Rising From the Orange Ashes

It was a day that Tyler won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Making the most of Patetonga clay that was drying into a tacky wonderland is one thing, but he found out (the expensive way) that there has to be a limit.

The Challenge

We were allowed to use this multi-time Nationals track despite having closed to club racing for the year, even after a wet start to the week. It was obvious we were cutting things fine but we had one hope of success- that we would get enough sun on the surface that we could safely work from our more experienced riders downwards. That meant Tyler stepped up to the plate first.

Showing the kind of commitment that his school teachers would probably dream of, Tyler fought setbacks and learned patience in order to master the ruts that had been his nemesis.

While I was working with my next student, Tyler was still practicing his ruts an hour later. Even in the next session as I helped two adults prepare for their trip across Mongolia, Tyler was building up to the event of clearing the tabletop for his first time, despite the conditions. I have no idea how much fuel he went through but it turned out the real cost came later.

The Result

Unfortunately the epic day took its toll on his bike. Whether water had finally gotten through the air filter or it had simply had enough, his bike stopped working on his next day of riding. Soul destroying as it was for him, the pain quickly turned to joy as Tyler was given a completely new bike just one week afterwards.

Of course it will come with the proviso that he learn from his mistakes- full commitment to riding is awesome, so long as bike maintenance gets the same degree of attention!