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OMR

Friday had started off like any other day, except it was the best kind of day… a holiday. That meant there was plenty of time for riding today. When the alarm clock chirped at him at 6:30 am, it was still dark out with a slight lightening in the east. Glen slowly rolled out of bed so as not to disturb Sandy. She would remain in bed until 8 am as she loved to sleep in on holidays.

Glen padded across the cold wooden floor to the bathroom, snapped on the light and surveyed the damages from last night’s party with several other couples. He had been such rare form, keeping everyone in stitches with his non-stop comments during the dinner. It seemed that the more wine he had had the funnier he had gotten… at least it seemed that way to him. Sandy had finally given him “the look” and he had quickly decided that he needed to let someone else talk … or sleep alone that night.

Where in the hell had those crows feet come from, he wondered as he allowed the water to get hot in preparation of shaving. He stopped for a minute and really stared at his face in the mirror. There seemed to be a nagging question hovering around in the back of his mind, but he just couldn’t seem to verbalize it. Maybe he was going through the change of life? Who the hell knows anything these days, he thought.

Coming out of the bathroom after shaving, he stopped by the closet and rummaged through the riding jerseys on the hangers. He chose his old STR jersey, slipped it on and oddly felt better. Maybe it was the touch of something real from his past that made him feel that way… Who the hell knows anything these days, he thought again.

After pulling on riding shorts and socks, he crossed over to the bedroom door, took a long lingering look at his wife form in the rumpled bed. He felt strings in his body. Maybe he didn’t need to go on a ride. Maybe he needed to craw back into their warm bed and enjoy the pleasures that awaited him. He silently laughed and slid through the door before he could change his mind. He had been promising himself this ride all week and no little “morning delights” were going to change his mind…. Besides, there was always time after riding to explore those dark areas….

Glen opened the garage door and peered at several bikes hanging from the ceiling. Should he take his soft cushy bike with the 6” of wonderful suspension, the lightening fast XC bike that ate trails for breakfast… or should he take the 29” single speed that he had recently acquired at the urging of others on the boards. He decided on the XC bike. What the hell, he felt like pushing himself today and was determined to make an impression on some of the younger studs waiting at the trail head.

Loading the bike on the back of the car, he had an odd flash back to the day that he had been riding in the park on a trail he hadn’t been able to find since. That was a very strange day and he still carried a slight scar across the bridge of his nose. Sandy said it made him look dangerous. Every time he looked at it, it made him think about that nagging question hovering in the back of his mind. Perhaps that’s what he had been thinking about when he looked at himself in the mirror this morning.

After putting his helmet, gloves, and mtb shoes in the car, he carefully filled his water pack halfway. That should be enough for this ride, he thought. Glen then slipped into the driver’s seat and fired the car up and pulled out of his garage… being careful not to hit the trash cans that were sitting in the street. He’d made the mistake of putting them out a day too early since the trash people would not be picking up the trash today. Sandy would remind him of this when he got home later that day. Right now he was already late for the ride.

On the way over to the park, he glanced at the gas gauge. It read almost empty. He would need to stop or suffer the consequences of being stranded later. He pulled into a gas station, only to find they were just opening up. It took several more minutes before the pumps were turned on and he was finally able to fill the tank. Pulling out of the gas station, he noticed that he was now running 20 minutes late. Hopefully, others would be late as well, although the group had instituted a 15 minute rule and if you weren’t there you had to ride like hell to catch up. Looks like he was going to be riding like hell.

Entering the parking lot, he quickly scanned the area looking for his group. Although there were several other riders hanging around waiting for others, there was no one there from his group. They had left without him. Damn! ... Double Dog Damn!

Quickly putting on his shoes, helmet and gloves, he locked the car and pulled the bike off the rack. Swinging a leg over the bike, he accelerated through the gate and into the park. It was cold, but it felt good to be on the dirt again… and didn’t every good ride start out cold? The first part of the trail was pretty flat and open. Looking ahead, he strained to see any of his group in the distance, but he saw no one. Now standing hard on the pedals, he virtually flew down the fire road. Where in the heck had those guys gone?

Glen breathing had become slightly ragged from the effort of pushing the bike so hard. He was going to make those guys pay for effort he had put out trying to catch them. Of course, he’d have to take his lumps from the group for being so late. They should be just around the upcoming bend in the road. But no, the trail ahead was curiously bear of riders. In fact, he hadn’t seen anyone since starting from the park entrance.

It was at this time that there was a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye which caused him to turn his head and see that same opening in the bushes that he had seen 10 year ago. He immediately slammed on his brakes so hard that he almost went over the handle bars. Stopped there in the early morning sun, sweat dripping into his eyes, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Could this be the same trail he had looked for these past 10 years? He swore he had looked in this area but had never been able to find anything worth following. And yet, here it was. A distinct single track opening. How in the hell had he missed it? How in Hell indeed!

