Riding the Pipeline

My brother Neal likes to get the family out on the mountain bikes. We've had some great adventures.



And a few misadventures, unfortunately.

This is when we we took Dad out on the Pipeline Trail for the first (and probably last) time. Dad came around a bend too fast and lost his balance and careened 30 feet or so down the hill.



One visit to the emergency clinic and a few stitches later, Dad was as good as new.

Sherise also did the same thing, but didn't fall as far - just a skinned knee.



More recently, Sherise and I both decided to get "clipless pedals" for our bikes (with ample encouragement from Neal), which is a misnomer. You actually physically attach your shoes to your pedals with a special binding (similar to a ski boot into a ski) so that they stay firmly anchored. Sherise felt comfortable enough with them after some practice to try them out on a real trail ride. What you see below is the result.





This ride resulted in another visit to the same clinic, this time to fix up Sherise's wrist. The attending physician likes to ride his mountain bike too. When Sherise explained what had happened, he said "Oh yeah, everyone has a story about when they first start to ride with clipless pedals. You know you should probably go practice more before you go for a trail ride."

Yeh.

I'm reluctant to point it out, but I will anyway. This happened BEFORE Sherise ever even got on the trail. It happened near the car in the PARKING LOT. She was a champ and got back up and pressed on to ride the trail. She fell THREE MORE TIMES.

But at least she's had lots of practice with the clipless pedals now.

CLARIFICATION FROM SHERISE:
My wrist is just sprained, not broken. I only kept the splint on for two days, and then I've mostly had it off, although if it starts to get sore by the end of the day, I'll wrap it back up. But here's an interesting tidbit: while the X-rays didn't show a fracture, it looks like I have a bone cyst in my left hand. It's probably nothing to worry about, but the doctor at the urgent care clinic recommended that I get it checked out by a hand surgeon. I've got an appointment on Monday--I'll keep you posted!