Bridges

Well it's been more than half a year of neglect for ye old blog. And though I've written a few posts in my professional life, my home life has been sadly neglected.
And now I will resume blogging with tales of my favourite past time - mountain biking. I acquired this fantastic little helmet mountable video camera and took it on a mountain biking trip to the Coast.
My favourite thing about North Shore riding (and Whistler too) is the bridges. The happy clackity clack as you roll across cedar plank reminds me of getting on a roller coaster as a child. Or perhaps the Ewok village.
Bridges give you an opportunity to see how your balance is improving. It's commonly believed that gyroscopic forces keep your bicycle upright, but as this physicist expertly demonstrates this is not the case. You stay upright, by both balancing, and correcting for your terrible balance by steering. As there is only so much room to steer a bike on a narrow bridge, the only tool left is solid balance.
Sometimes bridges are very chilled out, and it's a relaxing ride along the boardwalk like the short but beautiful Devil's Club trail at Whistler Bike Park. The most dangerous moment is when I get attacked by a red squirrel at 1:07.

Other times bridges are tall and scary and you need to get your metal face on and commit yourself.

And yet other times, all you need is a little encouragement.

And while I could show photographs of my favourite North Shore bridges forever, perhaps you should just visit and come for a ride with me.