MTN Biking

Scattered showers, 79 degrees, 95% humidity

This weekend I finally had the chance to get out of Abuja and see a bit of the natural wonders surrounding Maitama (our neighborhood) I've been tortured with looking at while not actually able to get to.  Lush, green hills surround Abuja and we are lucky to be able to see this scenery from our flat.  For me, however, it has been a tease, as more than looking at these green hills, I have wanted to be in them - riding, hiking, etc.   This weekend, my prayers were answered, or so I thought, by a couple willing expats who helped me get out on a mountain bike and up into the hills.

When I sent the plea out to the Abuja mountain biking yahoo group, I didn't anticipate many bites.  I was not only looking to borrow a bike, but also looking for someone to take me out and show me the trails.  I was pleasantly surprised by the quick turn-around.  This is when I should have realized it was too good to be true.  Not only did I have a bike to ride, but I also had a poor soul willing to sacrifice his Sunday ride to let the newbie trail behind.

The words I used to describe the ride to McKinley when I got home was "brutal" but "amazing!"  Being outside Abuja, cruising through small villages and shanty towns, on a mountain bike was one of the best experiences I've had since I've been here.  The complete exhaustion I felt at the end of the ride was also a welcome feeling I hadn't had in quite some time.  Yes, call me crazy, but I love the feeling of exhaustion brought on by a long/hard run, swim, and especially a bike ride.

This state of exhaustion would not have been possible, or maybe just nearly as severe, if it weren't for the lovely piece of equipment (notice, I've stopped calling it a bike) I rode - and sometimes pulled/pushed along side me.  The Ford (yeah, you thought they only made cars) was a real treat.  Weighing in at over 50 pounds, with a back brake that stuck and a front brake that didn't work, a rear shock that bottomed out every time I hit the tiniest bump, and flat pedals, the beast even boasted a disc wheel (you know, for aerodynamics) and a kick stand!  See picture below. 

Now, some of you may be thinking, what's wrong with that bike? I have one just like it in the garage, while others, who understand my love for cycling (and appreciation for quality-made bikes), are probably thinking  there's no way you would EVER get me on that thing.  The latter was my initial thought too.  Call me a snob, but I've never ridden a bike like it and was close to calling the poor soul that had signed up to ride with me the next day to tell him I wasn't going to be able to make it.  I told myself, however, "This is Nigeria and you are a volunteer.  You can't be picky," and decided that no matter how bad it looked (and felt), I was getting the chance to go out and explore.  THAT I couldn't pass up.

I don't think I can appropriately describe the brutality of the ride - climbing and then descending a total of 25 miles on pure steel with no shocks, faulty brakes, and flat pedals was draining and scary.  Not that the trails (or tracks) were technical, though in some areas completely impassable, but the combination of rutted out dirt tracks, slick rocky sections, and a decent down the road with okaddas, trucks, cars, gawkers, and walkers vying for the same limited road space, the trip ranks pretty far up there as one of the scariest mountain bike experiences of my life.  Also probably one of the dirtiest, though I can't say I was actually more covered in mud/grime than a typical ride, but that the mud and grime that I did have on me was a bit more disgusting. Though I'm sure not all of it was filled with poo, I know for a fact there was a good amount on the track as I, for the first time, was WA-WA'ed (a phrase I learned that day, meaning West Africa Wins Again) when poo from the trail was slung up on my hand by a passing okadda.  Thanks okadda driver!

While I can't say that I am ready to take the Ford out again, I really enjoyed the experience!  Riding through the green hills, the scenery would have been enough, but the people we saw were the best part!  In almost all of the villages or towns we passed, we were greeted by lots of waving, calling out of "oyibo," and even running alongside us.  Some of the kids that ran with us could even keep up!  Talk about a depressing moment - slugging my bike up the hill as an energetic little one runs beside me with his hand on my arm.  I think at one point he might have even been giving me a push. 

Needless to say, I am now on the hunt for a bike.  A decent bike is hard to come by so I'm hoping I can swindle an expat out of his/hers or find someone that's leaving and looking to sell.  Without a car, a bike would be my only means of getting out of the big city, and as many of you know, this is something I crave.  Now, if only I can find something a little nicer than the Ford.   

Church just off the track