Every year we do our annual back-country bike ride I learn something new.

Back up the story - each year a group of 4 old-boy scouts including me reunite to do an NZ mountain bike ride for a week.  This year was in February and we did the Motu area (in behind Opotiki).

So what did I learn this time? Read on....

When you don't fall off your bike for a while you start to think you have it licked.  You seem to be pretty good at surmounting problem areas, tight turns, rocks on the tracks etc.  I've heard it said 'Pride commeth before a fall" - not sure about the pride in this instance but I sure had the fall!

One of our party was injured - fell down a slope and cut his leg.  Slowed him down.  I was delegated to ride on ahead and get the vehicle and bring it to the road head to pick up the team who would follow up slowly.

Somewhere down the track alone about 17K from the vehicle, I came off my bike - went over a river bank and landed in a dead tree perched above the rocks below.  Upside down, bike on top of me, foot caught in the bike, no one around.  What to do?

Rising panic!  But managed to extricate myself from the bike, climb down the dead tree, jump onto the rocks below and climb back up on the track then go down the tree and pull my bike back up.  I noted some cuts and bumps on the body, jumped on the bike and carried on.  Another few km down the track the bike gave up! Turns out the tree had damaged the hanger mechanism which the chain goes through.  Nothing left but to walk the rest of the way!

Did that - got the vehicle and returned to pick up the guys.  Big day out, totally stuffed!

What did I learn?

When you think you have it licked - do a reality check. Are you prepared for the unexpected? The old Boy Scout motto - "Be Prepared"

Don't go it alone - should have been two of us going and two left to follow slowly.

Relates to Biking as well as Business I reckon.  In business:

Craig