Disaster Averted, again

Hot, hot, hot. This is Shelli and i on the Santa Ana River Trail! look at the smog way off in the valley, sick.

I have never taken a camera on a mountain bike ride, so i am not sure what got into me today. Maybe the excitement of rising early and pedaling above the smog line, or the anticipation of taking a buddy and student with Uncle Greg on single track they have never explored before! Well not Greg, he informed us he has been riding that trail since 1985. Good to know.



Check out Shelli's new ride! Favorite part are the pink grips! We have a Specialized club, it's ok though, because i do have a Gary Fisher and a Lemond...


These purdy flowers are up above the big creek crossing on the glass road part of SART, if your not lookin, you'll miss them! Greg had to yell at us!

So, We rode up for quite some time, Greg and Spencer flipped a U before Glass road, and Shelli and i just kept going all the way to south fork. She felt pretty ill, probably the altitude, so we just sat at the camp ground and looked at our bikes for about 40 minutes. She went and asked a camper lady for some meds to cut the brain pain, which seemed to work! Then we started on the voyage back down.

Here is where the disaster was averted. I ride this trail a lot, and the last three times "bad things" have happened: Lost brake pads; broken seat post; broken seat. So i was ecstatic to actually ride the dang thing properly! We had just passed a group of riders going up then "BANG" and i felt a shot of cold air on my ankle. you GOT to be kidding me!! These tires are suspect, the second one i have blown. Its like the side wall just pulls away from the bead! This one was big too! I put two GU wrappers in it and a new tube, but that didn't really do the trick. I gingerly rode down to Glass Road where we had another encounter with helpful Strangers (thus dispelling the "STRANGER DANGER" theory).

Three guys were resting on the rocks and became very interested in our dilemma. (Who wouldn't, two chicks, you know the drill) They totally pulled through! One guy had DUCT TAPE in strips. He helped me tape the wrappers to the bead and side wall then on the outside. This made the tire totally rideable the next hour back to the car! It was a bit squishy though and i felt like i should lift my feet, like when you drive over the rail road tracks!



Needing maintenance



During Maintenance



Getting ready to load up

We were pooped. I think we were outside for like 5 hours! We still can't seem to figure out how the time flew by so quickly and why it took us to long!

Fantastic Four



I totally stole this from EMMA's Blog! This was from way back in April, at the Phoenix national race after the Super D podium. It was more like a really hard pedally time trial. ON the left is Maureen, the Vanderkitten racers who won at DV, far right Renee who won at Phoenix, and next to me a legend, Tammy House, who could be my mom (And that is a REALLY COOL THING) who won this event and i was elated and honored to be right behind her!! We just look cool, i think. like we are on a mission or something.

COMMENT OF THE DAY:
Spencer, 11th grade boy, first time on true one track, in the car to Greg on the way home, half way passed out.

"Duerksen was in front of me, just talking and talking. I hit a rock which made me stop and get off. She didn't even know. she just kept riding and talking until i couldn't hear her any more."