Prez Sez

lL@ JP> ({j({]) NlIJP>lLIETIE ~~~

We finally did itl It has taken somewhere in the neighborhood of three full years and over a 1,000 man hours, but BUMP did it. We have carefully connected the BUMP mountain bike trail near the north trail head of the Red Trail at Oak Mountain. We now have approximately 17 miles of trail, eleven of which is fantastic single track and this is an accomplishment of which everyone should be proud. Ken Hester, Bill Garrett and Bill Harrington are to be especially commended for their years of toil, not only in designing the trail, but in the three year long negotiation with the park to receive permission to build the trail in the first place. I was one of the 25 to 30 volunteers who tumed out to witness and help finalize the project at the April work-day. We also knocked out a much needed reroute in the section between the R.C. Track and the 'Cabin Road (named Chimney Sweeps) and it rides high and dry. Now that the loop is complete, we must continue our efforts toward maintaining the trail in the face of increasing usage in order to keep conditions of the entire trail up to BUMP standards. 56 was the record number of individuals who attended our April BUMP meeting. It was a nice surprise to see so many people interested in BUMP's efforts in the surrounding communities. Please continue making your comments and suggestions. Thanks to William Owens of Homewood Cycles for his presentation of their fine equipment and accessories. William rolled in some sporty bad rides and gave us a quick lesson on the performance of different tires for different riders in different trail conditions. Our May guest will be Earl Hall with River Oaks Cycle. Also thanks to Jentfer Jackson ...you know ...our shy, soft spoken, reserved and unopinionated V.P., for hosting the April Open Steering Committee meeting. We listened to Abba's Greatest Hits real loud. dined on a lovely spring medley of pasta primavera, talked about mountain biking some and had a fine time. Be sure to check the Calendar of Events for times and locations of various upcoming events ... .! can smell a pool party in the not too distant future. HUGH, THE LEADER

DIIP

TjfOU{1jfTS
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It so often seems that things are important that really aren't. A healthful perspective is almost impossible to gain and keep in our status driven world. This superficiality almost makes me crazy and the only solace I find is that my mountain bike is better than everyone else's.

Q$~$$fplrrzfl
by Hedda Rockhopper

What well known Woods Walker ...perhaps even the Dark Wizard himself, was encountered on the Trail Of The Bicyclers Of The Mountain by a humble and devoted subject of The Kingdom Of Oak Mountain and honored hero of The Bicyclers Of The Mountain as well? I must retell the following as overheard by a certain Enchanted Nosey Troll. The Dark Wizard Of The Woods Walkers (whom it is alleged to have been) was heard to proclaim in his low, creaking, ominous voice... "Would that the Devastating Judgement Of Nature had wreaked more damage upon the trail of The Bicyclers Of The Mountain." "Why would you pronounce such an oath, oh Dark Wizard," cried the Bicycler Of The Mountain in alarm and dismay. "I curse this trail and all who ride upon it...there are too many Bicyclers Of The Mountain in this small kingdom, and in all the world," the Dark Wizard breathed foully. ''Why, Dark Wizard, we Bicyclers Of The Mountain built this trail ourselVes so that you and your Woods Walkers would have all the very many other Enchanted Miles of Trails to yourselves, and still you are not appeased." The Dark Wizard curled his rancid lips into a chilling snarl and hissed, "The Great Wizard Of The Dark And Whiney Woods Walkers has a right to his own opinion." And so, in fact, he does.

~lli@

GR I N D E R

WILD EILL S
I

ELUE:BS
" Tec::hnoween,es rtnonymous rt'ternat,ve
I've noticed a direct correlation between my lust for the newest and trickest bike parts and the amount of time I spend reading the magazine, Mountain Bike Action. This holds especially true when it is the off season and I'm spending little or no time on my mountain bike and lots of time indoors. One cure for the compulsive technoweenie is to participate in Technoweenies Anonymous, a new organization formed to help cyclists to get back out on the trail instead of perusing MBA's mail order ads. Another cure for this disease (and the onc I choose) is a subscription to the new mountain bike magazine BIKE. Although published by Surfer Publications, BIKE magazine is sort of like Outside does mountain biking. This new mag focuses on the experience of mountain biking, the essence of the sport, and pushes the technical aspects into the background. Besides well written and often humorous articles, the magazine offers stunning photography. Rather than inspiring you to check your credit card limit to see how many more new parts you can afford, BIKE will inspire you to ~t out and ride! It is money well spent. Call 1 (800) 289-8983 for subscription informa tion.

