After This, I Can Now Call Myself A Mountain Biker

I have been mountain biking for 7 years now but I've never felt like a true rider...that is, until yesterday. I am now a real mountain biker!

To the average person this just looks like I am riding my mountain bike in the grass at Fort Boise. The bag pipes in the background drown out my explanation of what is actually happening.

Immediately after my very first ride at Tamarack with my friend Wendi (the videographer), I went to Idaho Mountain Touring and bought my Gary Fisher bike. I got a helmet, gloves, padded shorts to protect my who-ha, and a tire pump. I  got everything but the clip pedals. It was recommended I get used to mountain biking before I clip into my bike. I should have got clip pedals by the next season at the latest. Fast forward 7 years and I still didn't have clips! I had the pedals for 7 years siting in my garage. I've had the shoes for 2 siting in my closet. But that all changed yesterday! It was the first ride of the season. Last week I took my bike into Bikes 2 Boards on State Street, got it tuned up like I always do but this time I had them switch out my pedals and put cleats on my shoes.

Then yesterday I got the park early so I could practice clipping in and out before we hit the trails at Military Reserve. Apparently falling is just part of learning to clip in and out but I did not want to do it on a single track trail. Grass is much softer.The song that was going through my head the entire ride was  the Pull-Up song, "And I'm a big girl now!"

FYI-If you ever wondered where bag pipers practice, they practice in the parks.