Fat Guy Mountain Biking
Now seems to be as good of a time as any to resume my Fat Guy blog. I remember when I started this blog that I had hoped to loose weight and the title would eventually become ironic. Well, that hasn't happened as I continue to be just as fat as ever. I do consider myself fairly healthy though and am constantly out doing physical activities. While my main everyday riding is on my trike I took up Mountain biking a few weeks ago and just love it.
I am very lucky to be very close to Payson Canyon which is intertwined with many trails. Mountain biking was never on my radar before as I had always been more of a road rider. Getting bake on a bike has been great. I finally found a bike that fits me well and that has made all the difference. All the guys at the shop use KHS bikes, and it was suggested I look at their 29ers. I ended up choosing the Prescott model which has full suspension and makes for a nice smooth ride. The XL frame gives me the perfect sized cockpit and overall the bike has needed very little tweaking.
Riding around in the parking lot and on the road is fun, but for any distance riding I would definitely choose the trike. With the guys always talking about the trails I decided that I had to try it. Having no experience in this at all I was unsure of what to expect. Let me walk you through what I remember from my first ride:
The guys like to ride Bennie Creek as it is one of the closer trails. They bill it as an exciting ride that is not too difficult. So, we drive up the Canyon about 15 minutes and I see the sign that says Bennie Creek. That's where we will come out. We continue driving up about 10 more minutes to the Mt. Loafer Trailhead. That's where the fun starts.
As we get out of the truck and the guys start putting their gear on I am noticing the body armor suits and full face helmets. Hmmm... I'm not the only guy with just a basic helmet and gloves though, so I don't think too much of it.
The guys take off down the trail and are soon out of site. I'm OK with riding in the rear as I certainly dont want to get in anyone's way. So I head down and am immediately presented with a wooden plank bridge of about 8 inches wide crossing the river. I assume the other guys just rode over it, but I choose to walk it carrying the bike. What have I gotten into?
I get back on the bike and proceed to roll quickly on the foot wide 'singletrack' trail carving its way through the trees. This is kind of fun. I reach a small clearing and the guys are there waiting for me. There is a fork in the trail and I am told the fastertrail is to the left but is much more 'technical' (mountain bike speak for more obstacles) and I should take the right trail, that while requiring significantly more climbing will ultimately be an easier beginner route. OK, and I start riding up the hill. Fat guys don't climb hills too well. It is a lot of work and even with low mountain biking gears the spinning starts to get to you. My heart is racing and I am breathing hard but I am determined. After all climbing up a hill means you get to roll down, and I would rather start with the climb than end with it.
As I round the first few bends the terrain changes a few times. Big rocks jut out of the trail with tire tracks as evidence of others crossing them. I navigate through them OK on the flats but when I encounter more of the 'rock gardens' on the uphills I decide to walk the bike up the rest of the way. There are a lot of footprints next to the tire marks so I assume I am not the only one that has made this decision.
Getting to the top feels great. I am still breathing hard and am sweating pretty good. I drink a bit from my water bottle. After catching my breath it is time to go down. I mount the bike and away I go. The same rock formations are everywhere and I do my best to navigate through them.I constantly hit the rocks with my feet and pedals. There is definitely some technique to this I need to learn.
In addition to the rocks there are roots growing across the trails making bumps and even steps going down the trail. I am not very comfortable jumping yet so I choose to walk down the bigger drops. As the trail goes down steep inclines I ride my brakes where I'm sure the other guys would just fly down.
I finally meet up with the other guys waiting for me where the lower and upper trails join back together. They take off again and I follow far behind. I go through a meadow, more rocks, and some more climbing. I am mostly thinking that I am thirsty and I lost my water bottle. That's right it came right out of my cage at some point. There is a reason why all the guys have hydration packs with 2L water bladders. I am usually pretty good at feeling when I am starting to dehydrate and should have stopped to rest. Instead I kept going and ultimately paid the price.
It happened after I had just traversed some rocks and was a little wobbly coming out of a corner. I saw the root coming out of the trail running parrallel to it for about two feet. Not sure how I was going to negotiate it I was already there. My wheel hit the side of it and my foot hit the other side. As often happens at these time everything started to move in slow motion. Unlike the Matrix where they can use this to their advantage my view was more that of an observer. As I was thrown off the bike I never let go of the handlebars. My left foot hit the ground on the outside of my shoe and I watch my foot buckle inwards at a right angle as my weight and the force of the impact came down upon it. Then, twisting my head to the side I saw the bike in the air still being held by me and then crashing down on my side. This was not good.
I lay there on my back and then stand up with my bike. As soon as I put weight on my foot I went down. As I lay on my back for a minute I think about how mad my wife is going to be. The realization hits that I have to get out of there and I am going to have to ride. Assuming the guys eventually come looking, I am too big for them to carry out anyway. So, I try to stand up again and this time everything goes black as slowly lay back on the ground. In a second my body resets itself and now, full of adrenaline, I get back up decide my foot doesnt hurt as bad as I thought and get back on the trail.
Shortly I find the guys waiting for me and relate my experience. We are only halfway down so I better just suck it up. Next up was the 'switchbacks' one of which has a 5 foot dropoff which was jumped by one of the guys. I decided to take the more cautious route and eventually made it through.
