head over heels
A few years ago now, I wrote a column called Chain of Fools for Mountain Flyer Magazine. In this edition, the fool meets some new friends and makes the best possible first impression. This story ran in Mountain Flyer, Issue 76.
We meet at the trailhead early, but not too early. Waiting for the stragglers to arrive, there’s a lot of looking at bikes and talking about tires and toying with suspension. I’m the new girl. I try not to be nervous. I don’t know this crew yet, but I do know they ride mountain bikes just like I do. Bikes. It’s just bikes.
The ride begins with a climb. Is it better to climb first or climb home? Eat your vegetables, then you can have dessert: That’s what my mom always says. My inner whiner wants dessert both now and later. There is no too much when it comes to the good things in life like long descents and frosted donuts.
We string out on the climb and happy not to be last, I settle somewhere in the middle. The dirt changes with the elevation as the soil’s minerals stain each layer a different hue. Eventually, I will come to learn the sequence so well that I can count down each climb. But that’s for the future. Today it’s all new to me. The climb ends sooner than I expect, which boosts my confidence.
At first, I don’t see it. The descent drops abruptly off the edge of the fire road and makes a hard right turn. The fall line looks more fall than line. The first corner’s off-camber and littered with dry California dust. Manzanita bushes and assorted spiky plants surround the trail. A few loose rocks pitch in to keep it interesting. Looks fun, I tell myself.
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