Grrls in their natural habitat--bikes in the woods

After my glorious spill, I was itching to get back out there.  Since my husband and I have to trade off child-watching duties to get rides in, he was not able to squire me into the woods.  Fortunately, my enabler lives close and had a bit of free time.

Enabler

I'll confess to being a babe in the woods here and I don't like it.  I can definitely change a flat on a car, but haven't had cause to learn the same on a bicycle, so I don't ride alone.  I'd like to, but I've been repeatedly warned against it.  Sigh.

We met up at one end of an almost-27-mile-long rec trail wearing matching jerseys and smiles.  After a liberal application of bug dope, we got rolling.

As we emerged, victorious but tired, at the other end of the trail, I reflected on my improbable rise from couch-slouch to athletic phenom...

Nah, we rode for about an hour then went home.  But it was a fun hour.  I shook off my nerves from the recent fall and got great advice, too.

I learned the rules of the trail are the same as on horseback--to call out obstacles the others might not see, to pass left after calling it out, and to always keep a few sugar cubes in your pocket.

I was shown sweet tricks for quicker mounting and choosing lines.  Jen demonstrated extended slow-speed balancing while repeatedly waiting for me to catch the heck up.  I remember doing all of these things as a wilder child so the real trick to cyclocross is probably never to grow up.

Until next time, friends...get muddy!