was just my saddle that had apparently taken quite the hit and now bent at a rather awkward side angle. I limp down the quarter mile to where Andy is just turning back to come find me and we continue our ride with much laughter and a little pain.

AAR (After Action Report)

• Well, I discovered later that night in the shower that my little blood dripping down my leg probably should have had a bout 2-3 stitches, but meh.
• My saddle needs to be replaced, but it was free and pretty mediocre anyway.
• My bike has its first trail scratches, but nothing major wrong.
• I have a wonderfully pleasant ride, got a bit muddy, sunburned, bloodied, and did it all while getting the best workout so far this season.

And now it is supposed to snow again tomorrow.