Dazed and Con,used

...for so long that I'm (black and) blue ...wanted a sweet singletrack ...llel'er bargained for you. By Bob Bruner
I recently went on a BUMP ride where, in the middle of a major uphill climb, several riders congregated to re-<Jxygenaleand re-hydrate. It was during this impromp.u gathering that conversation turned to tlle monthly BUMP meeting. There was some grumbling about how the "Show and Tell" at the previous meeting seemed to be a waste of time. One rider was disgruntled about the silliness of what new gear is on tlle market., what clothing has excellent wicking qualities with less bulk and more pxkets, and what new trail-blasting caj)lbilities the new "Mudslinger Tech 20CfJ" bike has in store for those wtlo can afford iL Well...suffice it to say that I let my alligator mouth overload my jail-bird bUll as I promptly retorted that it was like "Biking 101". I mean, I sure can't afford a "Mudslinger Tech 20CfJ", which, with that kind of price tag must mean that it had been hand-rutted, underwater, by sea nymJils. Talk about a custom set of bells and whistles! And since I do a little camping, I know something about the benefits of layering clothing, using new high-tech "hy!:Jid-poly-therma-du-pulator" fabrics, and so on. I've even got water -repellent tote bags to put all of that stuff in. I mean, you can't tell me about being prepared, because I am. So what if [ can't find the one blasted thing I need once it's in the bag. I may nOl have tlle best, but hey, check out tllC poundage [!:Jought for a half day ride. About a week later [ started thinking ...maybe I should have spoken differently. Obviously some people in BUMP ride at a different level than I do. Not to say that I don'l give it my all, but when I blow past Dr. Juan on an uphill, and then the Doc cranks past me on a more elevated section of that same hill (Ouch! Ego check-out is imminenl mr. b.), I realize I'm nol riding smart. To ride sman, you have to have a knowledge base. [know about target heart rales, optimization of energy, and all that stuff. I just didn't know enough to make a wise, intelligent choice. I blasted, then bonked, while Juan patiently bided her time and cranked when necessary. I realize I've gone to O1ina and back to make my poin~ but here it is. There are some of us in BUMP who are new to tllis wonderful sport and we're green to the gills. So, let's admit it I apologi7.e to all of you whom I could have stood up for, rot didn 'L There are plenty of things about which I have no clue, such as gearing, deraileur adjustments, pros and cons of clipless pedals vs. toe-clips ...to front shock or not to shock, etc...etc...etc... (who is this Ned fellow? Juli Furtado?.Jock queen I suw;Jse.) The solution to my problem, is asking more questions and speaking up when necessary. I aweciate the rider who obviously has a higher mOWllainbiking apilllde, and concede that some of the things he saw and heard at that meeting were redundant for him, but I also know that a lot of others in the Club have the same problem as I. We, need the knowledge. I would like to suggest that the "green-horns" in the group get together to discuss issues about which they have little or no mKlerstanding (you know, kinda like "Biking 101'') Also, I would a[l1J()stlay out a small wager that there are some kind souls in BUMP who wouldn't mind answering a few questions, as they certainly don't want "good intentioned" mountain bikers cranking blindly over hill and dale, peddling with dumb luck,likening to tlle image of lemmings to the sea. Maybe after tlle monthly BUMP meeting, we could shanghai an unsuspecting mentor to sit with us while dining and pick their !:Jains right there at the table. Or, we could make it a point right before scheduled rides to take a few minutes to ask and answer questions. I've heard of osmosis, but [can't say that anything of great importance has ever just seeped into my !:Jain without a little effort on my part I can read all of the tech articles in the biking magazines, but sometimes it takes just asking for an answer in layman's terms to make everything gel.

