Helloooo Splendid Ones,
As I have mentioned 1000 times before I love biking. I don't consider myself a great technical biker, like skiing I love cruising on the blue runs and occasionally I will tackle a black diamond. Using the ski analogy further, here in Hong Kong the biking is either green, easy with a million novice, jittery bikers all over the trails, or black diamond, serious rough, with hardly anyone. Nice blue trails are few and far between. My friend and colleague Ryan Barnstable is definitely a black diamond mountain bike rider. He has led me on some of the toughest, most savage, most excruciating, most ridiculously difficult, most amazing, most scenic… well you get it, bike trips ever. Helga always says I should not over do it, but with Ryan, "over doing it," riding in the rain, going up and down impossibly steep hills, riding through narrow jungle trails, biking over rocks, tree roots, having wipe outs, flats, and five hours of continuous really tough biking/hiking, is normal. I love it! Yesterday we had our last bike ride together, for alas, he is heading back home to Saskatchewan, where he will teach in a small town. He wants his kids to have some wide open spaces, raising little boys is tough in Hong Kong, yet I have a sneaking suspicion that once January rolls around he may be having some second thoughts. Nevertheless I will certainly miss Ryan and the great biking trips we have had. Yesterday was great as we biked near Tai Ma Shan country park. We were way up in the jungle covered mountains that overlook Kowloon. Awesome! Thanks for the adventures Ryan!
Before the epic adventure. Ryan and bike look neat and clean here, but believe me after five hours and the usual flat tire, which after much experience Ryan can fix in 10 minutes, both bike and rider were muddy, wet, exhausted, but happy. As was friend (me).
Biking with Ryan is in reality a bike/hike. Lots of carrying bikes up and down steep inclines. Good for the upper body. Thanks Ryan… yeah thanks alot...
Biking in the clouds. We are so high up in the mountains that sometimes we are biking in the clouds. This is a relatively easy stretch. A blue run.
Off road. Through the jungle. There were also plenty of rocks to get through and around and over.
Down some slippery orange mud. Great views.
About to ride over a dam. "Keep of the dam face." read a sign nearby.
Awesome view. The island of Lantau, where Disneyland and the airport is in the background, underneath the cloud.
Another awesome view. Behind Ryan is Kowloon and Hong Kong.
Wildlife. A crab in the middle of the jungle. Huh? Isn't he supposed to be by the ocean?
Sopping wet from rain and sweat, exhausted, and sore, totally happy. High up in the hills of Kowloon. Thank God for jungles and hills and good health. And friends and bikes. I am very grateful.
As I have mentioned 1000 times before I love biking. I don't consider myself a great technical biker, like skiing I love cruising on the blue runs and occasionally I will tackle a black diamond. Using the ski analogy further, here in Hong Kong the biking is either green, easy with a million novice, jittery bikers all over the trails, or black diamond, serious rough, with hardly anyone. Nice blue trails are few and far between. My friend and colleague Ryan Barnstable is definitely a black diamond mountain bike rider. He has led me on some of the toughest, most savage, most excruciating, most ridiculously difficult, most amazing, most scenic… well you get it, bike trips ever. Helga always says I should not over do it, but with Ryan, "over doing it," riding in the rain, going up and down impossibly steep hills, riding through narrow jungle trails, biking over rocks, tree roots, having wipe outs, flats, and five hours of continuous really tough biking/hiking, is normal. I love it! Yesterday we had our last bike ride together, for alas, he is heading back home to Saskatchewan, where he will teach in a small town. He wants his kids to have some wide open spaces, raising little boys is tough in Hong Kong, yet I have a sneaking suspicion that once January rolls around he may be having some second thoughts. Nevertheless I will certainly miss Ryan and the great biking trips we have had. Yesterday was great as we biked near Tai Ma Shan country park. We were way up in the jungle covered mountains that overlook Kowloon. Awesome! Thanks for the adventures Ryan!
Before the epic adventure. Ryan and bike look neat and clean here, but believe me after five hours and the usual flat tire, which after much experience Ryan can fix in 10 minutes, both bike and rider were muddy, wet, exhausted, but happy. As was friend (me).
Biking with Ryan is in reality a bike/hike. Lots of carrying bikes up and down steep inclines. Good for the upper body. Thanks Ryan… yeah thanks alot...
Biking in the clouds. We are so high up in the mountains that sometimes we are biking in the clouds. This is a relatively easy stretch. A blue run.
Off road. Through the jungle. There were also plenty of rocks to get through and around and over.
Down some slippery orange mud. Great views.
About to ride over a dam. "Keep of the dam face." read a sign nearby.
Awesome view. The island of Lantau, where Disneyland and the airport is in the background, underneath the cloud.
Wildlife. A crab in the middle of the jungle. Huh? Isn't he supposed to be by the ocean?
Sopping wet from rain and sweat, exhausted, and sore, totally happy. High up in the hills of Kowloon. Thank God for jungles and hills and good health. And friends and bikes. I am very grateful.
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