I don't mind falling, well not that much. I dont even mind getting hurt (I have walked 8kms on a broken ankle before). But tearing my cycling pants I really really dislike!
On thursday night 7 of us got together to do a Dark n Dirty ride. With a brave trail meister, a sweeper, 2 newbies, 1 nearly newbie we had a Dark n Dirty group. I left my light at home and had to buy a super cheap Pic n Pay special headlamp. The usual warning was given about first one to climb off their bike without meaning to gets to write the report.
Off we went into the dark... and the brave trail meister got lost, with a sudden stop he started looking around for the path. While everyone was trying to help find the path nobody saw me half fall off onto my knee.
So once the path was found we went peddalling off into the dark. But on the wrong path. This time I was seen to land on my knee. It wasn't so obvious as nobody really suggested I write the report. The brave trail meister realised he had the wrong route, and stopped to find the right route - over I went onto my knee again - my knee by now was sore from three gentle falls onto it - even the blood streaming down my leg didn't really let onto anyone that I had fallen.
So off the brave trail meister went - on the route he was originally looking for - and he fell badly, upended the bike, feet in the air, bike light disconnected and everything. "Oops" he says.
Down past cornwall hill we went. My not-so-super-bright light made it a ride of note - 30km (yeah brakes on) down a vertical slope when you cannot see the angles makes it a lot of fun!
Our super trail meister gave us a running commentary of what each hill was called (but I have forgotten most of them) so I sort of got to know which hill was which. With 3 pretty much newbies in the group we had to do the 'sprint to the light - it is only about 200m away' which is actually a 2km sprint but catches the newbies every time!
I now know which hill is the mine shaft - not nearly as bad as it sounds, the python - which we did as fast as we could, Look Ma no Brakaes - where I went straight over the handle bars, bike following until my foot slipped out of the shoe - by now I was getting tired of falling.
Then on the last simple little single track back to Moo Mall I fell again, smashed onto my elbow and shoulder BUT my shorts caught onto the sadle and ripped a hole the size and shape of Zimbabwe in my shorts. (Carine took a rude photo of my bum as proof - and there is far too much bum showing for a civilized race report).
So let me repeat, I dont mind falling (though 5 times in one night was a bit much), I dont mind getting hurt (blood running down my leg is fine), but I really object to getting my cycling shorts torn!
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