Life.turns Lament to lost activities 2

Alternative title: Mountain biking, off-road going nowhere fast

I realised after I posted my blip on Wednesday, that there are several lost activities to be lamented.

I'm not sure I'm fully lined up with Morph in the life.turns upload screen, so sadly this entry may be rejected. I'm not sure I can face another hour long session of setting the self-timer, rushing to mount my rusty steed, and then trying to assume the correct position: only to find that my head is out of shot etc. I could ask Wifie to help, but I'm not sure she approves of these obsessive behaviours that Blipfoto is inciting in me. There's a strange pale patch in the grass that has somehow been generated by the camera that I didn't notice till I had uploaded this.

Unlike caving, mountain biking hasn't been lost because of my undoubted increasing age and decrepitude. It is an activity that can continue until a ripe old age. But continuing enjoyment perhaps depends on having the right equipment.

I have had this old Trek mountain bike (note that make, Lance Armstrong won 7 Tours de France riding one of their bikes) since several years BC*. I really loved riding this bike off-road in the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, hurtling down hill on bouldery tracks, and huffing and puffing back up again to have another go. It was good fun even on road, and even with its fat tyres, it was possible to get 40 MPH out of this when descending the steep road from Gummers How down to the Windermere Road. Falling off at that speed was not an option, and fortunately didn't happen too often.

Modern mountain bikes come equipped with suspension on front and back wheels and with powerful brakes to save you before you hit the massive boulder that has appeared in your way. My old Rocinante here has no such luxuries, it's an old bone shaker, and my bones are old and ripe for shaking. Worse than that if I fail to see the hole in the track, the impact in the undercarriage area can be extremely painful and manhood threatening.

After cycling to work a few times I found I had a persistent ache in an unmentionable place, that really didn't feel very healthy. Mind you, that possibly had something to do with the tight, padded Lycra shorts that I was sporting. I tried to find the Lycra shorts for use in this shoot in my wardrobe/props department. It looks like Wifie may have discreetly disposed of them. So I had to wear my old climbing shorts instead.

Anyway, my mountain biking activity gradually tailed off, and now my bike lives in the cellar.

I'm not giving up on Mountain Biking, but I am giving up on the Trek except as a static training bicycle.

The state of the lawn is even more shameful than last Wednesday, I'm afraid. Still waiting the window of fine weather to get the mower out.

Now what other activities have been lost.....?

BC = Before Caroline

ps I am aware that Teamdel has posted something similar. It is very difficult to be original in this life.

pps there are other less frivolous pictures posted here

Afterthought: goodness, I look a right idiot