Sunday, July 20, 2008

Off Slope: Bike Trip Update

I'm trying to blog about my summer travels and experiences chronologically, but today was the first day of my bike trip in Nova Scotia and I know that many of you are wondering how that's going, so here's a tidbit hot off the presses.  

Headline News for today...I'm still here!  The hills of the Cabot Trail are intimidating and, yes, it's hard.  But I managed to stay the course today (literally) only stopping once to sip from the water bottle (that I forgot I had) and walking the bike up the last quarter of one hill.  Not too shameful, I guess.

The hills are a serious challenge for me and it's not just a matter of physical ability (although I could certainly use a large dose of that!).  My biggest challenge has been adjusting to the gears which are very different from the bikes that I've used before.  On the "hill in question" I made the mistake (and not for the first time) of clicking the gear with my forefinger rather than my thumb which shifted to a larger gear instead of the smaller one.  It was too late to change gears, so I lost most of my momentum as I peddled uphill and the bike slowed to a rather embarrassing crawl.  It finally got to the point that I had to either walk the bike or tump.  

Yes, I said tump.  You know, like, fall over sideways?  

I chose walking over tumping. 

So that was my first day...great trip-mates, amazing scenery, mockingly difficult uphill climbs leading to exhilarating downhills, one walk, but no tumping.  I can live with that!

They say there's a really big hill to climb tomorrow.  A really big hill? 

7 comments:

Steve said...

What in the world kind of word is 'tump'?

Anonymous said...

Tump: Noun 1.The broken remains of bicyclist found on the side of the road. Often found near top of steep, spirit-sapping hills.

Oh, wait, we aren't still playing Balderdash are we??

Anonymous said...

Steve, Bryan, I was going to write an outstanding explanation of the word "tump" including my hypothesis that the word derives from the Southeast Texas colloquial vocabulary of my childhood, BUT apparently someone at Merriam-Websters has already done that. :)

Check it out...

Main Entry:(2)tump
Function:verb
Etymology:perhaps akin to British dialect tumpoke to fall head over heels
Date:1967
intransitive verb
chiefly Southern : to tip or turn over especially accidentally —usually used with over (sooner or later everybody tumps over. Nothing to worry about if you don't get caught under the canoe — Don Kennard)
transitive verb
chiefly Southern : to cause to tip over : overturn, upset —usually used with over

How about that? :)

Steve said...

Amazing. I never heard it before.

The derivation of it would seem sensible to maybe be a blend of the two words 'turn (over)' and 'dump.' It also sounds similar to 'tumble.'

Rm said...

I'm glad you found that definition on tump. Here are examples for those that haven't heard the word used until your comment Kimberlee. "Don't tump your glass over!" "I leaned back in my chair and tumped backward." Lots and lots of uses for that good, old southern word. : ) Same can be said for watcha doin', dim there and usedacud. Not sure of the spelling on the last one. : )

Anonymous said...

Steve...
I have to admit that I was pretty surprised (and amused) to find it listed in the dictionary. I'm so glad that I could enrich your vocabulary as you've done so many times for me. :) (that's a joke)

Rm...
LOL! You're a nut. Thanks for making me laugh. :)

  said...

Cow-tumping?