I tried to get out early this morning for a dirt road ride, I really did. Sadly, my “early” turned out to be 9:45, and things were already starting to really heat up around Michiganderburgh. We get less than ten or so HOT days a year here and today was predicted to be one of them with temps going up into the low nineties by afternoon. Which if you’re from Michigan feels like you’ve been set on fire and thrown into a pool of gasoline.
For a multitude of reasons, I’ve put off getting new tires on the Superfly for months: lazy, cheap, not riding singletrack as much, not racing, etc., etc. I could think of a million excuses, but mostly it was due to laziness (and being a moron). I believe the rubber that was on the SF was roughly two years old and it showed EVERY SINGLE BIT of its age.
Every turn with the Bontrager XR1 Team Issue TLR 2.0/2.2 tires was a thrill, and a guessing game of Will I Go Down or Won’t I™? Finally, I parted with the cash and moved to the Bontrager XR2 Team Issue TLR 2.35s. There’s not a huge difference in the tires, but the added girth + the extra knobs ACTUALLY made me feel like I could take a corner and not eat dirt. That is pretty swell.
With the week pretty open and void of hours at the shop I headed out for another dirt road ride on the Boone today. This time I headed south of town with hopes of more dirt, less pavement, and a few more miles.
After several failed tries, I finally got back out on the Boone today for a dirt road ride. The last time I was on it (last Thursday) my ride was only about six miles long due to a broken spoke. Since then I have put the newly Napper laced rear wheel on, so today I was able to ride with a bit more confidence (at least until I break another one due to my expansive figure and muscular, thick thighs.
Thursday and Friday brought two days of crap dirt road rides on the Farley, and Saturday brought five hours at the shop followed by going to Ithaca to hang out for a couple of hours with friends at the 2015 8 Hours of Ithaca in the stifling heat that Ma Nature threw us. I was happy to have got out for rides on Thursday and Friday, but the were less than desirable. I was also OK with not racing Ithaca (that ship has sailed) and with not riding in the fresh turd like heat. However on Sunday I hoped to do SOMETHING of quality. Or at least as much quality as a 44-year-old man with an ever-expanding muffin top and a growing pork chop problem can muster.
After Thursday’s failed ride on the Boone due to a broken spoke and the subsequent fat bike ramble to salvage the day, I just went ahead and planned on riding the fatty on Friday. This was a wise and a stupid decision.
After working eleven hours at the shop on Wednesday and knowing that I had the next two days off, I had a plan for my Thursday: sleep in (8:45 AM) and get thirty to forty miles of fast dirt road riding in on the Boone before cutting grass, trimming some hedges, going for groceries, doing laundry and getting B off to his last night of soccer camp, after which he would leave to spend the night with some friends and teammates while I enjoyed some white trash Mexican food and a cocktail or three while watching pre-season footy.
Here is how that worked out…
After a slow and rainy day in the bike shop on Tuesday, Wednesday brought brilliant sunshine, clear bright blue skies and perfect summertime temperatures. The sort of day that you wish you were out on your bike, instead of waiting on customers. Luckily I DID get to ride. Well, sort of.
I am truly sorry Michigan, It’s all my fault. I went to western Pennsylvania and being the schleprock that I am, I brought the rain and sunless sky back with me.
Yesterday I whined about and mocked the rainy weather back in western PA. I also talked shit about how dry and sunny it’s been here in Michigan this summer. Well when you whine like that, and get too cocky, the referee of the cycling world–also known as Mother Nature– throws up a yellow card as a warning and to and let you know who’s in charge.
