Berryman

About a week ago Chris and I headed out to Mark Twain National Forest to ride Berryman. Seeing as this would be the first time I ever threw myself and my bike down this trail I was pretty stoked. However despite the sunny morning we were greeted with our ride became rather overcast. The clouds lead to rain but no worries a little water never hurt anyone. Then I sliced a side wall. Oh well a new tube and we'll be rolling again. That morning while grabbing gear i mistook a 26inch tube for a 29inch. Good thing rubber stretches (Insert birth control/condom joke here). So now I am back to the came of "Was that Chris's jersey?" as the rain begins to come down a little harder. As the trail does it best impression of Hollyfield vs. Tyson fight on my bike I realize exactly how much fitness that I have lost with my new diet of whatever i want washed down with Monster. It was about this time that I noticed a wobble on my non drive side crank arm. I thought it was the pedal stripping its self of the constrains but then the entire crank arm came of with one massive push from my Kankle of death. Talk about bad luck I had lost the tension bolt somewhere behind me and and had to "tighten the hell out of it" as Chris gently put it. Back to riding and I got the run down of what was left in our ride "Then one more bad ass hill...its all down hill from there except where is goes up hill." Some how i did find comfort in those words and before I knew it we were back at the car.

Back at the shop I stripped the Pheonix down and took inventory of what was needed: 20tooth freewheel and a new FSA tension bolt. Not bad lets just hope my luck gets a little better I'm getting tired of mechanicals!


PS- Rumor has it that I am buying a cyclocross bike something like this

"I can't believe the news today. Just close my eyes and make it go away." What is wrong with a sport that causes its governing leaders to attack the athletes rather then help them. I understand that doping is unfair and isn't allowed but at the same time it seems like these guys sneeze wrong during the off season and the next thing you know they are being banned or smeared. For Christmas all I want is a 2008 tour that doesn't have a criminal it just has some hard nosed heros who ride really fast in tight pants. Check the link!!

So last nigh I was riding out at the ranch and took my routine place of trying to catch back up to the pack. This is harder to do when you take a wrong turn and wander around on fire roads for bit. At one point I stopped to figure out if I should turn around or keep moving forward when I noticed a small armored nocturnal animal on the side of the trail. This was the first time I have ever seen and armadillo up close. The little guy seemed to be pretty tame and walked right up to me. However, he didn't help me out much with the problem at hand and just wasted more time so I took off again. I ended up finding LB's park and from there my way back to the house. Happy ending.
To change topics slightly I am sure we have all noticed the changing colors in nature and now the changing colors of my blogs layout. There is also one other thing that has changed color and that is my jersey. I was finally picked up by a race team. Not just any team though, it is the team that holds mountain biking in Missouri in a sleeper hold. A little team known simply as DRJ. So now its just a matter of me getting better and deserving of these colors.
So I started out talking about an insignificant animal and ended with a tear jerking (at least for me) story of fall and me receiving some of the biggest news I've gotten all season. I think it is only fitting that I end this post with this.... I WON WINGHAEVON!!!