Mongoose Fever

"No, I like my bike.  I don't wanna switch out."

Luke Skywalker seemed adamant to keep riding the cycle we'd picked up for him over a year ago at a second-hand store.  The paint was scuffed.  The saddle had been reduced to a couple of puffs of padding hanging out from under the torn casing.  The back tire had an impressive slash in it, and both of them were worn enough to need replacement.  We took it home anyway, for about $23.

McGuyver and Lukas replaced the tires and saddle, and with a few adjustments, some fresh lubricant, and a clean up, they managed to make the thing rideable.  After riding it on his first outing, Luke seemed to bond with it, and has enjoyed a lot of mileage on his recycled-Magna since then.    

Lukas and his Magna

Jared, our point-rider, is now 6'3", and has outgrown his cycle, a 27" Raleigh hybrid.  The Raleigh gives an awesome ride.  It's smooth, and can kick out some impressive speed for a larger-tired cycle, but it still can't hang onto the dirt like a mountain bike can.

Jared pushed it to the limit a few months ago, and it dumped him in the dirt while riding the advanced tracks at Gateway.  He didn't get injured, but the front rim was bent enough to need replacement.  Afterwards, he decided to upgrade to a taller cycle better suited for advanced off-road riding.

Jared and his Raleigh hybrid

  I asked Lukas if he'd considered switching to the Raleigh when Jared purchased new wheels, and suggested he might like it if we switched out the hybrid tires on it, and put on a set with bigger teeth, and no speed-strip in the center.  That's when I got the sincere rebuttal that he was sticking with his Magna.

I was impressed that he maintained his loyalty to his old bike as long as he did.  But, it deflated and blew away last week during a trip with me for some ride supplies.  We came across a new  29" Mongoose mountain bike, with a sleek frame, a center-shock and disc brakes.  No kidding, the boy nearly had drool sliding down his chin while we took a little time to check it out.  He caved in and brought it home the next day.  I think he made a good choice in the switch and a reasonable investment.  He's outgrowing his Magna, and the Goose will give him a better ride that fits his height. 


It's a sweet machine, and he was eager to ride it, but the weather wasn't cooperating. The evening before he brought it home, our clear skies from earlier in the day had disappeared behind some fluffy, dark clouds hosting a lightening show. The next morning our neighborhood woke up to a sprinkle of rain, that turned into a drizzle before forming into an all-out downpour.

Seth and Elizabeth stopped in our neighbor's driveway
to let me get a pic of them before they headed out
into the drizzle for a short ride in the neighborhood.  The used bike works
well, and is only in need of a bit of maintenance and a scrub-up.

Texans say, "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute."  Thankfully, the saying is accurate most of the time. 

During the intermittant drizzle, Seth and Elizabeth decided to take a cruise around the neighborhood.  Luke and I had picked up an older model 28" mountain bike a few days before, and Seth wanted to take it for a test ride. 

The rest of us waited a few more hours for the weather to break.  I wasn't willing to be riding near water with a threat of lightening.  Thankfully, the weather broke shortly before noon, so, we didn't have to spend most of the day waiting out the storm.

Luke pulling the tags off of his new Mongoose

We'd decided to forego the single-tracks at Gateway, because that ride marked Andrew's first official ride with the pack.  He hasn't ridden much, and he's got a new Schwinn Ranger.  We chose to ride along the Trinity paved trail until we could veer off on the dirt fire-road that leads to the Fort Worth Stockyards.  It's wide and provided  Andrew some ride-time on dirt that was a less technically-challenging surface, so he could get in a bit of practice with balance and acquainted with his new wheels.

For most of the pack, we have about as much interest in riding on pavement as we do watching paint dry.  Torres and Kim don't seem to mind what sort of surface they ride on, as long as they get to ride.

The Trinity trail was the only area nearby where we could take Andrew that provided both on and off road paths, with minimal crash risk.  The start point on the route is paved, and when we veer off the paved path, there's a dirt fire-road that leads to the back-side of the stockyards.  It's not a pulse-thumper, but it worked well for what we needed.  There are no hard climbs or tight squeezes between trees. 

He started out a bit wobbly on the pavement, but his skills improved a good bit during the ride.  It's his first bike with hand-brakes and multiple gears.  By the time we finished, he'd learned when to up-shift, down-shift, and which brake to use depending on the incline, or flat surface.  He did great, and made it through the whole thing with no crashes.

Andrew following Lukas down the fire road towards the stockyards.

The extra helmet on Luke's pack is mine.  I hated to set a bad example, but it was hot, and my head is harder than theirs.

The wildlife in the Trinity is beautiful.  This shot was taken along the trail that goes under (via a tunnel) the stockyards.
Last year, this tributary was poisoned, and killed every fish in the water for miles.  And, I'm amazed what wildlife that lives
here manages to survive in such dirty conditions. 

I don't know if it was blown in, or thrown in, but this cup is only a tiny fraction of the stuff

we see either on the surface, or under the water in this area.  Not far from the cup, we found

an entire shopping cart submerged about three feet under the water.  There are no shops

in the area that have shopping carts, so it was brought in and dumped, from elsewhere.

Just to the side of the lamp post, in the above photo, is where we found the submerged shopping cart.

A prettier spot on the ride.  Below the bridge, the river looks better, but still has areas loaded

with discarded debris.

This part of the Trinity usually looks pretty clean, and we often see folks fishing here.

 

My Sidewinder, just topside of the riverbank.

Andrew on his last downhill stretch, before loading up and heading home.

Lukas and his Goose, bringing up the rear.

The guys on the last bridge between us and the Tracker.

It wasn't a long ride, but it was a good ride.  When we came off of the fire-road, Andrew gave me news that had the effect of someone raking their nails down a chalkboard.  He said, "I don't think I like riding on dirt.  It's really bumpy."

My immediate thought was, "Ohhhhh nooooooo!!!!  He's gonna grow up to be a skinny-tire rider!!"

I did my best to assure him, that he will likely get bored with riding on pavement when his skills increase.  I told him that pavement riding was better than not riding at all, in event we've had rainy weather and the trails are muddy.  I don't know if I convinced him, but I'm hoping he at least won't be totally turned off after his first trip through the woods.

As we were readying to load the cycles back on the Tracker, I shared Andrew's comment with Lukas.  Skywalker gave his little brother a dead-pan look and said, "Well, you'd best learn to love it." (Referring to riding on dirt.)  Lukas is still developing in the ability to be tactfully persuasive, but Andrew took the comment in stride.

Nonetheless, Andrew rode the dirt, and rode it well for his first time out.  I'm hoping he'll develop a love for cycling, and hoping bigger that he'll love riding in the woods with the rest of us after he's done it a few times, and looks forward to the challenge rather than being daunted by it.

A little more time on the bike, and he'll be able to stand up on his pedals when he crosses the rough spots, and maybe they won't bother him so much.

I'll say a lot of prayers and hope he changes his mind.

Happy Father's Day 2012!!

Thanks for the read!  God bless you, ride safe, have fun and don't forget to say "Thanks!" to a veteran at your next opportunity!

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