TREAD-The

Movie

TREAD is the first attempt to create a film for mountain bikers, similar to those that have been produced for years for surfers, skiers and snowboarders. Having rcad the TREAD was being patterned after the 1960's surf classic The Endless Summer, which was a bout a small group of surfers traveling around the world searching for the perfect wave, I was eagerly anticipating TREAD. Unfortunately this new movie does not live up to the promise of The Endless Summer as it is more like an MTV sports program. During many of the riding sequences I was never sure if the riding stars, Hans Rey and Greg Herbold were riding right side up or upside down ... or if the photographer was standing on his head. Between the action sequences, the dialogue between the two stars was mostly unintelligible because Rey has a heavy accent way beyond Schwartzenegger's and Herbold talks mostly in code. Still, I would recommend seeing TREAD. After all, it is a first attempt at a new film genre and it may be that I'm just a little too old to appreciate some of the MTV style camera angles and film editing techniques.
l3illlIarrington, P.O. l30x 235, Poncha Springs, CO 81242

GR / N D t R

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Dr. Juan Saxon on Sh in Splints
I don't know much about shin splints, it's not my area of expertise and I don't have time to look it up ...but I recently attended an important medical conference in Orlando, where I walked and walked and walked for two days straight all over Universal Studios and Sea World. By the third day my shins were so sore I had to go shopping at outlet malls. Luckily I had cruise control for the drive home or else I would've had to fly home and ship the car. But as it happened, as I stared absently down the endless stretch of lonesome highway, I became an unwitting vessel (as humans often do) to the revelation of profound truth ...the truth about shin splints. Now what does all of this have to do with mountain biking? First of all, I will admit what you already know-that is, cycling rarely if ever causes shin splints (painful inflammation along the anterior aspect of the lower leg secondary to vigorous or prolonged dorsiflexion of the foot and ankle). But, perhaps an analogy will enlighten you? Does a man have to have PMS to be greatly affected by it? I haven't done a study on this and nobody else has either, so far as I know. So the following hypothesis is completely scientifically unsubstantiated. Veracity has never been the primary foundation for my opinions, therefore, I'm perfectly comfortable in asserting that the condition of shin splints directly causes the following side effects: bad mood, poor attitude and general grumpiness. In order to understand what motivates the mind of a person afflicted with shin splints, you have to walk a mile in their shoes ...so to speak. So this is how I see it. It has been hot all summer and I haven't been out to the park for a couple of months. But, the first crisp day of autumn, I hit the trails singing Valderie, and walk and walk and walk and overdo it until I can barely make it back to the car. And as I'm hobbling down the Red Trail, happy, fit bikers who have been riding all summer despite the heat and bugs and snakes, glide by cheerfully saying hi-and it pisses me off. Then after staying in all rainy, cold, grey winter, the first pretty day of spring I go out to the park to take on the trails and walk and walk and walk and overdo it until I can barely make it back to the Red Trail, where I am again subjected to the light-hearted greetings of fit mountain bikers who have been riding all winter despite the cold. It would annoy you too. So now you see how we as mountain bikers are now and will always be affected by shin splints. Be kind when you encounter those on foot...just try to ride the extra mile.

THE
STfiUCiCiLE
By Quinton Young
There I was caNing off-camber CUNes on tight singletrack heaven. My brightly polished machine answering and taming the toughest of the root and rock infested path. Thiswent on in a seemingly endless balance of muscle and metal, mile affer mile, day affer day, encountering no other but the specific need of my inner-self. Strangely, my willingness to continue was interrupted by a presence so sinister that I had to probe my memory to reveal its true nature. Was this my destiny to have the very fabric of my singletrack soul torn away by ... ? ..Continuity was my dream. Surely a truce must be called with my consciousness. Slowly reality addressed this sinister presence as my own lack of constraint. Appreciation for my dominion resulted in a new awareness, a manifesto was in order. Greed would be replaced with an inherited commitment, placidity would be achieved by finesse. Consideration would entwine enthusiasm which would lead not to a terminus but, to a continual loop of singletrack heaven.

CAHABA CYCLES T SHIRT

TO ANY B.U.M.P. MEMBER SPENDING $50 OR MORE IN OUR NEW HOOVER STOREI .... AND DON'T FORGET YOUR CLUB DISCOUNT.

