What the hell just happened?

"Chuck W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ever find yourself stopped in the middle of a trail, heart
in your throat, asking yourself that question? Happened to
me yesterday. I'm out on the trails in my local woodland
park, where the folks that run the place have just
finished a series of controlled burns to clear out
underbrush (which means nothing smaller than baby green
trees is left). Up over a small

rise

Quoted message said:

I go, plenty of speed because I've ridden this trail a
hundred times, and

I

Quoted message said:

know it cuts to a lowering straight-away on the other
side. I top the

rise,

Quoted message said:

only to find myself about 20 feet from an eight-inch log
lying across the path, held several inches aloft by debris
at the sides.

Now's a good time to cover what little skill I've
developed on a mountain bike. I can wheelie a little bit.
I can bunny hop a little bit. When I say a little bit, I
mean I can reliably get up onto a curb without bumping

a

Quoted message said:

wheel, but that's about it. Never even tried anything
higher than six or seven inches. So here I am careening at
this foot-tall plus monster, way

to

Quoted message said:

fast to bump over it. I squat, lift, and jerk, bunnyhop
style, for all

I'm

Quoted message said:

worth, hoping to at least wreck without a log in the way.
I didn't even touch the log. I was so surprised, I hit the
brakes, stopped, got off the see what I broke. The landing
was so smooth ,something had to be broken. Nothing.

I'll probably never pull it off so sweet again. Now all I
need is a rabid dog to chase me down the trails or
something.

Fear is a great motivator. Nice job, Chuck.

Chuck W said:

Ever find yourself stopped in the middle of a trail, heart
in your throat, asking yourself that question? Happened to
me yesterday. I'm out on the trails in my local woodland
park, where the folks that run the place have just
finished a series of controlled burns to clear out
underbrush (which means nothing smaller than baby green
trees is left). Up over a small rise I go, plenty of speed
because I've ridden this trail a hundred times, and I know
it cuts to a lowering straight-away on the other side. I
top the rise, only to find myself about 20 feet from an
eight-inch log lying across the path, held several inches
aloft by debris at the sides.

Now's a good time to cover what little skill I've
developed on a mountain bike. I can wheelie a little bit.
I can bunny hop a little bit. When I say a little bit, I
mean I can reliably get up onto a curb without bumping a
wheel, but that's about it. Never even tried anything
higher than six or seven inches. So here I am careening at
this foot-tall plus monster, way to fast to bump over it.
I squat, lift, and jerk, bunnyhop style, for all I'm
worth, hoping to at least wreck without a log in the way.
I didn't even touch the log. I was so surprised, I hit the
brakes, stopped, got off the see what I broke. The landing
was so smooth ,something had to be broken. Nothing.

I'll probably never pull it off so sweet again. Now all I
need is a rabid dog to chase me down the trails or
something.

Grace under pressure. Way to go!

Shawn

Chuck W said:

So here I am careening at this foot-tall plus monster, way
to fast to bump over it. I squat, lift, and jerk, bunnyhop
style, for all I'm worth, hoping to at least wreck without
a log in the way. I didn't even touch the log.

You probably cleared it by a foot.... adrenaline can really
pump you up.

Ducky <----clears 4 stairs regularly

Chuck W said:

Ever find yourself stopped in the middle of a trail, heart
in your throat, asking yourself that question? Happened to
me yesterday. I'm out on the trails in my local woodland
park, where the folks that run the place have just
finished a series of controlled burns to clear out
underbrush (which means nothing smaller than baby green
trees is left). Up over a small rise I go, plenty of speed
because I've ridden this trail a hundred times, and I know
it cuts to a lowering straight-away on the other side. I
top the rise, only to find myself about 20 feet from an
eight-inch log lying across the path, held several inches
aloft by debris at the sides.

Now's a good time to cover what little skill I've
developed on a mountain bike. I can wheelie a little bit.
I can bunny hop a little bit. When I say a little bit, I
mean I can reliably get up onto a curb without bumping a
wheel, but that's about it. Never even tried anything
higher than six or seven inches. So here I am careening at
this foot-tall plus monster, way to fast to bump over it.
I squat, lift, and jerk, bunnyhop style, for all I'm
worth, hoping to at least wreck without a log in the way.
I didn't even touch the log. I was so surprised, I hit the
brakes, stopped, got off the see what I broke. The landing
was so smooth ,something had to be broken. Nothing.

I'll probably never pull it off so sweet again. Now all I
need is a rabid dog to chase me down the trails or
something.

-Chuck Wiley

Great story. The irony is that if you try the same thing
intentionally you'll wind up with a classic OTB manuever. At
least that's what always happens to me when I try to think
my way through something. It's always nice when the brain
gets disengaged and the body takes over.

