I was able to squeeze in a couple rides the last two weeks because the weather warmed up just enough to go. Although on the last ride, the grass on the side of the trail was frosted over when I started. Didn't seem right to be riding in shorts in those conditions.
Unfortunately, this last ride resulted in my first fall of the year. I was cruising along at 19-20 miles an hour, looked up, and a little kid came running out of one of the yards to the side of the trail. I swerved hard to (successfully) miss the kid, went off the trail, caught a rut and went sailing.
That's the story I'd like to tell.
But the truth is, I'd stopped to blow my nose. Stopped at the side of the trail on an entry point from a parking lot. When I went to get back on the trail, I was lifting my foot to put it on the pedal at the same time I was swinging the front wheel back on to the trail. The grass on the side of the entry path was raised, and of course, I caught it with the front wheel, which also cause my foot to catch on the pedal or chainring, which led to several seconds of frantic hopping trying to keep my balance. I quickly realized that my feet were getting farther apart than I would physically be able to tolerate, so down I went, cruising along at a brisk 0 mph. I got dusty, not scraped up (a couple little minor nicks). Embarrassing.
