EMS Ride at Case

Riders:  Brett, Scott, Steve, John, Jill, Michael, and a couple others
This was my first mtb ride after being on vacation.  The Princeton Tec Rep was there letting people try out the Switchback 1, 2, and 3.  I borrowed a 3 with a handlebar mount and it was pretty easy to get it on the bike.  The battery straps to the top tube, it was definitely lighter than my night rider light but not by a whole lot.  I was hoping I would still have access to my water bottle holder with this light but the hollow in the frame of my stumpjumper was too small.  We met at Line St. , the parking lot was packed and there were several groups heading out.  After two weeks of 90+ degree days out west it was a little chilly for me in the parking lot.  The first cold night ride is always a little rough starting out anyway.  After we all got our lights situated we headed up the trail.  I lagged a little behind at first to measure my legs after not riding for so long but looks like all that hiking kept my legs in shape because it didn’t feel too bad, Michael seemed to be fine too.  It also helped that Brett’s chain kept falling off.  He usually rides a stumpy exactly like mine but today he was riding a Rocky Mountain Hardtail with only one ring in the front.  Johnny from EMS had just installed a new part that was supposed to keep the chain from falling off.  And it did prevent the chain from falling to the outside but not the inside.  After every bump the chain seemed to jump off and after a while I really started to feel bad for Brett.  A little because his bike was junking up on him but more so because of the relentless heckling that Steve was dishing out.  And unable to resist Michael threw in a few good ones too.  Poor Brett.  Anyway he ended up riding out with one of the guys who had borrowed a Switchback 2.  It was his first night ride and his eyes were having trouble focusing so we ended up meeting up with Brett on our way out.  Of course when we met up with him he was off the bike trying to get the chain on again.  We rode for about 2 hours, up to the lookout, over to blue, to the steel bridge, up Fern, back down at the top of the power lines then down slickrock, back up the blue, over to yellow? Or was it red?  The one with those high bridges that you don’t have a chance to think about how you might not want to do them when you are already half way across, then back to Line St.  Good ride, I’d give it a B or so.  Kind of a quiet and mellow ride.  – Jill