Snap, Crackle… and POP!
I went out biking in the woods/sand pits today, as I have become accustomed to doing after school each day. One might associated many sounds with mountain biking—the clanking of chains, shifting of gears and even the occasional dolorous scream. I usually follow the same basic route as when I go backpacking. The crude trails, which were made by four-wheelers, are awesome for mountain biking and rather well suited to biking accidents as well.
Its a tough world out there. The trails are windy and narrow, the hills are steep and sandy, but I have no problem traversing them at speeds ranging from eight to twenty miles per hour. In fact, I find it fun, or I did until the pop. How anyone can enjoy speeding through sand and nearly falling, I don’t know, but I enjoy it. Until now, I have managed to save myself from near certain popping. Perhaps the long shorts were stuck to the saddle, or perhaps I just couldn’t react quickly enough, either way, the pop happened. It was my return trip, the rough sand and large rocks were passed. It should have been easy going from there, but through the crackle of dead leaves, and the snapping of twigs, there came a new sound, a much less “natural” sound. I had just started again after a long break ( two minutes ); my muscles were stiffish and there was a really steep hill ahead of me. Without the loose dirt and intricately positioned stumps I would have made it. I began ascending the hill, almost certain I would reach the top with ease, but then a fly flew into my right ear. I instinctively removed my hand from the handle bars and reached to my ear so I could annihilate the buzzing bastard. I put my left foot down, but it was too late, I felt myself shifting backwards, down the hill. All was silent for a split second, say for the wind whistling through the trees. Then came the pop, immediately followed the dolorous scream. Still determined to beat the wretched hill, I returned to the base and gave it another try. I made it most of the way that time, but then I hit a stump. Again, I saved myself, I didn’t fall on my ass, but the “pop happened”, and then the scream… I could have just let go and fallen either time. I would have been shocked, and in the worst case scenario landed on a stump. There would be a thud, followed by a scream, but there would be no pop. I could have landed on the hard, dirty ground, or on some random sapling, but I didn’t. I chose to save myself, at least I thought I was saving myself. I avoided the thud, but my nuts landed on the tip of the saddle [pop] and I screamed.
I’ve had large objects flung at my eyes, narrowly avoided being smacked in the face by large branches and even lost half a shoelace, but I didn’t stop; i won’t stop. I think I’ll be back out there after dinner.