FREE
822-6600
OFFER EXPIRES MAY 31,1994

1927 HOOVER COURT HWY 31

~CAHABA ~CYCLES

ODe or
America's Top 100 Bicycle Siores 1988-1994

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BROKEN BONES
Since the first of the year, there have been at least six incidents of MOUNTAIN BIKE RELATED BROKEN BONES OR SEVERE INJURY on the trail. requiring a rescue team or paramedics. This does not include the at least two broken collar-bones this spring that riders have not reported to the park. The following are the injuries that have occurred in the last two weekends alone Saturday, April 23rd: North trail head, lower portion of Red Trail, male rider, broken hip, was wearing a helmet. Saturday, April 23rd: North trail head, lower portion of Red Trail, female rider, broken elbow, no information about helmet. Saturday, April 30th: Johnson's Mountain, top straight-away, broken femur, was wearing a helmet. male rider,

111It IV ID A\ '0 /~/12/11/~ A\ /12S ~

pWally Retan President of Birmingham Bicycle Club Member of BUMPas of April '94 "Is this the new trail they built for bikers?" Anonymous hikers on the last section of the BUMPtrail that BUMP built for bikers

TORNADO
DAMAGE UPDATE
Park officials have notified BUMP that lumber contractors are already in the process of cleaning up the tornado damage at Oak Mountain. The removal of downed trees has begun at the front entrance has progressed about as far as the stable at this point. The clearing effort should speed up once the contractors are past the golf course. Not all of the downed trees in the BUMP Trail between the Canoe area and the RC Track are contracted to be taken. We plan to remove sections of the trees not earmarked for removal-anything beyond 100 feet from the road-this next work day., May 7th.

Good trail construction cannot overcome lack of good judgement. BUMP encourages all mountain bike riders to ride well within their abilities-because accidents do happen. Don't take the chance of spending the rest of the spring in a sling or a cast, getting out of shape and suffering life-long arthritis. Ride responsibly, and use your brain while you still have one.and wear a helmet!

ASK HUGHIE
Dear Hughie. I've been going out on wee~ends a lot lately and staying out late. Riding is very important to me so I go th< ,100 day whether I feel great or not. What are your recommendations for treating a hangover? Green in Graysville
DearGmen.

TRAILWORKDAY
THE LOOP IS COMPLETE!!!! Until the effort to reroute the Red Trail is under way, maintenance will be our emphasis. Our next Trail work-day Is Saturday, May 7th. Meet at the Park Office on Terrace Drive at 1Dam. Bring work gloves, water and a snack. The workdays for the rest of the year are: June 5, Sunday
July 9, Saturday October 9, Sunday August 7, Sunday Nov. 5, Saturday Sept. 10, Saturday Dec. 11, Sunday

Finally, ehhhh, someone asks me a question 1 can really ...well you know ... relate to. When 1ride with a hangover, 1 usually hang my head real low... and, uhhh, just ride in the back. 1 asked Dr. Juan at the last Grinder stqff meeting, shortly qfter receU;ing~r letter, and her ad.vi.se ...helped me a lot, that 1S ...thlS last weekend. Most importantly don't drink and drive. Eat something upon re~ming home from the, uh, uh, festivities. Then drink several glasses of water to rehydrate, and down an Alka-8eltzer. A couple of tylenol and a vitamin B bifore bed wouldn't hurt. Then get enough rest btifore attempting to get up. Eat somethingfirst thing, drink lots of water and no coffee. Take it easy on your bike atfirst, and you 'U probablyfeel great by the end of
the ride.

