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This evening I met up with a coworker (Doug) and a friend (Jon) to ride the Lake Orion High School (LOHS) mountain bike trails. After running into the trail builder, M. C. Escher himself, in the parking lot and talking for a few we headed out. While brutal compared to most other local XC trails, the LOHS trails are in great shape and after a slow ride around there took connector trails into to Bald Mountain South Unit where we were able to ride the flowing, fast two track for a while before heading back to the parking lot.
Since we we weren’t in super-thick fog the new headlight worked wonderfully, and using both elements (spot and wide) it throws light far enough that I could comfortable ride at full speed. A bar light still would be nice to create some shadows†, but I think this setup will serve me really well.
Back at the parking lot I noticed a bit more mud on my bike, which surprised me since the LOHS trail was dry and packed hard, and I didn’t recall any mud in Bald Mountain. Not thinking right I grabbed a pinch of the mud to see if it was actually just a different colored piece that landed on my bike last night I realized my mistake: it was not mud. This is not the first time I’ve ended up with trail feces on my bike, but normally I notice it before I touch it and can then wash it off later.
Thankfully the school was open for a band concert and I had some Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap in the car, so I was able to visit the bathroom and wash the soiled hand (and a key) before changing. At least I managed to only contaminate one hand and a small metal object, and the doors to the school were propped open. The clump shown above in my fork crown is only the little bit that remained after the 1″ clump I’d originally removed with my fingers. That bit of filth ended up in the grass just before I tried to wipe my hands (somewhat) clean on the damp blades of green.
† Riding with just a headlight generally eliminates shadows, as having the light nearly on-axis with your eyes keeps one from seeing shadows. Adding another light located elsewhere, such as down on the handlebars, creates just enough shadow on objects that it’s almost as easy as riding in daytime.
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