Bike Washing Station

One of the niceties about a ride at Tsali is that it is fairly well developed.  There are camp grounds just by the trailheads.  Other amenities include bathrooms and most important a bike washing station.  This becomes especially important when riding the Left Loop as there are many creek crossings.  You will get a little muddy.  The rinse station includes a hook that allows the mountain biker to hang the bike by a tire and a hose with a spray nozzle attached.  After a ride it is common to see people who have also finished lined up to spray the mud off of their bike as well as their bodies.  The lower legs do get fairly muddy.  As a consequence there are a few old dirty stinky socks laying about the bike washing station that have been discarded by the owners.

It is these socks that got my attention while I waited for my son to spray off his mountain bike.  He was doing a meticulous job and was giving the task at hand his full attention.  I couldn’t help but wonder what those socks must smell like given the time they spent in the humid environment, continually moistened by the spray station, with someone’s fermenting foot sweat getting funkier as time passed.  I decided to flop one of the socks around my son’s face and wait for his reaction.  What better way to satisfy my curiosity than give someone else the chance to smell the sock.  This video link documents the occasion.  The lesson….keep an eye on your riding buddy when using the bike washing station or you may get a taste of the stink socks of Tsali.