Finally, correction, FINAL FUCKING-LY, a spring day to ride in. Today was the 2nd (?), maybe 3rd ride, of 2014 in just bibs and a jersey. It was bliss, but there’s more (there’s always more)…
Before I carry on, let me explain the cross that the modern-day blogger (me and like two other guys) bares…
- Most people don’t write blogs anymore (I’ve been going since 2005 for some reason).
No one reads blogs anymore.- No one reads my blog anymore.
- No one cares about a 42-year-old suck cyclist who used to be in shape and race (and suck at it).
- I enjoy writing, but I’m not very good at it. It’s like therapy. Deal with it or move on.
- How do you glorify things like a 41 mile road ride with 900′ of elevation gain? You don’t. It’s just bike ridin’.
Fuck it, I really don’t care if people read this blog or not, it’s my hobby, I don’t get paid, so I’m still gonna talk about my rides (even though there is nothing to talk about other than how I would have rather been at work earning cash to pay for/buy shit or sitting around in my PJs being forced fed meds in a mental ward, than on a road bike for no fucking reason whatsoever, but that’s another post.
As I said yesterday, I got the Salsa Campeon all gussied up for love-making (that’s riding to most folks), so I took it out for a 41 mile ride today in some blissfully warm temps. I was stoked from the get go on how good I felt. I was sure it was the tailwind and the “not that bad” cross wind I was getting for the first half of the ride (it was).
The first 20.5 miles were great. I was motoring along, feeling strong, pedaling up (small) climbs in the saddle that I used to have to get out of the saddle for and generally having a good time. (that’s what it’s all about, right?).
Sadly, the last 20.5 miles were good, but not AS good…
The pic above (taken only to illustrate the wind) was on a 1 mile dirt-ish connector road (more of a discarded paved road) heading east. Note the flag in the photo. Meh. I knew the next right turn was gonna suck and finally knew why I felt so good when I was heading north.
Truth be told, it wasn’t that bad. I guess I am finally a big enough lard ass that the wind isn’t that big of a deal. It sucked at times, but more because of the road conditions than the wind. When the wind did piss me off, I just thought of what I was doing last month: working out in the gym, riding the trainer or freezing my tits off. Riding in a warm headwind wins, every time.
At one point (Captain Obvious here), I passed a bison, buffalo, musk ox type thing farm. It seems that when I pass a farm that’s cue for the pig/chicken/cow/bison/buffalo/ox type thing to want to take a shit. Brilliant.
From and increasingly out of shape, fat man standpoint, I was pretty geeked with how I felt on today’s ride. Sadly when I came home and checked my Garmin files, I was close to 10 minutes off my pace from last August (the last time I did a road loop on my road bike). Fuck, I suck more than I thought I did. SURPRISE!!!
Oh well, I suppose a suck (according to the stats) road ride that results in a mild sunburn and sweat soaked glasses is better than not riding at all.
Later.