MTB-O: Losing my virginity

I have been baptised into the sport of mountain biking. Today the bike and I went off-road (as opposed to park trails) in the first MTB-O event of the year.

Yes, I know this is a Running log, but I'm going to tell you about it anyway. :-)

Discovered that the bike does actually fit in my small car, once you take the front wheel off. Quick release wheel worked fine, but I couldn't figure how to "quick release" the brake, so had to deflate the tyre to get the wheel off. Must buy bike carrier of some sort. Oh, and I figured out the brake release once I got back home again.

Rock up to event. Small group. Pay money, get map, and hire a map board. These bolt to the handlebar, and have a flat board mounted on a swivel so you can turn it around.

The map is 1:20,000 scale (same as a Melways or UBD), and all controls are on tracks. And you must stay on the marked tracks. Wahoo, easy navigation! Handrails all the way...

Right. Until I misjudged the scale, overshot a turnoff, and completely screwed up control #3. Twice. Arrgh! Relocating is harder because there is less detail on the map. But that was the only control I messed up. Everything else was easy peasy!

Except for those contour things. I managed to ride up all the hills on my course, but wimped out of one downhill when I couldn't stop both wheels from locking up under brakes. Even *walking* down with both brakes on had the bike bouncing around all over the place.

Lots of mud and water on the tracks down the bottom of the map. Don't fall off!

Oh, oh, and I saw a koala. A real live wild one, not in a zoo, and not a hundred meters up a tree. Control #8, I was approaching the intersection when I saw it at the base of a tree. It had just climbed down, and had its hind feet on the ground, with its arms still hugging the tree. I stopped to talk to it :-) and it ambled across the track in front of me, less than 2 metres away, and off into the grass on the other side. Awesome! Completely unafraid, and very cute.

I'm hooked. :-D When's the next event!?


Map. 16 kms