It is a relationship of man and machine - what better hobby for a hacker - another machine.
I also like to ride singletrack because no one else is out there. All the fools are on the double track riding with their heads up their asses.
Ohh so you DNF? did not finish. Thats tough I actually crashed in my race too, slid sideways taking a corner too fast, out of breath, and people on the sidelines cheering me on. I ran two races, one at Bloomer Park, another at Addison Oaks, I finished last but that was ok considering all the DNFs. You never walk your bike to the finishline, you got to ride!
I quit the races because they always did stupid shit like run the trail backwards (to make it harder?) and those team-sponsored sandbaggers.
I like to ride out to a isolated section, and sit and smoke one. I try to find the most scenic place to meditate. And you never see cops out on the distant trails
Like hacking, you occasionally see some girls! Some girls (like marialara) are great hackers, and therefore can be great mtn bikers! I was always impressed to see a gal out in the boonies hacking the technical sections.
Riding the bike is a pump, you get the adrenalin going, and you just want more and more, so you go back over the trail and take faster and faster until you find the limits of traction. I love uphills because that means there is a bitchin downhill coming.
I like powerbars, they work, I drink water, but I will prep before with a sports drink. I can carry two water bottles, I got a tool kit in the pack under the seat - thats where you carry the smokes too! I love cellphones because I could be out riding - but I could still make sales calls when my customers called me - just like I was at the office all day heh! I sometimes carry a tirepump, but I admit I would just hope someone would come along and help my inflate the tire. Usually if you ride in a group, one guy gets designated as the one to carry a airpump. The best way to prevent flats is to inflate to proper firmness. The specialized Team Master tires have stronger sidewalls to prevent 'snakebite' flats from hitting sharp rocks.
The worst accident I saw was some guy that got impaled on a sapling someone cut down and left like a punji. (we get a lot of misguided environmentalist that boobytrap some trails) Again, it is very expensive and difficult to rescue people that seriously biff out in the boonies. They have had helicopter rescues to airlift people out. I think hardcore mtn biking should be like SCUBA diving, you should ride with someone.
Other accidents I had were crashing into other people - again people that don't follow the unwritten rules of trail direction - I would be bombing down a hill, and some clown is walking his bike up the hill - his fat ass+ bike perfectly blocking the trail. You would also have people that panic when you yell "Passing! On the Left!" they would drift across both sides of the trail swiveling their heads around trying to decide if they should shit or go blind.
I also believe in trail preservation, besides rebuilding technical sections, you follow rules like don't modify sections, learn them. One big rule that is abused by new bikers is skidding - skidding is not a proper bike tactic - it has no traction and it damages the trail and tires. You learn to control your brakes like ABS on a car. Skidding causes ruts that rainwater will deepen, this damages trails. Pack out what you brought in, don't leave your empty water bottles, powerbar wrappers, and beercans.
I enoy discussing bike with you flood, bbl with the photos!
DNR
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