Getting back on the wheel this season

[svenomous]

Hi all, it's been many months since I last posted (or even visited the forums), it's nice to be back.  Some of you may remember that last summer I took a fall on my work commute, had a fracture in my left elbow, and was sort of questioning my commitment and approach to EUC.  By the time my arm had healed (the joint isn't 100%, and may never be, but it's close), there wasn't much left of the riding season, but I did commute to work on the wheel a couple more times, using the new riding gear (essentially motorcycle pants/jacket).  The fact is, I didn't like it.  The gear protected me in various ways, and would've kept me from scraping off half my left butt in a similar accident, but I felt hot, awkward, stupid.  Soon the weather turned bad and fall/winter came along, so I ended up not riding the wheel for months.  It sat in the garage at 80% charge, accusing me every day.  I took it out 2-3 times to go around the neighborhood, just to "exercise" it a bit, and I did that with just helmet, knee pads, and gloves, and at low speed.

The weather's been slowly getting better here in Seattle, and I've had a few opportunities to ride.  Not to work, as I've been working from home since early March due to the social distancing rules, but maybe even better: I've been exploring neighborhood and area trails near my house.  There's a watershed nearby with a trail system, for example, where I can do 5-6 miles on walking trails.  Dirt, gravel, twigs, stones, and the occasional log embedded in the trail for erosion control.  Wooden bridges, transitions to and from asphalt.  It's been kind of fun.  The ground is softer and more forgiving of a fall, the speed is lower, and it feels more "technical" to ride the wheel than to just zip along at 25mph on asphalt, on the way to the next intersection.  I've been enjoying it, and wearing just kneepads, a bike helmet, and gloves.  Speed is usually in the 10-15mph range, with occasional bursts of higher speeds, maybe 20 or so.  I'll definitely be looking for more opportunities like this, especially once I can actually travel again and seek out some trails farther from home.  The 18XL is a good offroad wheel, with a relatively big and wide tire, and it handles most conditions with ease.  With "off-roading" maybe I've found my true calling in the EUC realm.

As for commuting, I do plan to do it again, but only on nice days, when I don't feel rushed, and at slower speeds.  I plan to wear slightly better equipment than I had on that day I fell, but not the full motorcycle getup.  Full-face helmet, better knee and elbow pads than the ones I wore that day and abrasion-resistant shorts.  Downhill will continue to be anxiety-inducing for a while, and will be done at very sedate speeds.

Anyway, hello again, all, and I didn't give up the fun, I just had to deal with some soul-searching, plus the long Pacific Northwest rainy season and the current mobility restrictions most of us are under.