Junk Yard Wars

I had an odd dream this morning that I was participating in a "Junk Yard Wars"-like contest. We had to build a mountain bike and race it. Any of you who have really mountain biked or spent any time in a bike shop that specializes in mountain bikes knows that these are no Huffys. You have to pay $1000-1500 (and significantly more for some) for a bike that is even competition ready. Any thing less will ride, but the racer will be handicapped and possibly plauged with mechanical failures, something you don't want while screaming down the side of a mountain at 50-60 mph on 2 1/4 inch wheels.

So in the dream these guys were handing me pieces and parts from old beat up ten speeds. One guy handed me a frame that was so flimsy it wigged when you held it. I asked him why in the world he thought that frame was even remotely what we were looking for. His reply was that it didn't need to be that strong! So I asked him if he wanted to be the one riding it. Then he tried to recover saying that the frame would absorb the shocks. Yea, once, as it crumpled up like a ball of aluminum foil.

so we desided to weld our own. Build it from scratch. I know nothing about this process, but in my dream I sure did. It was kinda funky looking still. Next we had to find wheels and all the other parts. About then I started to wake up. When I did I realize just how dangerous it would be to ride a cobbled together mountain bike. It's doubtful they would gain any significant speed, or if you did you would have little to no control. Breaks would give out, chains would fall off, tires would blow, etc etc. None of those things would be good.

It wouldn't be so dangerous with a cross-country course, but that wouldn't be nearly as fun. lol