Back on the saddle again

OK, I can't type very well right now, but I'm gonna try because I got a boo-boo and I want everyone to know about it. I'm putting the pictures here at the top, but I'm going to also write a bit about my bicycling experience below. So if you want to read the story, read it first, then look at the pictures. If you just want to see the gory pictures, here they are (click the picture)...

A word of caution: Although the cut is small, the close up pictures of it might make some people queasy. View at your own risk!

When I was in middle school, I had a BMX/freestyle bike. I was really into it. My brother Jonathan and I poured all our money (not much at that stage in our lives) and all our time (quite a bit at that stage) into our bikes. I lost interest around 7th grade and basically haven't ridden a bike since. I never had - much less rode - a 10-speed... Never went mountain biking... nothing.

But a couple of months ago, my buddy Josh Green invited me to go on nighttime joy ride through downtown Chattanooga. I didn't even have a bike, so I borrowed an old clunker from Keith Riley who also went with us. We cruised through downtown and across the Walnut Street bridge and stopped at the Mudpie, had some drinks and just hung out on the patio for a while before heading home. A very nice experience... One that reminded me that all work and no play is not good and that I should do this more often.

The next week I bought my first mountan bike. Still in that stage where I don't have much money, I went for the $7 bike I found at the Habitat Home Store. Took it out for the first time on another joyride downtown with Josh. While on the pier at the waterfront, I noticed the inner tubes bulging out the sides of the dry-rotting tires and decided I better replace the tires soon.

A few weeks later, with tires replaced, Josh invited me on a ride up Lookout Mountain along the path that starts out as Guild Trail. It kicked my butt going up, but man oh man was it ever worth it to experience the thrill of riding down. I hadn't realized until then that you can really go fast down a trail when you gear it down to the lowest gear and pedal your heart out. What a blast!

"This," I thought, "is why people go mountain biking!" Then I also thought, "This is probably why the good mountain bikes have shocks..." and "It would probably be a good idea to wear a helmet when I'm doing this..."

Last night, Dave Kaufmann and Josh and I went out for another mountain biking excursion. We decided to explore Hawkins Ridge that borders the east side of our fair neighborhood of St. Elmo. In case you've ever wondered if Hawkins Ridge would be good for biking... it's not! A little bit of it was OK, but it is very overgrown in places and there are a lot of sharp, loose rocks laying on rock beds... which is how I got my first mountain-biking injury... Went down a slope that was a little too bumpy and had a few too many loose rocks and ended up sailing over the handlebars and catching myself on some sharp rocks with my left hand.

I probably will need to take a couple of weeks off before my next ride. Which should give me enough time to get that helmet I need. Oh yeah... and gloves!