the amateur will

cave under pressure. He will feel discomfort and cease all forward motion. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

At least the FNG didn't complain when I tricked him into a "road" ride in Santa Cruz. Lived here all his life and never gone up there for a ride at all, at all? Some would say he deserved everthing he got, others that he hasn't earned any of it. Either way, he received a valuable gift and I'm not talking about the new road rash.

Let's see...Corralitos Mkt to Day Valley to Trout Gulch to Fern FLat to Buzzard's to Eureka to Highland to Summit. Pick up some tallboys and take them over to Redwood Lodge and Schulties. Back to Summit for some more tallboys (FNG says to "get something fancy", so I picked him up a Mickey's) which we toted over to Santa Rosalia.

Credit due: he was riding 23s...you try that and tell me how it works out. Who me? Sheeeeeeit. I ride them 28s all day.

I won't name any names, but Aptos Creek Fire road was where homeboy laid it over, and that was after I took some pity on his fatigue and opted for the easy way down.

FNG may or may not come riding again. If he does, I expect he will have a pump and some will. It becomes ever clearer that I am NOT the guy to teach people how to ride. I managed to keep my mouth shut about the stopping, though I will say here: that shit doesn't help. If you get a "charlie horse" in your self because you have a rotten fit and you're waaaaay too stretched out, you should stop to do what little you can (if it were to be done, then twere best if twere done quickly?) to mitigate your position and then get back to the pedaling. If you have the cramps, then ride through them. Stopping is not going to alleviate any of it, and it is not going to get you back to the car. I can inflict Suffering, but the value of Suffering is something one teaches one's own self.