Washboard Run

I lined up my front tire with an exposed black drainage pipe half-buried in the gravel bed. Four inches of ribbed polyethylene rose above the stones, forming a rhythmic washboard incline. Testing high-frequency suspension damping on uneven ridges. I clicked down into first gear and rolled on the throttle. The knobby front tire struck the first trough with a dry, hollow thud. Fork sliders cycled rapidly, compressing and rebounding over each rounded plastic crest. The rear knobby dug into the grooves with zero lateral slip. I crested the final rib and brought the bike to a dead halt in the coarse grit. Balanced chassis. Damping verified.