The Log

My ribs are bruised or broken or something. They hurt. When I stand. When I stretch. When I bend. When I reach. When I lye in any position other than flat on my back. When I lift (which I do a lot more of at work than I realized).

When I ride my bike.

I was riding by myself on the Tzou last Saturday. The ride was going well. I did the little jumps on Emma's Express, I rode a bridge I hadn't ridden before, did some different trails. It was on Luc's Skywalker - The Log. The one that looks harmless, easy, so ridable that no-one gives it a second thought. The first time I came upon this log I was with Julia, Hilary and someone else (Michele? Amy?). Julia was in front, rode straight over it and endo'ed. The rest of us walked.
While on a club ride a few months ago we arrived at The Log. Kurt rode it okay, then I watched from the back as one-by-one each rider took a look at it, thought "what's the fuss about?", and landed flat on his face. I walked.
So on Saturday I approached The Log, stopped, and walked my bike over it. The bike rolled over smoothly, without the back wheel loosing contact with the ground. I pushed the bike back over, and squatted down to examine the steepest angle it made. I pushed the bike back a second time and examined the position of each wheel at every point of the motion. "What's the big deal?" "Easy peasy, lemon squeeezy!"
I approached from a distance, dragging the brakes. The front wheel rolled over effortlessly, and then I stopped. I'm not sure if I stopped the forward motion, or if The Log killed all forwards momentum, but I locked the brakes and balanced there with my front wheel over, and my back wheel on the top of The Log for hours. (I should note that balancing is like holding one's breath - time stands still. One second can become a whole hour. In reality it may have been just short of a whole second.) I had no way of getting off. The only way was forward. I had my bum behind the seat. I'd just roll forward like any other log, right? I have no trouble going down steep stuff or rolling down rocks. The bike wants to go forward.

So I released the brakes, some unknown force pulled my back wheel into the air, and there was a thud as I hit the ground, followed by the clatter of my bike landing on me.

Carried on along the trail, and rode home thinking nothing more of it.


While riding, it's fine if I can stay in the saddle, but if I stand it hurts, whether climbing or descending.
It'll go.