So i was working the other day, doing my usual thing, riding in the hood and feeling happy. We decided to try a different route to get to a hot spot we've been dealing with when i noticed this perfectly shaped root ball at the base of a tree. It's the kind of root ball that is tailor made for guys like me who like to use them as mini-doubles. so i take off with a sprint to hit it, launch off of the nicely shaped 6" high root, feel the rush of the wind as i spot my landing and then...WHACK!!!!!
Something hits my head with the force of a linebacker landing on top of me. I think my neck vertebrae were momentarily shoved into my lumbar region....and i have NO idea what just happened. i manage to land the jump and stay upright as i look for a spot, out of public view, where i can collapse and gather my wits. my partner didn't see it happen and he assumes, by my body posture, that i must have slipped a pedal and racked my twig and berries on the top tube...his laughter quickly turns to concern as he realizes that i'm not my usual jovial self and i'm barely hanging on to the bars.
i make it around the corner, out of public view (lots of locals standing around a convenience store who would love to have a reason to laugh at the po-po), and just lay down while trying to figure out what happened.
i tell my partner what i did and he pipes up matter-of-factly and says, "oh...you must have hit that wire that runs between those two trees with the big root ball"
holy crap..how did i not see that? apparently, years ago,someone strung up a metal guide wire (1/4" thick) between two trees and the trees have grown around the wire, pulling it tight as the trees grow. it was like hitting a freaking wall!
so anyway, i learned my lesson...look up before hitting a new feature
here's what my helmet looks like now:
Something hits my head with the force of a linebacker landing on top of me. I think my neck vertebrae were momentarily shoved into my lumbar region....and i have NO idea what just happened. i manage to land the jump and stay upright as i look for a spot, out of public view, where i can collapse and gather my wits. my partner didn't see it happen and he assumes, by my body posture, that i must have slipped a pedal and racked my twig and berries on the top tube...his laughter quickly turns to concern as he realizes that i'm not my usual jovial self and i'm barely hanging on to the bars.
i make it around the corner, out of public view (lots of locals standing around a convenience store who would love to have a reason to laugh at the po-po), and just lay down while trying to figure out what happened.
i tell my partner what i did and he pipes up matter-of-factly and says, "oh...you must have hit that wire that runs between those two trees with the big root ball"
holy crap..how did i not see that? apparently, years ago,someone strung up a metal guide wire (1/4" thick) between two trees and the trees have grown around the wire, pulling it tight as the trees grow. it was like hitting a freaking wall!
so anyway, i learned my lesson...look up before hitting a new feature
here's what my helmet looks like now:
A hack saw with a plastic blade?
