"You Don't Ride Much Do You?"

Those of you who know me well know that I don't like rude people!! Especially rude people who I don't even know! Today my friend Neeley and I had a classic rude person enounter...usually I will confront the rude perpetrator but today all I could do was laugh. Here is what happened. Neeley and I were out on an early morning Mountain Bike ride on the trail that is close to my house. There has been a ton of rain lately so we haven't been on the trail in about 2 weeks and it was in pretty rough condition. We held our own though and I felt pretty strong as I rode up the hills, down the hills, and over the bumps, rocks, tree stumps, etc. Neeley hasn't ridden at all this year and since I'm usually the last one up the hill when I ride with the other girls, I was feeling pretty confident being the one who was waiting instead of the one trying to keep up! Anyway, we finished our ride and as we were heading back down the trail to the main road we saw these people waving their arms and yelling at us to stop just before we crossed a little bridge. We did as the asked as they frantically told us not to cross the bridge because there was a coiled rattlesnake, about a foot off the trail on the other side. Both of us thought, what's it gonna do, time our ride across the bridge and jump up and bite us as we pass? Seriously... So after a few minutes the people decided to turn around and go home. We decided to check it out oursleves. We walked a little way out to see where they said the snake was. It was no where in site so we decided to get on our bikes and cross. As a side not, I recently bought new "clipless" pedals and shoes. The kind where I clip my shoes onto the pedals and am attached to my bike. They are a little tricky to get used to but I haven't had any crashes or bails up to this point... back to the story... so we decide we are going to cross the bridge. I put my foot onto the pedal, clipped in, and as I threw my other leg over the bike, I lost my balance and totally bailed into a bush...yes that's right I was going 0 mph. I couldn't stop laughing but I felt so stupid, especially when Neeley asks, pointing behind me as I'm getting up and back on my bike "should we tell this guy about the snake?" Oh great, what guy? I turn around and here comes a big bellied 50 something year old man walking his dog. We told him about the snake so he decides to go infront of us and check it out. As he passes us he asks "You don't ride much do you?". Uhhhhh, what did you say? I gave him a courtesy laugh and asked "why, did you see me fall?" His response "yeah and I also saw you riding (here's the kicker) UP hill?" again, uhhhhhhhh what?? To those of you who don't ride, other than going fast (which today I was going faster than I ever have before) going UP a little dirt trail doesn't involve much skill, so how can you tell if we are experienced riders by watching us go UP hill? Maybe if he watched us going downhill, but come on! So at this point I'm a little irratated and embarrassed and thinking to myself, "did he just insult us?" So I cross the bridge--all thoughts of the rattler behind me--and say to the guy as I pass "In my defense, these shoes and pedals are new, I'm just getting used to them" and I ride off. There...I told him!So Neeley and I speed past the guy, go around a corner (he can still see us), and up a small incline (he can still see us) where the trail has been washed out. We have to find our own path and as I am roughing the terrain I come to a big crevace. There is nowhere to go so I slam on my brakes, the left a little harder than the right, and over I go. Yep, I did a header right over the handle bars. And, the rude guy who insulted my riding could still see me. I was dieing!!! I gave him a friendly wave, laughing hysterically, along with Neeley, and got back onto my bike. So, with my pride a little wounded I rode the rest of the trail without incident but concluded that maybe the guy wasn't so rude. Maybe he was just honest, giving me a little reality check, ya know humbling me.... cause in reality, the truth is that nope.... I don't ride much!!!