The meditative effects of ripio

I've found a new technique to handling sandy rocky hilly roads that I wanted to record (and share with anyone who's interested).

I had a breakthrough with ripio today, but I should explain - I'm fairly new to mountain biking. I first had a go about 18 months go in the English Lakes with Pob and Alistair, who will both back-up that I was not a natural. Part of the problem was that the hired bike was pretty rubbish, and specifically that it had a seriously uncomfortable man's seat. These days I've learnt to appreciate that what padded shorts lack in style they more than make up for in comfort and, now we've done more than 1000 miles, my classy leather saddle ought officially to be moulded to my shape. However - this is not my breakthrough.

Argentina tends to categorise its roads as either pavimiento (paved), consolidado (packed dirt - often brown, occasionally yellow or brick red depending on the soil, fairly flat and not too troublesome), or ripio (sand, gravel, rocks, pebbles or some combination of the above). We finished the seven lakes route today which is very beautiful (see photos) but the roads were variable and the whole lot was very hilly. Uphill ripio requires total concentration - you skid or slide about half a dozen times with each rotation of the wheel, and it can be a lot better or a lot worse depending on which section of the road you choose. This requires total concentration and starts the zen-like process, clearing your mind of all other thoughts.

The end of the ripio!!

Maximum meditation however occurs on downhill ripio. Pob disagrees with me on this one and says he felt most comfortable today whilst owning downhill ripio, skiing style. In my view, possession doesn't come into the ripio equation and it's more about an acceptance that the combination of you, your bike and the ripio will get you where you need to be. There are moments while zooming down steep ripio when I feel braking will be dangerous, or I'm following the wrong line with tons of rocks in the way each trying to send my bike off course. My big breakthrough was a subconscious acceptance that bikes basically want to go in a straight line whatever rocks you bounce over (just check out those dudes who ride with no hands on their handle bars). The other major factor in making me chill out and relax a bit is that the only suspension my bike has comes from my knees and elbows - so the rest of my gets the smoothest ride when they're in zen-mode.

So that's ripio meditation for you. I'm also preparing a post on wine (with pretty pictures) but that can wait for now. Good night all.