Last night was Meghann’s game night and she was hosting it at our house. So I needed/wanted to be gone for a couple of hours. I haven’t ridden my trail bike in awhile due to weather and the holidays, so I had plans to ride Norris. As usual this time of year, I was having a hard time finding the motivation to head off into the dark and ride solo. But the thought of game night pushed me to get it done. I parked, changed and started up the hill. As usual, within minutes I was glad I was there. I headed up Highpoint, down White Pine, back to Highpoint, down the Lake Loop, then out Lake View, back up Highpoint and down Ridgecrest. There is some kind of magic that I can preform on pedals that I just can’t reproduce on a dirt bike or in a 4 wheel drive truck. I found it while coming down Ridgecrest. In a right hand turn with a decreasing radius I applied the slightest English to the pedals with a shift of my feet. It enabled the bike to make the last of the turn without additional braking. That’s just something that can’t be done with clips and I’m not that good to have found that same magic with a throttle. I’m sure its there, but I’ve been perfecting this magic since my first mtb in 1989.