TM and Haro Mary 29er!

    So I helped SMART build a new bridge at Mercer. I got there a little late because of the heart walk going on at Mercer but I found the secret spot where they were meeting anyway. The bridge was built and laid across the stream and I helped gather rocks to widen the approach to the bridge and dig up the ground to cover up the rocks. I went back to the bridge, this past Sunday, it looks great and I'm thankful it was built because the skinny to the left of it was to scary for me to go up or down it. Puss!

    Speaking of riding, I was planning to ride Hartshorn, Sunday, but my crew had other plans and couldn't join me until later that day. So instead of riding alone, I waited till later and met Mike and Mercer and we rode for an hour until Betty showed up.


Haro Mary 29er SS bike and not Mike holding the bike.

    Mike was sporting his new Haro Mary 29er SS bike, a pretty sweet looking single speed. Copper in color with Avid BB5 disc brakes and bash guard and I finally got back my DLW from the shop and I was trying out the new Nokon shifter cable. We headed to the other side of the park because I wanted to see that log that mugged me a few weeks ago. Well we found the log, it stuck out about a foot into the trail and partially covered up from the weeds. Mike & I pulled the log off the trail and then I proceeded to kick and stomp on the log for mugging me.

    An hour later, Betty finally showed up and brought the rain with her but she impressed me by changing her flat front tire in a little over 10 minutes! She has had plenty of practice this past summer with all her flats. I'd say, she had more flats than Berry has been riding this summer!

    So I think we squeeze in 3 hours of riding on a late Sunday. The highlights of the ride were... Mike getting to squeeze his Mary bars thru the trees, getting to ride over the new bridge I helped build, sloppin' thru the mud, getting lost AGAIN on the blue trail, stepping shin deep in the marsh/stream, watching Mike power over the logs wit that 29er, Betty not falling and hurting her knee and no flat tires!

    Hopefully this weekend, the weather will be as sweet as last and I get to ride 2 days instead of one. Where should I go... Six Mile Run? Hartshorne? Huber Woods? Chimney Rock? Clayton, naw, maybe Hartshorne and maybe I can get Mikey to come out as well.

happy trails,
dirty bert

And This Lil Piggy Went...

    So i rode at mercer yesterday, it a nice way to end the day of working. i rode by myself and headed towards the dam and i zipped thru the woods and made my pit stop at the stuff animal shrine (kinda creepy there), i noticed an abundance of deer. i noticed the deer aren't scared of you here. They are more curious and it takes longer for them to scoot away from you. Anyway, i almost collide with what i thought was a deer but another rider. In short, the new rider, John, was new to the park and i agreed to show him around.

    So as we were making our way back to the parking lot and i decided to take one last small trail. I zipped around the turn, the weeds covering the trail were pretty overgrown, allowing me to see about 6" wide of the trail ahead. All I can remember is hitting something with my right pedal and waking up laying on the ground with the bike on my head! i seemed to clip a log, that was well hidden in the turn and i was catapulted over the handlebars. i landed on my face & shoulder area (my jaw was sore for 3 days) and I also put my right hand out as a reaction, thus making my pinkie twist and turn to the east (see photo). Anyway, i think i knocked myself out because I remember so lil of the crash. My legs were cut up a lil but my finga was throbbin at this point.

    We headed back to the car, John put my bike on the roof rack and I drove home, hoping the wifey would accompany me to the hospital. 6 x-rays later, a slight alignment of the finga all turned into 2 hrs. at the hospital and i was told my finga was dislocated. A week later, a letter came in the mail and said that the x-ray was re-evulated and it's now a fracture. GOOD JOB!

    The finga is in a splint, still swollen and it doesn't bend, 2 weeks have past and tonight i rode the bike around the neighborhood. i should be fine, as long as i wrap, just the pinkie, in the splint and not wit the buddy finga. I can grip the bar, brake and shift if I do it that way. I'm hoping, weather permitting, I can return to Mercer for a "nice" ride. But then again, the greater powers may have a different say.

    THANKS again to John, for helping me and hopefully soon we can ride at Fairmount Park (before the sno comes) and for an extended tour of Mercer and the surrounding areas.

(like he's gonna read this OR anyone else OR anyone finding this BLOG!!!)

- dirty bert
"happy trails without me"