The Bike Bum Diaries

Riding in the Leaves

One minute you are ripping along your favorite trail listening to the ambient noise of mountain biking and the next there is an eerie silence and time has slowed to a crawl, You find yourself thinking about a lot of things given your current situation. The trail conditions are perfect given the abundance of leaves that have hidden the holes, roots and rocks that can manifest a crash at any time. The leaves are beautiful in their autumnal hues and give the allusion of riding through an ever-changing canvas. The air has a distinct bite to it as it floods in through the nostrils. Winter is definitely in the air. The race season has finally come to a grinding halt and many are struggling with that dilemma of getting back on the bike that we love to hate after a strenuous season of racing. But we always get back on it despite the soreness, the pain and the heartache of hours in the saddle because we love it. We love the pain, but we definitely love the pleasure of picking that perfect line, of making that seemingly impossible climb and most importantly flying down that perfect descent. This is the best time to be a mountain biker. Our usual battles against the elements are much easier. There is no poison ivy, no spider webs and no sweat. The only thing we have to contend with is the early setting of the sun and the occasional angry significant other that doesn’t seem understand why cooler temps allow for much longer absences from home. Finally we get to ride just to ride with no races and no threat of soreness holding us back from an epic session today. The silence and introspection is temporarily interrupted by a distinct noise of metal and flesh on dirt and rock. Time seems to catch up with a vengeance as you rely on that old stalwart strategy of tucking and rolling to dissipate the impact of your crash. Sure enough you have gotten a little overzealous and the leaves have made you pay for it. As you dust yourself off you smile since you know it isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last crash. Reap the benefits while they lasts and remember to give back to the trail that gives so much to you. Have fun riding in the leaves.