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GR I N

D ER

[Yak @/Ji [yuu;t

by Bill Harrington
Singletracking. That is what really hooked me on mountain biking. Singletrack forces you to concentrate on the matters at hand, or should I say, directly before you. The trail demands your attention. When I first began singletracking, I quickly discovered that I could leave work, a basketcase of frayed nerves, go single tracking for an hour, and come out of the woods with my mind fresh and clear with a grin on my face. My worries left behind me ...alongside the trail. That to me is the real beauty of singletracking. It is therapeutic. It forces you to concentrate. It forces you to forget everything else. You can think of nothing but your body, the bicycle and the trail. It is meditation. And when you ride well, your body, bicycle and trail becoming one; and you move down the trail like flowing water, smooth and flUid; the feeling is unbelievable. And I had access to this nirvana only miles and minutes from my house. Thirty miles of trails, with over twenty miles of singletrack in a beautifully wooded state park. Trails winding along rocky ridge tops passing beautiful overlooks. Trails deep in damp hollows near rushing streams. Long climbs and descents; swooping singletrack; rocks; roots and logs-all to test my budding bike handling skills. I entered this Garden of Eden with all of the innocence of Adam. I thought all of this was mine and all I had to do was ride, ride, and ride some more. What I didn't understand was that like the earth, I had dominion (stewardship!) over the trails. Unfortunately I and my fellow mountain bikers at the state park didn't understand this responsibility. So when Eve came into the state, tempting us with the apple of racing, we eagerly partook of the fruit without thinking of the consequences. I had tried racing at a regional NORBArace held at another state park and had quickly learned that the demands of being competitive at racing would destroy the Zen aspects of my mountain biking so I abandoned my racing career in favor of "soul" biking. Still, when a NORBANational was held at the same state park just a few weeks after the regional. I was there to cheer on the pros, eager to see them in action and I was not disappointed. They were awesome! The follOWing fall, an enterprising mountain biker in my local community decided to promote a regional NORBArace at my home state park, my little nirvana. Although my attitude about my racing career had not changed and despite the fact that the local hikers were grumbling about mountain bikers disrupting their little piece of heaven, I though a race on my favorite trails would be cool. I wanted to see how well racers could negotiate the ups and downs, rocks and roots that I faced on a regular basis. As luck would have it, the day of the race was a great

flood. There was no ark and the race went on in the mud, rain or shine as scheduled. The hikers were not impressed. As a matter of fact, they were ince~sed. They were also galvanized into action. Little dld we know that the State parks Commission was still smarting from a failure of the NORBA National promoter to clean up as promised after the big race at the other state park. So when confronted with an angry hornet's nest of hikers complaining that mountain bikers were tearing up their trails (a smoke screen to regain their solitude), the Parks Commission qUickly agreed and before we knew it we were history on the single track in the park. And my little nirvana was gone. And you know who we had to blame? The hikers? No. The racers? No. The park oITicials? No. We, the mountain biking community, were to blame. We failed to take responsibility for our actions. We failed to do out share to take care of the trails. We failed to establish a rapport with the park officials and the hikers. We had failed to show that we were responsible trail users who could be counted on to help out and to be considerate trail users. All we had to do was look in the mirror to see who was to blame. Ourselves! It ONLYtook three years of persistent and often frustrating negotiations with the park officials to regain access to singletrack in the park. There was one little caveat, though. The hikers were still adamantly against sharing their trails WiU1 us so we had to build our own trail, subject to the park's approval, a little piece at a time. Now after almost another three years and countless man hours of volunteer labor, the new singletrack is finally complete. And you know what? We still don't have as much trail as we did six years ago and we still have to share our trail, the trail we built. with the hikersl For a fraction of the effort it took to regain access to the park and to construct the new trail, we could have held on to the original trails. That is the value of being responsible. That is the value of being proactive. And that is the moral to this story. -li<-

