There may be hope yet...

 I talked to a guy this weekend who a dirtbiker, but is also active in
a local bicycle club.

The club puts on an off-road race every year (62 miles...yikes), and a
couple of miles of the course is on my land.  I hear from them every
year when they ask permission to use my land at JPE - I always give
permission for stuff like that (even though it IS a bunch of effin'
bicycles).  Last year I heard of a club member who is a dirtbiker - he
pre-rides the race course on his GasGas 300 (and apparently struggles
to stay ahead of the barely-human factory riders, who can maintain
16-18MPH paces through the tight and nasty on their bicycles).  I
can't imagine running New England snot for 62 miles on a bicycle.  I
can barely imagine doing it on a dirtbike.  Anyway, he's the guy who
called me this year, and we talked dirtbikes for a half hour.  He
knows ALL the trails in the area, and volunteered to guide.

I doubt I'll be able to do any riding until the fall - I have WAY too
many things on my plate this summer and all of my weekend are packed
full, but the other guy is currently busted up from a bicycle crash
(those nasty pedal-thingies will kill you) and probably won't be able
to ride until then anyway.  So, while I was having doubts that I'd
ever get inspired to straddle a bike again, things are looking up.

JayC

 
That was me in June of '09 right after Jim Cook talked me out of
riding (although he didn't know it). I made the WUDI ride this year,
had a great loop with one of the locals and the fire was relighted.


I hope so. Bikes are too much fun to be sitting around the garage.

 
Dave,
  I sincerely apologize for that.  (Was this at the "icy Wudi" when
Jeff  Deeney, Wudscrasher, and Sturd joined us?)

  Jim

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         Wudsracer/Jim Cook
          Smackover Racing
         '06 Gas Gas DE300
        '82 Husqvarna XC250
           Team LAGNAF
"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid
   the consequences of avoiding reality."

 
No apology necessary. I don't know if you recall this conversation,
but we were talking Sunday morning before the '09 Trainrobbers enduro
about the riding conditions. You mentioned "riding with your
fingertips" the day(week?) before because the soil was perfect and it
was a good ride to boot. It then rained some and the ground was a bit
greasy so your pre-ride was more "riding with your elbows." I realized
right then and there I hadn't had a "fingertip" ride in several years
and that day was no different. After an extended break from riding,
about twenty two months, I'm really enjoying two wheels again. Right
now I'm more than a bit rusty, but have managed to get some fingertip
time between each and every crash.