The Weekend: Mishaps & Wilderness Showdowns

Tristan had been spending months gathering the parts for his new build. The build, itself, was the product of even more months of research and planning. Finally it all came to fruition – the parts were in, the time presented itself, and the bike was built.

Last Friday was to be its maiden voyage. We met at the West Hartford Reservoir parking lot after work and cast off on our normal loop. A mile into the ride things began to fall apart – literally. I heard a loud howl of frustration and saw Tristan gazing with singular intensity at his new bike. The seat post had snapped in two. The upper portion hung limply from the lower portion still clamped firmly in the frame.

Baffled, we decide I’d complete the loop while he went in search of a new post. I finished a lap and found Tristan had returned to the parking lot, new seat post in hand. Again we cast off onto the trail anticipating no further anguish. Of course we were fooling ourselves - this is mountain biking - anguish is in no short supply. We were within mere minutes of finishing the ride when we heard the sharp hiss of Tristan’s rear tire going flat. Daylight was waning, as was our patience, so we decided to walk out. Tristan would worry about the tire later.

The next day finds us at Case Mountain. It’s hot as hell and we’re both feeling a little mopey. We struggle through the initial climb and are justly rewarded with some time in what we’ve dubbed “The Playground”. We’re rolling rocks, dropping drops, and negotiating skinnies. We find an especially formidable looking rock roller. We decide to each have a go but, again, fate chooses to frown upon Tristan and arranges another flat tire for him.

The holes are numerous and large. With no spare tube available we attempt some patch-mongery and hope for the best. The best isn’t good enough and the leak persists. Meanwhile, we’re being stared down by the most audacious white tail deer I’ve ever crossed paths with. Broad daylight, this deer is a mere thirty meters away staring at us intently as we toil away on Tristan’s bike. The intimidation doesn’t stop there as the deer begins to thrash his tail, stomp his hooves, and make bizarre snorting noises. It isn’t until another rider finally rolls by that the deer decides to fall back. He’s moved on a bit, but we can still see him grilling us from a distance.

We knew the patch wouldn’t hold, but it doesn’t matter anyways as Tristan’s chain breaks as he remounts the bike. It looks like this ride, too, is doomed. We decide that he’ll walk back to the road where I’ll pick him up.

The weekend is flying by and we’ve yet managed to get a successful ride in. We intend to try riding again at Case on Sunday. Sunday morning the phone rings – the seat post clamp snapped while Tristan was tightening it. The Sunday ride is over before it even starts. I take off on a solo mountain bike ride that morning with a follow-up road ride that afternoon. I feel a small tinge of guilt when both go off without a hitch.

Ace Piece of Kit

Hot damn do I love this new single speed! To imagine that my $2,500 bike would sit in storage while this bike, a mere fraction of the cost, would supplant it as my primary ride. Yes, granted it’s not as fast or comfortable, but what it lacks in speed and creature comforts it makes up for in sheer simplicity. No derailleur to tune, chain slap to endure, shock to pump, front fork to adjust, 9 speed chain to snap or suck, or rear linkage bearings to service. I can just take it out, ride as long and as hard as I want, and put it back it away with nary a concern for routine maintenance. I could ceaselessly expound of its virtues but then that would cut into my riding time.