Nathan's second-hand bike was good enough to get him anywhere he wanted to go.
Nathan
's
second-hand
bike
was
good
enough
to
get
him
anywhere
he
wanted
to
go
.
Of course, it couldn't match Tim's in a normal speed race, but all the fancy gears in the world wouldn't get you up Black Mountain.
Of
course
,
it
could
n't
match
Tim
's
in
a
normal
speed
race
,
but
all
the
fancy
gears
in
the
world
would
n't
get
you
up
Black
Mountain
.
It was so steep in places that you had to get off your bike and push.
It
was
so
steep
in
places
that
you
had
to
get
off
your
bike
and
push
.
On this particular afternoon, the odds were all on Nathan's side.
On
this
particular
afternoon
,
the
odds
were
all
on
Nathan
's
side
.
First, he was stronger.
First
,
he
was
stronger
.
Tim had always been thin, but recently he'd started to grow so fast that his arms and legs were like pieces of spaghetti.
Tim
had
always
been
thin
,
but
recently
he
'd
started
to
grow
so
fast
that
his
arms
and
legs
were
like
pieces
of
spaghetti
.
As well as being considerably fitter than his friend, Nathan knew the shortcuts up prefix = st1 /BlackMountain.
As
well
as
being
considerably
fitter
than
his
friend
,
Nathan
knew
the
shortcuts
up
prefix
=
st1
/BlackMountain
.
So when Nathan accepted the challenge, he was sure he'd win.
So
when
Nathan
accepted
the
challenge
,
he
was
sure
he
'd
win
.
He nearly always did, in competitions with Tim.
He
nearly
always
did
,
in
competitions
with
Tim
.
That was what was strange.
That
was
what
was
strange
.
Tim was so competitive, and yet he wasn't any good at physical things.
Tim
was
so
competitive
,
and
yet
he
was
n't
any
good
at
physical
things
.
By the time the two boys were three quarters of the way to the top, Nathan was clearly ahead.
By
the
time
the
two
boys
were
three
quarters
of
the
way
to
the
top
,
Nathan
was
clearly
ahead
.
While the road zigzagged back and forth up the mountainside, in certain places, there were also vertical tracks, where water rushing down the slope in winter had bitten erosion courses into the soil.
While
the
road
zigzagged
back
and
forth
up
the
mountainside
,
in
certain
places
,
there
were
also
vertical
tracks
,
where
water
rushing
down
the
slope
in
winter
had
bitten
erosion
courses
into
the
soil
.
These had in turn been so overgrown by bushes and long grass in the spring that they looked like tunnels through the bush.
These
had
in
turn
been
so
overgrown
by
bushes
and
long
grass
in
the
spring
that
they
looked
like
tunnels
through
the
bush
.
The trick was to know where you could cut off a whole bend in the road by leaving the road and pushing your bike up one of these half-hidden pathways.
The
trick
was
to
know
where
you
could
cut
off
a
whole
bend
in
the
road
by
leaving
the
road
and
pushing
your
bike
up
one
of
these
half-hidden
pathways
.
If you chose the wrong one you'd struggle up for ten minutes and then suddenly reach a dead end.
If
you
chose
the
wrong
one
you
'd
struggle
up
for
ten
minutes
and
then
suddenly
reach
a
dead
end
.
Then there was no choice but to go back.
Then
there
was
no
choice
but
to
go
back
.
Nathan's second-hand bike was good enough to get him anywhere he wanted to go. Of course, it couldn't match Tim's in a normal speed race, but all the fancy gears in the world wouldn't get you up Black Mountain. It was so steep in places that you had to get off your bike and push.  On this particular afternoon, the odds were all on Nathan's side. First, he was stronger. Tim had always been thin, but recently he'd started to grow so fast that his arms and legs were like pieces of spaghetti. As well as being considerably fitter than his friend, Nathan knew the shortcuts up prefix = st1 /BlackMountain.  So when Nathan accepted the challenge, he was sure he'd win. He nearly always did, in competitions with Tim. That was what was strange. Tim was so competitive, and yet he wasn't any good at physical things.  By the time the two boys were three quarters of the way to the top, Nathan was clearly ahead. While the road zigzagged back and forth up the mountainside, in certain places, there were also vertical tracks, where water rushing down the slope in winter had bitten erosion courses into the soil. These had in turn been so overgrown by bushes and long grass in the spring that they looked like tunnels through the bush. The trick was to know where you could cut off a whole bend in the road by leaving the road and pushing your bike up one of these half-hidden pathways. If you chose the wrong one you'd struggle up for ten minutes and then suddenly reach a dead end. Then there was no choice but to go back.