Upate:
Pump track in Truro on Friday, June 24th. I managed to get around the whole thing. RH was teaching me how you make the bike pump on the berms and how to get around without pedaling. I got halfway through without pedalling. Monday, June 27, RH found the Glenbourne pump track and dirt jumps in Clayton Park. Bigger berms but I worked at it and made some progress. I was practicing my pump track skills on the Nine Mile River trail yesterday. I like it when you can transfer skills from one style of biking to another or to the conditions. Biking rocks!
So RH and I had a good ride out at Spider yesterday. We saw Snider and his friend on the way out. We rode Inner Peace twice, down the Ribbon of Love, rode the lower trail to the Six Pack/Humps, short cut the Humps, then Rep. Loop on way out. I did pretty good but the best part was going down what I think you call the Six Pack. I keep getting them confused. Anyway, I led the way and turned right and rode down the six pack. I didn’t stop to line myself up but just went for it and had a BLAST!! I was breaking a little on the way down but I felt confident and rode a steady line, no wobbling. It was awesome. Also I rode up the rocky ATV trail on your way to Inner Peace and the short cut. I always get stuck on some rock or take the wrong line. Well this time, I got up it … finally. The humidity almost got the better of me but we persevered and had a great ride. Oh and thanks to RH for riding back along the Inner Peace trail again (by himself) to retrieve my glasses that I left behind. My hero!
That’s awesome! Nothing feels better than finally cleaning a section for the first time. That bumpy bit is great once you get’er down pat.
Thanks Rally_Kia, it was an amazing feeling. There’s a spot on Rep. Loop halfway through that is a very rocky and rooty downhill that I always think I will wipe out or die but manage to execute it. I can hear RH laughing behind me because I am yelling so much at this point. So when your skills improve, so does your enjoyment of the activity.
Well … I haven’t reported goals or improvements since last July. We done alot of biking since last summer and my skills continue to improve to my delight. When I have confidence or a comfort level in my abilities, that is the time I might try something new. I watched many of you folks (mostly guys) jump off ledges or bunny hop over rocks and roots in the trail. Over the past several months I’ve been trying to do little bunny hops off of bridges on the ground (Nine Mile River) just to get the feel of it and see if I can do it. RH has explained the technique to me to execute this skill. So we are riding through Shubie last Monday and I start bunny hopping over rocks in the trail. They might have been little bunny hops but they were bunny hops nonetheless. Another accomplishment, I am fairly comfortable coming out the trail head at Whopper but I brake all the way down to the ledge, let go and coast up the the hill. I never seem to get the back wheel up and over that last rock that is across the trail. This time I was even prepared to put in a pedal stroke if need be. I didn’t have to as I had enough speed to get over it. Ah success, what a feeling!!