Mr. Beanz

Well I'm using the MTB trying to get back into shape. Plus the trail is real close to where we live. Today I figure I'd head up toward Potato Mountain. Not sure how I would feel but hey, I was alright today. During the ride I figured I could make it all the way up but my brain says working into it would be smarter. No need to rush, gains take time. Plus 1600 ft gain in 3 1/2 mile is decent, especially in the dirt.

MTB always freaks me out a bit knowing there could be animals up there. I have no problem wrestling a bear but the element of surprise is what freaks me out. I figure if I have to wrestler a bear or a lion, they may get the best of me but we're both going to the hospital. OK, maybe not ha ha!

Didn't help that on the way up I see a gal standing real still on the trail. As I roll up I ask hoping it's not a lion. Nope, just deer. I stop to take a picture and I'll be darned if I couldn't see them all. That didn't help with the "WILLIES" factor later on in the ride. As you get higher, there ain't nobody around. If there are animal, you can't see them but knowing they see you is a little scary.

So I make the climb and pretty happy with my performance. Not racing, not setting records, just making it felt good. So I start my descent and half way down, AN ANIMAL ENCOUNTER!!!! I'm rounding a blind turn when I see an animal on my left. I'm thinking lion so I get ready to jump off the bike if need but then I realize it's a dog. Then I see the owner sitting under a tree so I shout, "the dog scared me, I thought it was a lion". Thanks goodness it's only a dog but then I realize it's a Pit Bull and it's chasing me! Thank goodness it was an obedient dog. It ran back to the owner after he shouted the dogs name 3 or 4 times. The the owner shouts SORRY! I guess it's still better than a lion with no owner ha ha!

So I make it back to the truck with all limbs in place. Some dude in the lot whips out a real nice shiny 29'er. Wow, that thing is pretty. Then I look over at my dirty bike and think to myself, "just a bike and they are meant to be ridden, and mine did the job well today". I don't now, Gina keeps saying I should get a 29'er but why? If I ride it. it's gong to get dirty too. Mine, I just clean the drive train after every 2 rides. You can see the dirt in the picture, looks like way more than 2 rides. So if I get a nice pretty new shiny 29'er, I'll spend more time polishing it than riding it ha ha!








One small section of the climb, about 1/2 mile...lower , mid, and not the top ha ha!







Me and the dirty bike. I don't care how dirty my babies get, none stay out in the garage!

funrover 

That tree is crazy!

jsigone

cool pics! and if you drank the 29er kool aid, you'd love it. Fits us taller dudes a bit better w/o feeling like a BMX bike. Plus it rolls over almost anything, deflection angle isn't as steep. BTW I had my latest 29er for over a yr and washed it once cuz the mud was caking on it and figure it would shift a bit better Keep them dirty I say!!

Mr. Beanz

magohn

Nice climbing. I had no idea you were so afraid of lions.

Mr. Beanz

Only cause they are sneaky suckers. One killed a MTB rider in OC (30 miles South of us). Reports said the lion might have mistaken the dude for another animal.

Kidn of scary in some parts, riding right next to a steep bank, doing 3 mph then hearing rocks tumple down the bank from right above.

Otherwise I would have no problem wrestling a lion......if he gives me a little notice.

Just adding, I believe it was last week a bear was spotted at the bottom of GMR (road that we do the Clyde rides).

This kind of worries me too!

magohn

Thats the spirit

Cyclist0084

I've watched a couple of videos on YouTube of a guy riding his MTB right at the edge of the path (cliff). I realize that he's probably not right at the edge, but the camera angle pretty much makes it look that way. Regardless, it scares me half to death just watching it. If I tried something like that in real life, no amount of material on my gloves would keep my hands from sweating to death and I would probably need a couple pairs of Tena LOL.

Mr. Beanz

I've seen those too, mentioned it to a friend who had rode the same trail as in the video. He said also the camera that makes it look that narrow and near the edge.

The sttep banks that worry me are the banks above me that would allow a lion to jump me from above.