HAVE A BIKE BUILT JUST FOR YOU

cO
SMOOTHER
JOHN HODGKINS (205) 324-0235

BIKES

1910 11th St.. So. Birmingham. AL 35205

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GR I N D E R

[alendar of EventS
May 7th-Saturday 1Dam. Trail work-day at Oak Mountain. Meet at Park Office on Terrace Drive, bring gloves, water and a snack. May 8th-Sunday 7:30am. BUMP Ride to Kentuck. Meet at the Olive Garden near Eastwood Mall, leaving promptly at 8am. Call Chuck Whited, 956-3767. May 14th-Saturday 7:30am. BUMP Ride to Trenton, GA. Meet at the Olive Garden near Eastwood Mall. May 28th-Saturday 3:30pm. Ride and cookout at Oak Mountain. Ride first and cookout afterward. Meet at Picnic Area parking lot. Bring what you want to cook. Call Jack Bransdorf, 985-1233, or 933-6103. June 1st-Wednesday 7pm. BUMP Monthly Meeting at the Hoover Public Library, downstairs in the second meeting room on the left. Dinner afterwards. June 4th-Saturday. National Trail Day at Oak Mountain. Check the trail head "shrines" and the shops for information about BUMP sponsored activities and events. June 5th-Sunday 1Oam. Trail work-day. 9am. BUMP Ride to Rockford, Restaurant on 280. Call Jack June 11th-Saturday AL. Meet at LLoyd's Bransdorf at 985-1233. Carl Roberts Michael Pollard Sarah Patton Travis Fowler Connor McVey Jim Yealy Randy Carleton Karen Balliet Josh Burns Ken Pinkerton Thanks to our of Mountain look forward now numbers Steve Larry Wally Lisa John Tom Vicki Sam Kathy Mark York Stanley Retan Fowler Otto Meier Cosby Carleton Jovings Burns Wilcoxen William Summers Virginia Powell Josie Casey Deanna McVey Linda Meier Gail Cosby Michael Balliet Kim Jovings Marleen Pinkerton Paul Dvorak

new members for your support of BUMP, Biking in Alabama and of IMBA. We to getting to know you. Our membership

176.

(lJS 150
In keeping with the revelation that LSD (Long Steady* DislJlIlce)is great training for mountain biking, consider entering the MS 150 Tour For Cure, organized by the Alabama O1aprer of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; local comjXlnentof the National MS Cycling Series, which has recn selected as the "National Bike Ride" of the Bicycle Instituteof America and BiQ)'cling Magazine. When; May 21-22 (Saturday and Sunday), May 21, 8am at the Talladega Speedway. Registratioo at 7am. Where; The ride will begin at the Talladega Super Speedway and cover 150miles of backroads on Talladega, Piedmont and Jacksonville, AL. After the first day of cycling riders will stay at Jacksonville State University. All meals and overnight accanodations arep"Ovided. Why; Cyclists will collect pledges-so much money per mile covered or flat donation, to fund MS research and health related services f<X' the quarter of a million Americans with MS. The MS 150 Tour For Cure has become one of the premier cycling events throughout the country, and this local tour has grown increasingly succesful and popular. Each rider must raise a minimum of $150 in pledges. Brochuresare availablein all bike shqJs. *Cooection fmn "Slow" to "Steady" suggested by cyding fitness expertJohn McRee.

July 9th-Saturday 9pm. BUMP SUMMER COOKOUT / POOL PARTY AT HUGH THE LEADER'S HOUSEl BYOB. Call Hugh at 942-9128 to find out what to bring. Directions will be available at the June meeting and at bike shops.

RaDaS and ~altiyalS

May 7th & 8th-Nimblewill MTB Fat Tire Festival, Dahlonega, GA. Expo features Evian MTB Team, RockShox etc. Races on Saturday. Camping available. For info. call Steve Houghton (404) 952-7731. May 20th-22nd-NORBA National Championship Series Event#1. Call Barry Hair 987-8510. May 29th-Cow Chip Classic, Nances Creek, AL. NORBA sanctioned Cross Country race. Call 820-0736. July 18th-24th-Fat Tire Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado. Includes all types of races and events. Call Chuck Whited at 956-3767.

~Pe

rsonal

s(!

For Sale-BUMP T-Shirts are available again, only $1O! BUMP sweatshirts only $15. See Hugh or call 942-9128. For Sale-New 14"mountain bike with 24" wheels. Aqua and purple-cool paint job. Eclectic components including XT and LX. $350.00. Call John Hodgkins at 324-0235. Wanted-Ideas Promotional 969-6356. or connections for club and race sponsors. information is available. Call Barry 987-8510 or

Submissions
2834 South 18th Street
Birmingham, AL 35209

Write to: The GR I NDER City Office, 5401 9th Ave. S., B'ham 35212. Fax or phone Editor and Chief Hedda Rockhopper at 591-0990. Office hours-9am to 12pm.