I went out tonight for my second ride on my new mountain bike, accompanied by Russell and his buddy, Bubba. Filled with new-bike exuberance, I committed the cardinal sin of night riding – embarking without fully-charged batteries. Consequently, both my handlebar light and my helmet light were running low by mid-ride. That I could have dealt with, but falling and tearing a 3″ hole in my jacket was a downer. Durn trees. Fortunately, Russell and Bubba didn’t seem to mind waiting for a spastic roadie. And riding the Tosa trails with someone who actually knows them was a blast.

UPDATE – I nearly forgot to mention the funniest part of the ride. At one point, while riding the new Harley trails north of Capitol Drive, we came upon a very startled beaver. Under the light of our three headlamps, he frantically scurried across a layer of ice that had formed on the near bank of the Menomonee river. Naturally, the river wasn’t completely frozen over, so he inevitably broke through the ice, to our great amusement and his probable relief.