| Remember those little caplets that would turn into | | | | needed. Upon arrival Mark also had a bike fork |
| “dinosaurs” when dropped in water? | | | | pressed firmly into his thigh. * * * At the end of |
| I know of a person who is sort of like that | | | | the bike ride we went down a final steep section. |
| (though he didn't have the shape of a dinosaur | | | | We lost enough altitude going down this final slope |
| after the expansion, and I don't think it was just | | | | that we were able to zoom down it. This section |
| water that caused this transformation). His name | | | | was long enough to convince us that we |
| is Mark. Before about the age of 15 Mark was like | | | | could totally handle flying down it. If it were |
| the little caplet. He was small for his age. He had | | | | steeper, I think we would have slowed down |
| glasses that were about half an inch thick and his | | | | more. But, on this particular hill we just leaned in |
| hair always seemed to be rather disheveled and a | | | | close to our bikes and felt the air go past us |
| little greasy. In the middle of his teen-age years | | | | faster and faster. Due to our speed we spread |
| Mark remade himself, apparently as a sheer act | | | | out a bit, so that if someone fell there would at |
| of will. He became incredibly strong, capable, | | | | least be the possibility that the person behind |
| cleanly, and still amazingly nice. Once Mark | | | | them could avoid hitting them. Mark was the final |
| committed to something, he refused to betray | | | | one to come down the hill and we were able to |
| that commitment. It was this trait that allowed | | | | watch him flicker between the trees on his |
| him to change his appearance so much. However, | | | | descent. He was going fast. Then, Mark and his |
| in Mark this trait also created a level of honor | | | | bike charged behind one particular tree. When he |
| found in only a rare few. Betrayal was not | | | | appeared on the other side of the tree he was |
| an option for Mark. He stood up for what he | | | | no longer riding his bike. He was sprinting with all |
| believed. * * * Mountain biking was an excellent | | | | his might and leaning forward like someone who |
| pastime on the ranch. There were steep slopes | | | | couldn't quite keep up with their speed. * * * As it |
| that made it hard and eventually gave one a | | | | worked out Mark had hit a deep pothole in the |
| sense of accomplishment. There were also | | | | path. This particular pothole was so deep that it |
| forests to obscure one's totally embarrassing falls. | | | | was able to violently and completely stop his fast |
| To make things more exciting we would start our | | | | moving front tire. However, the pothole did not |
| rides from many different places on the ranch. | | | | stop Mark or the rest of Mark's bike. This resulted |
| Due to the size of the ranch, this meant getting | | | | in Mark and the back end of the mountain bike |
| places on the ranch with the bikes but without | | | | gracefully pivoting around the axle in the middle of |
| riding the bikes. Such an enterprise often entailed | | | | the front tire. Mark pivoted towards the ground |
| stuffing the bikes into the back of our 1992 ford | | | | at the same speed he had been biking. While he |
| explorer. As much as I liked this car it was not | | | | was looking straight ahead at the seemingly |
| quite optimal for bike transportation. Since there | | | | vertical earth coming at him Mark was somehow |
| were three of us we could put down only one of | | | | able to do a series of extremely helpful actions. |
| the back seats. We took off the wheels and | | | | Mark was able to get is feet out of the clips that |
| seats of the bikes and stuffed them into the | | | | held them to the pedals of the bike. Then he was |
| awkwardly shaped space that wrapped around | | | | able to get his feet up to the height of his |
| the one backseat. For some unfortunate reason | | | | armpits and over the handlebars of the bike |
| Mark always seemed to be the one who sat in | | | | (before these same handlebars collided with the |
| the back next to the bikes. As we bounced | | | | ground). From this awkward fetal position Mark |
| across the ranch the bikes tended to become | | | | was able to break into a full sprint. A sprint so |
| rather rambunctious. They would honestly leap a | | | | fast that few could have sustained in the best of |
| foot or two into the air when we went over hills | | | | circumstances. This sprint turned out to be just |
| and come crashing down slightly after the | | | | fast enough to prevent him from performing a |
| explorer itself did. It could be argued that this | | | | painfully unexpected cartwheel. I am not a |
| was, in large part, a result of the driving style | | | | completely ignorant man. I have watched the |
| employed. However, right now we are focusing | | | | Olympics and the world cup. However, this is |
| on the funny situation in the back seat, not about | | | | honestly one of the most impressive physical acts |
| the driver or on determining blame. The fact that | | | | that I have ever seen. It is so impressive partly |
| the bikes leapt into the air and moved towards | | | | because he did it completely without warning, and |
| Mark with ruthless force was regrettable. | | | | partly because it would have hurt so much if he |
| However, the real kicker was that when the heap | | | | didn't pull it off. * * * Mark slowed down at the |
| of metal landed it would lock together. One piece | | | | bottom of the hill with his bike far behind him. He |
| of twisted metal would loop over the next and so | | | | stopped and leaned forward, placing his |
| forth. This locking prevented Mark from pushing | | | | hands on his knees. After looking up the hill at the |
| away the attacking bikes and over time resulted | | | | bikes he looked at us and panted “Looks |
| in a continual loss of space to the bikes tireless | | | | like I got back at the bike for the car |
| invasion. By the time we arrived at our trail-head | | | | ride”.Thad Guy is a writer from northern |
| Mark had about half the personal space that he | | | | New Mexico. |
| stated with and about ¾ of what he | | | | |