The Humps and Bumps of Single-Track Bicycling Seems to be Getting Bigger?

All pictures taken with an i-phone.
It is hard to make the pictures look as a steep as they are.
All the bumps I have ridden in the past.

                                                                  Taking pictures gives me a chance to take a quick rest.

Little rises on the single-track seem to be getting bigger and harder to ride up. The legs give out sooner, I chicken out a little sooner, and I like to ride when it is dry out. Getting older and training little, does have a few drawbacks.
Muscles that hurt after riding? Hmm? Legs both quads and hams, tris and biceps, lower back and stomach, hip flexors and butt, rota-tor cuff muscles and the hands. Who says that MTB does not use all the bodies muscles? If your hand eye coordination, and balance are not good, you are headed for a wipe out. I sure do not remember having those kinds of aches in a by gone era!

All pictures are were taken inside a city with a metropolitan population, of over a million people. In fact less then a 15 minute bike ride from my house are where the first pictures are taken.
The fall colors are beautiful so get out and enjoy. I am going to drink some milk, and take a power nap!

Bicycle Riding and Wiping Out

The other day while out riding on some trails that I have ridden in the past I made a mistake and ended up flying through the air with the greatest of ease. I was climbing a steep hill with a steep side slope to the right. My one leg that does not bend that well did not give me the power I needed, and my handlebars turn to the right and went over the lip just a little. I somehow ended up bailing on the left side of the bars fell down the hill about 6-8 feet before sliding down the hill on my butt. I used the arm to protect and fling the bike away from me. I slid several more feet as I squeezed my back muscles as I hit a tree with my back. Thankfully I was wearing a small day pack which helped. It was all in slow motion but there was nothing I could till I came to rest. My feet were uphill when I came to a stop. I swung them to the downhill side and scrambled back up the hill on all fours. My wife who was running ahead of me did not answer, as she did not know what had happened, and did not hear me call either.



The picture above does not show the steepness of the hill but this is where it occurred near the top of the trail.
As I get older I take less chances(chicken) and go on slightly easier trails. However if I do that what is the adventure in that though I do not want to get injured either. I may just have to get off and walk a bit more though I will still be sucking air as I walk up the hill pushing the bike. My children and wife tell me I am getting older and need to be more careful. It is so annoying to not be able to ride up or down hills I used to do easily. The muscles are weaker, the body less flexible, the body weight more, and fitness not as good. But it is so nice to get out and enjoy the nice crisp air and the smell of leaves and dirt, even in the middle of a million city population.