Tom

In "]news:[email hidden], Chuck W
<[email hidden]> typed: <snip>

Quoted message said:

lowering straight-away on the other side. I top the rise,
only to find myself about 20 feet from an eight-inch log
lying across the path, held several inches aloft by debris
at the sides.

<snip>

Do or die.

...you did. WTG! ;^)

Mike

tcmedara wrote: <snip chuck's story>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'll probably never pull it off so sweet again. Now all I
need is a rabid dog to chase me down the trails or
something.

-Chuck Wiley

It's always nice when the brain gets disengaged and the
body takes over.

Yeah. I find that 90% of the time I think too hard about
what I'm doing, over-analyse, tense up in anticipation, and
crash. Then that other 10% of the time I'm relaxed enough I
can do stuff I thought was impossible for me. Sometimes
thinking is a [censored].
--
Westie --They say you only use 10% of your brain, maybe I
should burn out that other 90% - Shaun; any ideas?--
(Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)

"Westie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

tcmedara wrote: <snip chuck's story>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'll probably never pull it off so sweet again. Now all
I need is a rabid dog to chase me down the trails or
something.

-Chuck Wiley

It's always nice when the brain gets disengaged and the
body takes over.

Yeah. I find that 90% of the time I think too hard about
what I'm doing, over-analyse, tense up in anticipation,
and crash. Then that other 10% of the time I'm relaxed
enough I can do stuff I thought was impossible for

me.

Quoted message said:

Sometimes thinking is a [censored].

Hey, why has no one said "What kinda [censored] put that log
there?!?!?!?"

Quoted message said:

Westie --They say you only use 10% of your brain, maybe I
should burn out that other 90% - Shaun; any ideas?--

I'd say you should maybe burn yours out to save weight. Me,
I use the 90%, and keep the other 10% as extra, for when i
really need it.

Shaun aRe

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Hey, why has no one said "What kinda [censored] put that log
there?!?!?!?"

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Shaun aRe

I actually went back yesterday and looked to see why it was
there (and to measure it). It seems the base of the tree was
mostly dead, bug-eaten wood, and the "controlled burn"
burned out enough to bring it down. Judging from the drag
marks, however, it did not originally fall where I found it.
I kinda like the look of it, so I rolled it further down the
hill, to a spot where it actually rests on the trail and
won't catch anyone by surprise. Incidentally, the log itself
is 8 1/2", the total height where I found it: ~14".

-Chuck W

"Chuck W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ever find yourself stopped in the middle of a trail, heart
in your throat, asking yourself that question? Happened to
me yesterday. I'm out on the trails in my local woodland
park, where the folks that run the place have just
finished a series of controlled burns to clear out
underbrush (which means nothing smaller than baby green
trees is left). Up over a small rise I go, plenty of speed
because I've ridden this trail a hundred times, and I know
it cuts to a lowering straight-away on the other side. I
top the rise, only to find myself about 20 feet from an
eight-inch log lying across the path, held several inches
aloft by debris at the sides.

Now's a good time to cover what little skill I've
developed on a mountain bike. I can wheelie a little bit.
I can bunny hop a little bit. When I say a little bit, I
mean I can reliably get up onto a curb without bumping a
wheel, but that's about it. Never even tried anything
higher than six or seven inches. So here I am careening at
this foot-tall plus monster, way to fast to bump over it.
I squat, lift, and jerk, bunnyhop style, for all I'm
worth, hoping to at least wreck without a log in the way.
I didn't even touch the log. I was so surprised, I hit the
brakes, stopped, got off the see what I broke. The landing
was so smooth ,something had to be broken. Nothing.

I'll probably never pull it off so sweet again. Now all I
need is a rabid dog to chase me down the trails or
something.

-Chuck Wiley

Sometimes that's a daily manuever, in that form or another.

JD

"Chuck W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ever find yourself stopped in the middle of a trail, heart
in your throat, asking yourself that question?

Not in the middle. Usually off to the side, lying on my
back, with the bike not visible from my current position.

[snip tale of accomplishment]

Do or do not, there is no "try". 🙂 Funny, the things you
can do when:

1.) Nobody is watching.

2.) You're really not thinking about it.

Well done!
--
Jonesy

"Chuck W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Hey, why has no one said "What kinda [censored] put that
log there?!?!?!?"

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Shaun aRe

I actually went back yesterday and looked to see why it
was there (and to measure it). It seems the base of the
tree was mostly dead, bug-eaten

wood,

Quoted message said:

and the "controlled burn" burned out enough to bring it
down. Judging

from

Quoted message said:

the drag marks, however, it did not originally fall where
I found it. I kinda like the look of it, so I rolled it
further down the hill, to a spot where it actually rests
on the trail and won't catch anyone by surprise.
Incidentally, the log itself is 8 1/2", the total height
where I found it: ~14".

So, does look like someone dragged it there then. The
[censored].

',;~}~

Shaun aRe