The Summer Blues (and Golds)
Fully Rigid, 6/30/24
Temperatures rise and you have to think about keeping cool for the second half of the ride, even having a backup bailout plan.
Bugs fly into your face and sometimes you even pass through a cloud of them.
Maybe they even get under your shades, or worse, manage to fly into your mouth.
Rounding the corner and a rattler whose body is as thick as your lower forearm is sprawled out on the trail.
Dusty trails lead to dust getting in all the nooks and crannies of the drive train.
More people of all recreation groups are getting out on the trails and some of them clearly do not appreciate mountain bikers.
But, hey, there is that early morning dawn patrol ride.
And don’t forget that if you time everything really well, you could be descending all alone during the golden hour, dusk not dark.
Both times of the day being when less humans are likely out there. It’s misanthropic dreams kind of stuff.
The post ride beer maybe tastes a little better.
Or maybe it hits the spot in a different way.
Nah, you’re simply thirstier, is all that is.
Fully Rigid is a monthly column by James Murren about Mountain Biking Issues within the Mountain Biking Community.
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Your reference to the flies tells me you are up in the mountains. I tend to stay close to the coast. My technique to avoiding the crowds is to go in the hottest part of the day. “That what doesn’t kill you makes me stronger” philosophy has worked, so far. I’m with you 100% on the post ride cold beer. It really is about the simple pleasures