Coming out of the Bennie Creek trailhead felt good. We coasted down the road through the canyon and back into Payson. Once I sat down I remembered my ankle as it swoll up and screamed in pain.
I am very lucky to be very close to Payson Canyon which is intertwined with many trails. Mountain biking was never on my radar before as I had always been more of a road rider. Getting bake on a bike has been great. I finally found a bike that fits me well and that has made all the difference. All the guys at the shop use KHS bikes, and it was suggested I look at their 29ers. I ended up choosing the Prescott model which has full suspension and makes for a nice smooth ride. The XL frame gives me the perfect sized cockpit and overall the bike has needed very little tweaking.
Riding around in the parking lot and on the road is fun, but for any distance riding I would definitely choose the trike. With the guys always talking about the trails I decided that I had to try it. Having no experience in this at all I was unsure of what to expect. Let me walk you through what I remember from my first ride:
The guys like to ride Bennie Creek as it is one of the closer trails. They bill it as an exciting ride that is not too difficult. So, we drive up the Canyon about 15 minutes and I see the sign that says Bennie Creek. That's where we will come out. We continue driving up about 10 more minutes to the Mt. Loafer Trailhead. That's where the fun starts.
As we get out of the truck and the guys start putting their gear on I am noticing the body armor suits and full face helmets. Hmmm... I'm not the only guy with just a basic helmet and gloves though, so I don't think too much of it.
The guys take off down the trail and are soon out of site. I'm OK with riding in the rear as I certainly dont want to get in anyone's way. So I head down and am immediately presented with a wooden plank bridge of about 8 inches wide crossing the river. I assume the other guys just rode over it, but I choose to walk it carrying the bike. What have I gotten into?
I get back on the bike and proceed to roll quickly on the foot wide 'singletrack' trail carving its way through the trees. This is kind of fun. I reach a small clearing and the guys are there waiting for me. There is a fork in the trail and I am told the fastertrail is to the left but is much more 'technical' (mountain bike speak for more obstacles) and I should take the right trail, that while requiring significantly more climbing will ultimately be an easier beginner route. OK, and I start riding up the hill. Fat guys don't climb hills too well. It is a lot of work and even with low mountain biking gears the spinning starts to get to you. My heart is racing and I am breathing hard but I am determined. After all climbing up a hill means you get to roll down, and I would rather start with the climb than end with it.
As I round the first few bends the terrain changes a few times. Big rocks jut out of the trail with tire tracks as evidence of others crossing them. I navigate through them OK on the flats but when I encounter more of the 'rock gardens' on the uphills I decide to walk the bike up the rest of the way. There are a lot of footprints next to the tire marks so I assume I am not the only one that has made this decision.
Getting to the top feels great. I am still breathing hard and am sweating pretty good. I drink a bit from my water bottle. After catching my breath it is time to go down. I mount the bike and away I go. The same rock formations are everywhere and I do my best to navigate through them.I constantly hit the rocks with my feet and pedals. There is definitely some technique to this I need to learn.
In addition to the rocks there are roots growing across the trails making bumps and even steps going down the trail. I am not very comfortable jumping yet so I choose to walk down the bigger drops. As the trail goes down steep inclines I ride my brakes where I'm sure the other guys would just fly down.
I finally meet up with the other guys waiting for me where the lower and upper trails join back together. They take off again and I follow far behind. I go through a meadow, more rocks, and some more climbing. I am mostly thinking that I am thirsty and I lost my water bottle. That's right it came right out of my cage at some point. There is a reason why all the guys have hydration packs with 2L water bladders. I am usually pretty good at feeling when I am starting to dehydrate and should have stopped to rest. Instead I kept going and ultimately paid the price.
It happened after I had just traversed some rocks and was a little wobbly coming out of a corner. I saw the root coming out of the trail running parrallel to it for about two feet. Not sure how I was going to negotiate it I was already there. My wheel hit the side of it and my foot hit the other side. As often happens at these time everything started to move in slow motion. Unlike the Matrix where they can use this to their advantage my view was more that of an observer. As I was thrown off the bike I never let go of the handlebars. My left foot hit the ground on the outside of my shoe and I watch my foot buckle inwards at a right angle as my weight and the force of the impact came down upon it. Then, twisting my head to the side I saw the bike in the air still being held by me and then crashing down on my side. This was not good.
I lay there on my back and then stand up with my bike. As soon as I put weight on my foot I went down. As I lay on my back for a minute I think about how mad my wife is going to be. The realization hits that I have to get out of there and I am going to have to ride. Assuming the guys eventually come looking, I am too big for them to carry out anyway. So, I try to stand up again and this time everything goes black as slowly lay back on the ground. In a second my body resets itself and now, full of adrenaline, I get back up decide my foot doesnt hurt as bad as I thought and get back on the trail.
Shortly I find the guys waiting for me and relate my experience. We are only halfway down so I better just suck it up. Next up was the 'switchbacks' one of which has a 5 foot dropoff which was jumped by one of the guys. I decided to take the more cautious route and eventually made it through.
Coming out of the Bennie Creek trailhead felt good. We coasted down the road through the canyon and back into Payson. Once I sat down I remembered my ankle as it swoll up and screamed in pain.
posted by Ashley Guy at 8:29 AM
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