A Ride in the Woods

Yesterday I did something I have not done in over a year: went mountain biking in the woods.

It was fun, and exhilarating, and exhausting.   Took me 63 minutes to ride 6 miles.  The temp was in the mid-40’s, which is a gift in early January.  I learned three important things on the trail:

• Take more than ½ bottle of water.
• 4 layers a clothing is a bit much.
• Don’t buy a used bike that is the wrong size for you, even it’s a good deal.

Aside from all that, it was quite enjoyable.  I had forgotten what it felt like to glide along a single-track, gently winding trail in the woods with the scenery constantly changing.

I was continually startled by other riders and trail runners seemingly appearing out of nowhere, but that just added to the excitement of the experience.  Dog walkers were also in abundance.  In total, I encountered 12 mostly friendly people in the woods on this sunny afternoon, a moving community of nature lovers.

This was the first time I rode this particular bike in the woods since I bought it last year at a used bike sale.  It handled easily on the narrow paths but was quite sluggish on the much wider dirt roads and pavement, which was an odd thing.  I expected the opposite.  In any event, it worked well enough that I expect to take it out in the woods again in the next few days.