Greetings Readers
This Saturday is the 13th Annual Greenwood Goosechase that is held in the DTC area, that is basically Greenwood Village. I can not remember when I first found out about this event, but this is one event that I try to schedule to ride each year when I am in town.
Most of the time I am in town and also I am only about two miles away from the start / finish line. I do like doing this event since most of the time (75% percent of the time) I have won something or another at the end of the bike event.
Also, there is a semi decent food after the post ride. There have been excellent local restaurants that have been the major provider of food for all the riders and runners of the Greenwood Goosechase. Yet, this event is pretty crowded to begin with if the day is sunny and warm.
I am always starting at the back of the pack and then make myself work to the front of the pack. I hate to say this, but many many riders are starting off to be first and that is just an accident waiting to happen. I wait til bikers get separated and strung out in the beginning of the event. Then, I make my move to pass riders left and left and left.
Not much else I can say on this event, til afterwords. Pictured is the logo for this year
This Saturday is the 13th Annual Greenwood Goosechase that is held in the DTC area, that is basically Greenwood Village. I can not remember when I first found out about this event, but this is one event that I try to schedule to ride each year when I am in town.
Most of the time I am in town and also I am only about two miles away from the start / finish line. I do like doing this event since most of the time (75% percent of the time) I have won something or another at the end of the bike event.
Also, there is a semi decent food after the post ride. There have been excellent local restaurants that have been the major provider of food for all the riders and runners of the Greenwood Goosechase. Yet, this event is pretty crowded to begin with if the day is sunny and warm.
I am always starting at the back of the pack and then make myself work to the front of the pack. I hate to say this, but many many riders are starting off to be first and that is just an accident waiting to happen. I wait til bikers get separated and strung out in the beginning of the event. Then, I make my move to pass riders left and left and left.
Not much else I can say on this event, til afterwords. Pictured is the logo for this year
Uh-oh, time to confess - yesterday I got off work late and the sun was setting low on the horizon and I had been wearing my eye glasses. I did not want to put in my contacts nor did I want to wear my eye glasses. So, basically I rode home in a blurry state. Let me tell you it was tough. I did try and take the shortest way home, but obviously that did not help. In order for me to take the shortest way home it meant that I had to take some dirt bike paths. Not a problem.
Fast forward, I was almost off the dirt bike path - about 10 yards to go to the street. The sun was throwing shadows all over the bike path from trees. Anyway, I turned where the trail turned towards the street. 10 yards. Well, I did notice the ground, but without really seeing I did not know there was a rut created by the park maintenance vehicles by the previous weekend's rain showers.
I felt my tire hit the first rut at about 8 miles per hour. I went over it, but I knew I was fucked when I felt the rut and how in the world am I going to straighten out while in the middle of the turn. One tire was over the rut and the back tire was seconds from doing the same thing. The other factor was that I have no brake basically. Meaning, my brake pads are worn down to nothing so there is no such thing as a quick stop. I turned the front wheel into the direction of the rut and I felt the front tire rub the rut. I was shit out of luck. I tried to get a foot down on the ground, but then it was too late.
I fucking "kissed the earth" on the dried wheel ruts. That is worse than falling on a flat surface. I curled up into a ball and waited for the thump that I was going to make on the bike path. I hit pretty hard for going so slow, but that was expected. Since I was not seeing the world I did not bother looking for anyone that may have saw me crash. I could care less. I took about five seconds to recover and then slowly got up and surveyed myself.
I was in more pain than I thought that I would get. I got up and looked at my bike very closely, since I could not see. I patted off some of the dirt bike path residuals off my bike jersey and got up on my way...
To be continued...
until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete.
Fast forward, I was almost off the dirt bike path - about 10 yards to go to the street. The sun was throwing shadows all over the bike path from trees. Anyway, I turned where the trail turned towards the street. 10 yards. Well, I did notice the ground, but without really seeing I did not know there was a rut created by the park maintenance vehicles by the previous weekend's rain showers.
I felt my tire hit the first rut at about 8 miles per hour. I went over it, but I knew I was fucked when I felt the rut and how in the world am I going to straighten out while in the middle of the turn. One tire was over the rut and the back tire was seconds from doing the same thing. The other factor was that I have no brake basically. Meaning, my brake pads are worn down to nothing so there is no such thing as a quick stop. I turned the front wheel into the direction of the rut and I felt the front tire rub the rut. I was shit out of luck. I tried to get a foot down on the ground, but then it was too late.
I fucking "kissed the earth" on the dried wheel ruts. That is worse than falling on a flat surface. I curled up into a ball and waited for the thump that I was going to make on the bike path. I hit pretty hard for going so slow, but that was expected. Since I was not seeing the world I did not bother looking for anyone that may have saw me crash. I could care less. I took about five seconds to recover and then slowly got up and surveyed myself.
I was in more pain than I thought that I would get. I got up and looked at my bike very closely, since I could not see. I patted off some of the dirt bike path residuals off my bike jersey and got up on my way...
To be continued...
until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete.
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