After I got new tires put on Vivie, it was time to get her, and I, back home at the end of the day. I had wanted to try a new road to get back up on my favorite Ridge Road, and knew of one I wanted to find. I had told the guy at the shop what I was looking for – I had seen the small, one-and-a-half lane street drop off from the top, but had no clue where it was from the bottom. He told me where to find it, but warned me to be careful, that experienced riders from the shop and dumped their bike up there.
Undaunted, thinking, “Heck, I’ve successfully tackled the W Road and all its 180 degree switchbacks. I can be super-cautious, take it real slow, no problem!”
Ha! WRONG!!!
Though I’m sure it would have been quite a sight, I’m almost grateful that there is no photographic evidence for this disaster!!
I had NO idea what I was talking about!!
I dropped my sweet Vivie-girl for the first time ever, out on the road! A panicked terror swept through me. I scrambled to take in the situation, the road, potential upcoming traffic, the position of the bike, everything!! I had to quickly figure out how to pick up my own 320# bike, out of a vertical (and I do mean VERTICAL!!), 180 degree switchback crook in the road. Nothing to do but manhandle her a bit, swing her backside around, make sure I had ahold of the brake lever so she wouldn’t roll back down the… mountain!! on me, and somehow hauled her back up on her feet. I swung my leg over, started her up, found the friction zone on my clutch, rolled on a little gas while also keeping the brake engaged (pulling out all the insurance I had for myself), and off we went!!
I’ve since ridden back down the road, to see the scene of my big fail, to try to get a sense of what had bitten me. I’ve determined I WILL go back that way again and conquer it, from the bottom. But for now, WoW, what an experience, one that I managed in the thick of the moment!!
Stretch: Trying something new that I hadn’t prepared for. If I had to do it again, I might have driven or walked up it, to plot out a way to approach it better.
Lessons: Not everything works, even with this tiny-heroic-acts approach – things can take you by surprise. You must, literally, problem solve in the moment, and then, get back on that bike ‘n ride!
Smarter-Not-Harder U 