All thoughts of catching up with the group left him. He wanted to take… no, he had to take this trail again. The last time his life had incredibly changed. Without further thought, he dove into the opening….

sdyeti

Oh, I have been waiting for this OMR! Great stuff...thank you

allison

Don't do it!!

sdyeti

It is killing me to have to wait for Chapter 6...

DDB@OCR

...and.......and?

Arrrgh....cliffhangars!

allison

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDB@OCR

...and.......and?

Arrrgh....cliffhangars!

You gotta leave them hanging for more...otherwise they won't come back!

doulos

Damn thess cliff hangers... Why did he have to go back there? Hope he doesn't lose his wife again. Here's for another long wait for chapter 6. Reminds me of Trapped in the closet by R. Kelly

DDB@OCR

Quote:

Originally Posted by allison

You gotta leave them hanging for more...otherwise they won't come back!

But were talking SINGLETRACK here!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *whimper*

mtnbikerfred

OHHHHhhhh NOOOOoooooo.

You remember those Star-Trek episodes where "Ensign Jones" beams down to the surface with Capt Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy? You know he ain't comin' back, but you gotta keep watching to find out why.....

xhuskr

Thnx for the update.....I felt I was on the bike myself......now stopped waiting for that trail (and your writing) to open up!

slowSSer

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMR

...[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Without further thought, he dove into the opening….[/SIZE][/FONT]

...and the "tease of the month" award goes to OMR!!!

genusmtbkr5

Great stuff OMR! Thanks, good way to start a weekend.

jeffj

I keep getting this disturbing image of Fabio in a bike helmet and an STR jersey

foofighter

he shouldnt take that ST!!!

OMR

You're not going to see this one coming.... he he he he... ouch!

genusmtbkr5

Quote:

Originally Posted by foofighter

he shouldnt take that ST!!!

Hey Duan, sometimes you just have to say, "WTF"

xhuskr

how long will we have to wait for Chapter 6? sure would be a nice xmas present to the tribe, ya know!

OMR

Quote:

Originally Posted by xhuskr

how long will we have to wait for Chapter 6? sure would be a nice xmas present to the tribe, ya know!

Chapter 6 will be posted prior to Christmas & Chapters 7 & maybe 8 before the New Year.

My gift to the Tribe...


