Getting back on the bike

This weekend I rode the trail that convinced me to move to the Bay Area. South of the city and outside of Half Moon Bay the trail delivered tall trees, tight singletrack and a lot of elevation gain & loss. The ride re-confirmed that I made the right decision.

The day after I took a couple of my new friends riding north of the city in Marin. I used the guidebook to find a ride that would be appropriate for beginners. This was the first time mountain biking for one of my friends. She told us after the ride that she had a bad crash as a kid and has been deathly afraid of riding ever since.

You wouldn't have guessed that from the way she was riding. The trail went up, up, up on a fireroad. We were treated to a long descent after the climb topped out. The rolling hills were gorgeous with the Golden Gate Bridge peaking out behind them. I wasn't feeling as relaxed as I would have liked because I was scheduled to be at work in a few hours and there was a fair amount of unknown on the trail ahead of us.

I tried to focus on enjoying the long descent but I could see a climb across the valley that looked like it could be the one that would take us back to the vehicle. I would have been excited about the climb had I not been on my singlespeed. I felt anxious about making it to work on time. Would I have to walk my bike up that long hill?

The hill wasn't THAT bad and I made it to work in plenty of time. The best part of the experience was my friend was stoked. She had a great time! Wait 'til she rides a bike that fits her (mine was, at least, a size too big for her).