Today’s ride took me all around north Seattle, but the highlight was riding through the University of Washington campus. I was practicing some “skinny” riding on the raised curbs by the entrance when a crop of trials bikes grommed on by. Little low-slung single speeds with no seats. I knew exactly where they were headed, because I’ve practiced moves there myself. I’m no trials rider, but it’s a good place to do wheelie drops and step-ups. The plaza outside William H. Gates Hall.
They did a few wheelie warmups and then began hopping around like jack rabbits, up on the walls and barricades and concrete rounds, jumping from one raised object to another. At one point they scoped out a fairly tricky move but backed off. “It’s doable, apart from the low clearance and, uh, the glass,” as one put it. You miss, you crash through the window. Not good.
I chatted with them a bit. The one on the white bike was a student at the U; the other three were students from Western Washington University in Bellingham. I asked if they rode Galby (Galbraith Mt.) in Bellingham, but no: They only do trials. But they knew bikes. The U.W. guy pointed at my bike and asked, “Is that ti? How old? Ten years?” Yeah, he nailed it. My Titus titanium HC hardtail is pushing on the big 1-0. He said he guessed from the fork (not quite 10 but old), the Chris King hubs and the King rasta headset. Sheesh, he couldn’t have been more than a teenager when I got my bike.
They put on quite a show, for about 15 minutes, then raced off to the next skillz set. Cool dudes, thanks for the highlights!