An especially fretful Thursday night ride last week. Storm moving in and the clouds scudded across the night sky in shades of dark gray and moon-lit white. A nervous breeze rustled the dry desert brush, making it a tense ride for me. Climbing up the long grade, the powerlines moaned in the darkness as the wind swept the long cables. Alone and in the dark, I suddenly heard a thin metallic slapping noise. I looked towards the sound and only saw the power line transmission towers. The dark grey skeletons stood out in relief against the dark orange suburban sky. The sound persisted and I thought 'what could it be'? It came to me in an instant. The image of a loose metal "High Voltage" or SoCalEdison sign banging against the angles solved it. The sound faded as I eased up the hill.
Sarge passed me on his way down and I looked instinctively away from the HID's and continued climbing. A short while later by the ravine and I'm churning through the deep sand. A wooden thunk sound comes out of the brush. A little shot of adrenaline gets injected as I peer into the dark mass next to me. What the hell was that? I quicken the pedalling just a tad to descend the final bomb-run, but still look back and wonder. The canyon beckons and I drop the bike into a familiar rhythm in the dark. I'm floating behind the cones of light in a womb of darkness and being propelled into the city lights. Posted by STP a 47 year old Racer riding a K2 Razorpiggie from P'Dale on 03/13/06
FLOG FLOG FLOG Posted by Papisimo riding a Bike on 03/13/06
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Re: Night sounds
Are you crazy? It must be close to absolute zero out there in Ave P land! Posted by Pain Freak riding a Surly Turner from The 909 on 03/14/06
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Re: Night sounds
Papisimo named it. What you heard was a California desert flog lurking in them bushes. Posted by CFIT on 03/14/06
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Re: Night sounds
A wooden thunk????? Ya found my leg I lost at the last flog. Posted by USR on 03/14/06
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Re: Night sounds
I know Sarge gets pretty excited during your flog/love fests...
Here's my explanation: Sarge gets wood and slaps it into a yucca at 25mph down backside Coyote - that'd make a pretty good thunk ya think?
I'm just jealous I couldn't be there whaaahaaaa! Posted by FFW a 47 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a MPB from Palmdale on 03/15/06