T.I. machine takes a beating and keeps ticking

Jay built Salsa La Cruz

So I have been without a missing of a beat been outside all winter. I have been called crazy, stupid, insane and other names while going at it. But the goal of toeing the line with Charlie, Ek, the incredible Pramann, the Braun bros, my fellow comrades, and everyone else involved has kept me motivated. Riding with Hellmut has been incredible and a great delight.
Dealing with the snow, ice and horrid conditions has been a delicate situation. Always riding careful, not taking risks, no turning too quickly. The fear of a bad crash always around the corner and without warning.
So today the demons had their way. I saw the warming temps, the melting of the snow, the moderate winds as an opportunity to finaly pull out that T.I. bound bike. I won't be riding the Pugsley and the star studded Rockhopper will not be the other option. My possible bike would be the Salsa La Cruz that my friend Jay so carefully built.
I rode to work without effort as the Chris King hubs float and sang their angry bee song. The nitto noodle bars a comfortable perch for my tired arms. The new Rolls saddle, firm but right.
Hellmut was not convinced about riding tonight. He offered me a ride home since he had driven into school. For a moment I thought it might be a good idea to catch a ride, have dinner, do family time and then get out tonight and ride.
Of Course I made the wrong choice and decided to ride. My princeton tec eos light was low on battteries and my dinotte T.I. light had not been charged. The trail was mostly dry but some sections were covered in that nightmarish thin layer of what is known as "black ice". I rode gingerly picking the right lines in my diming lights. I gained speed for a bit and then out of now part of the field the tall La Cruz was coming down. Ari, the rider never got a chance to unclip and came falling down with the pony. My hand landed in soft mud, brain said: "great suface to land", then the elbow hit the mud as well, then the hip hit the mud, then the section below the knee hit the edge of the trail and the brain said: Bad effing place to hit the leg, might cause bad damage, then the whole rest of me made the ground shake as it all came to a halt.
I quickly jumped up expecting something broken, I shook and streched, I walked, immediately slipping again, my booties off the front of the shoes making me look like a clown. I saw all the winter work slipping away. I cursed my stupidity. I iced the area for a long time and it is sore, really sore, Tea, whiskey and some advil will help and tomorrow I will saddle up again.
My carbon-fibers free bike is doing well. It is covered in mud but nothing is broke. A testament that steel is real.

Watch out for the changes in the seasons. Ride careful, don't underdress as know is prime time to get sick.

best,

Ari