Team MOM

My brother, Mike, and a few of his buddies are training to participate in an adventure race in Moab at the end of this month.  They came to St. George for a mountain bike ride this weekend and asked if I would like to go along.  Of course I did!  So I met them at the bottom of the Barrell Roll (Santa Clara Bridge) and took them to some singletrack they had never ridden before.  We climbed up to the Barrell Roll trailhead and then down the wash and up again to the Rim Runner area.  It is always good training to start with that climb.  

(Mike & Jeron)

 

About half way through the Rim Runner section we ran into a few mishaps......

1. Mike wiped out on a turn, crashed his helmet against a rock, and taco-ed his front tire.  His head was fine, and the guys bent his front tire as straight as they could so he could finish the ride.  I was paranoid that he would have another crash with such a wobbly wheel!
2. Then, Kel hit his rear derailer against a rock and it snapped in two pieces.  There was no way to jimmy that back together so we were going to strip the gear and turn it in to a singlespeed to finish the ride out.  The master link was odd and not easy to work with.  I had tools but we were struggling to get the chain apart.  Who always seems to show up "Just in time?"  GUY!  He struggled also get the bike ride-able but he is  a great mechanic and did what he had to do to get us up and running again. 
3. Jeron and Andy were coming up to the scene and one of them crashed, so like a domino, the last one followed the lead and crashed too!  They were very minor and had no mechanical problems.

 This is Andy just chillin' while he waits. 

This is a great view from the ledge.

So, we are off again. 

One singlespeed

(actually two now since I always ride one!)

and

One WOBBLY, but spinning, wheel 

See Mike's Wobbly Wheel

Kel took another spill as we were climbing up the Sidewinder trail.

It's not an easy trail to climb in one gear.  

Kudos to him.  

I was just so glad that Mike finished the ride without another incident.  

Thanks for having me along, I had fun.  

When we got done they all voted me in as 

Team Mom 

because I kept "taking care" of them 

and fed them or reminded them to eat long the way.  

Haha, that's just what I do!

Till next time, guys - call me again

Good Luck in MOAB

work hard, play hard, rider harder.

BTW - Mike, you NEED a new bike:)