and with the heat and my push to add some extra mileage from 8:30 to 9, and having spent an hour in the ManCave at 110 degrees fixing up a puncture in the rear tire it gave me like a gaze-drawing hickey on the neck as a welcome-back kiss , I am crying. But I digress…
Last year I hit National 29 times, 20 the year before, and was on pace for about 30 this year again until my last ride on April 22nd — the consequences you suffer that do not appear on paper. I missed it, I missed it so fucking much I had forgotten the gaping hole that there was in my riding until I filled it with the warm glow of lifting over steps and flying off jumps and knocking back gnar with some good friends. Though that feeling may have just been impending heat stroke. I rode the Heckler only 3 times in over 3 months, what was the point when I couldn’t get on anything techy? So I talked Bob, Mike and Noel into joining me for a 5:30 FIP sweatfest.
The climb up Widowmaker hurt, my legs atrophied having done hardly any powerlifts on my heavy bike.
Mike finishing Widowmaker
Noel on Widowmaker
despite the pain, the morning was beautiful
I punctured bad dropping into BV, and could not reseal my bead, so had a spunky mess that perfectly matched the wad I imagined myself shooting on finally getting back to South Mountain. A tube cured all ills, and I managed not to lose my rhythm as we turned right around for the downhill. Mike and Noel both rode really strong, I could not catch Noel on his hardtail during the last descent off the ridgeline, but you would not know it from the cyber-evidence. As usual, it was The Bob Show, but I represented pretty well if I may so humbly say.
rolling off the Spine at the Waterfall
pic courtesy of Noel
Bob getting air
Bob on the Elevator Shaft
me entering the high line on Bermuda Triangle
pic courtesy of Noel
Bob exiting the high line on Bermuda
pic courtesy of Noel
nice air
pic courtesy of Noel
Mike made a really fun vid that shows some of this bidness in real-time. Linked here to Facebook, I’ll link it to Vimeo if he gets it posted there. Its good to be home.