OMR Daughters = grey hair!	The Ride - Chapter 5 Friday had started off like any other day, except it was the best kind of day… a holiday. That meant there was plenty of time for riding today. When the alarm clock chirped at him at 6:30 am, it was still dark out with a slight lightening in the east. Glen slowly rolled out of bed so as not to disturb Sandy. She would remain in bed until 8 am as she loved to sleep in on holidays. Glen padded across the cold wooden floor to the bathroom, snapped on the light and surveyed the damages from last night’s party with several other couples. He had been such rare form, keeping everyone in stitches with his non-stop comments during the dinner. It seemed that the more wine he had had the funnier he had gotten… at least it seemed that way to him. Sandy had finally given him “the look” and he had quickly decided that he needed to let someone else talk … or sleep alone that night. Where in the hell had those crows feet come from, he wondered as he allowed the water to get hot in preparation of shaving. He stopped for a minute and really stared at his face in the mirror. There seemed to be a nagging question hovering around in the back of his mind, but he just couldn’t seem to verbalize it. Maybe he was going through the change of life? Who the hell knows anything these days, he thought. Coming out of the bathroom after shaving, he stopped by the closet and rummaged through the riding jerseys on the hangers. He chose his old STR jersey, slipped it on and oddly felt better. Maybe it was the touch of something real from his past that made him feel that way… Who the hell knows anything these days, he thought again. After pulling on riding shorts and socks, he crossed over to the bedroom door, took a long lingering look at his wife form in the rumpled bed. He felt strings in his body. Maybe he didn’t need to go on a ride. Maybe he needed to craw back into their warm bed and enjoy the pleasures that awaited him. He silently laughed and slid through the door before he could change his mind. He had been promising himself this ride all week and no little “morning delights” were going to change his mind…. Besides, there was always time after riding to explore those dark areas…. Glen opened the garage door and peered at several bikes hanging from the ceiling. Should he take his soft cushy bike with the 6” of wonderful suspension, the lightening fast XC bike that ate trails for breakfast… or should he take the 29” single speed that he had recently acquired at the urging of others on the boards. He decided on the XC bike. What the hell, he felt like pushing himself today and was determined to make an impression on some of the younger studs waiting at the trail head. Loading the bike on the back of the car, he had an odd flash back to the day that he had been riding in the park on a trail he hadn’t been able to find since. That was a very strange day and he still carried a slight scar across the bridge of his nose. Sandy said it made him look dangerous. Every time he looked at it, it made him think about that nagging question hovering in the back of his mind. Perhaps that’s what he had been thinking about when he looked at himself in the mirror this morning. After putting his helmet, gloves, and mtb shoes in the car, he carefully filled his water pack halfway. That should be enough for this ride, he thought. Glen then slipped into the driver’s seat and fired the car up and pulled out of his garage… being careful not to hit the trash cans that were sitting in the street. He’d made the mistake of putting them out a day too early since the trash people would not be picking up the trash today. Sandy would remind him of this when he got home later that day. Right now he was already late for the ride. On the way over to the park, he glanced at the gas gauge. It read almost empty. He would need to stop or suffer the consequences of being stranded later. He pulled into a gas station, only to find they were just opening up. It took several more minutes before the pumps were turned on and he was finally able to fill the tank. Pulling out of the gas station, he noticed that he was now running 20 minutes late. Hopefully, others would be late as well, although the group had instituted a 15 minute rule and if you weren’t there you had to ride like hell to catch up. Looks like he was going to be riding like hell. Entering the parking lot, he quickly scanned the area looking for his group. Although there were several other riders hanging around waiting for others, there was no one there from his group. They had left without him. Damn! ... Double Dog Damn! Quickly putting on his shoes, helmet and gloves, he locked the car and pulled the bike off the rack. Swinging a leg over the bike, he accelerated through the gate and into the park. It was cold, but it felt good to be on the dirt again… and didn’t every good ride start out cold? The first part of the trail was pretty flat and open. Looking ahead, he strained to see any of his group in the distance, but he saw no one. Now standing hard on the pedals, he virtually flew down the fire road. Where in the heck had those guys gone? Glen breathing had become slightly ragged from the effort of pushing the bike so hard. He was going to make those guys pay for effort he had put out trying to catch them. Of course, he’d have to take his lumps from the group for being so late. They should be just around the upcoming bend in the road. But no, the trail ahead was curiously bear of riders. In fact, he hadn’t seen anyone since starting from the park entrance. It was at this time that there was a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye which caused him to turn his head and see that same opening in the bushes that he had seen 10 year ago. He immediately slammed on his brakes so hard that he almost went over the handle bars. Stopped there in the early morning sun, sweat dripping into his eyes, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Could this be the same trail he had looked for these past 10 years? He swore he had looked in this area but had never been able to find anything worth following. And yet, here it was. A distinct single track opening. How in the hell had he missed it? How in Hell indeed! All thoughts of catching up with the group left him. He wanted to take… no, he had to take this trail again. The last time his life had incredibly changed. Without further thought, he dove into the opening…. __________________ OMR .... An elder grasshopper of the Tribe


sdyeti Official STR Pan Banger	Oh, I have been waiting for this OMR! Great stuff...thank you __________________ My Blog: Two Wheel Love THE PATH-Love the Bike You Ride


allison Trail Paparazzi	Don't do it!! __________________ My Blog The Path Crank Brothers


DDB@OCR has-been onna hardtail	...and.......and? Arrrgh....cliffhangars!


doulos Member	Damn thess cliff hangers... Why did he have to go back there? Hope he doesn't lose his wife again. Here's for another long wait for chapter 6. Reminds me of Trapped in the closet by R. Kelly __________________ "Pain is a big fat creature riding on your back. The farther you pedal, the heavier he feels. The harder you push, the tighter he squeezes your chest. The steeper the climb, the deeper he digs his jagged, sharp claws into your muscles." — Scott Martin


mtnbikerfred trail-male for hire...	OHHHHhhhh NOOOOoooooo. You remember those Star-Trek episodes where "Ensign Jones" beams down to the surface with Capt Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy? You know he ain't comin' back, but you gotta keep watching to find out why.....


xhuskr Powered by Guinness	Thnx for the update.....I felt I was on the bike myself......now stopped waiting for that trail (and your writing) to open up! __________________ Slainte' sdyeti I am a student. The trail is my teacher. genusmtbkr5 Sign up for the pain, you'll love it.


genusmtbkr5 Single Track Mind	Great stuff OMR! Thanks, good way to start a weekend. __________________ Gene"GuidesNewWarriors" *http://www.warriorssociety.org/* *http://www.sharemtb.com/*


jeffj Slow Rollin' SuperClyde	I keep getting this disturbing image of Fabio in a bike helmet and an STR jersey


foofighter Duan'er - 29'er remixed	he shouldnt take that ST!!! __________________ -Duan Dulce et Decorum Click the Button


OMR Daughters = grey hair!	Trust me... grasshoppers You're not going to see this one coming.... he he he he... ouch! __________________ OMR .... An elder grasshopper of the Tribe

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