All The Glory

rocd_a

Road racing has the long climbs strewn with screaming “tifosi,” and cross racing has throngs of drunken hecklers in muddy Wellington’s but sadly most mountain bike races are often void of such passionate supporters. So seeing these photos from the 2013 Roc d’Azur in France with thousands of spectators along the climb was pretty cool. I’m content to get a “nice job” from a lone spectator at the top of a climb, so I really can’t fathom making my way up an ascent with literally thousands of people screaming at me.

Continue reading

Better Than Nothing

11426125934_7f1804c5eb_z

I’ve mentioned more than a few times that I have a road loop I call the Better Than The Trainer Ride. It’s  just what the names says it is; a ride that is better than the trainer but not much more. It can clock in at between 22 and 25 miles and is used when time is tight or the weather looks shit. After my second ski of the winter I realized a loop around Deerfield Park is about the same thing. NOT a ride by any means but it gets about the same thing done

Continue reading

Like It Or Not

11394360696_6366fd12b7_c

Prior to this past week, there were threats here and there that winter was coming, but it’s now official–despite what the calendar tells us– winter with all its teeth grinding cold and blustery ice and snow is here. I could complain about it, Nay! I WILL complain it about over the coming months, but when you get down to it, there’s nothing any of us can do about it, especially a sub-par blogger and mortal human like me. Winter is here and survival (both mental and physical) is key.

To survive, some will ride fat bikes, some will brave the icy pavement on road bikes and some (like me) will retreat to the woods on snowshoes and cross-country skis (no matter how lackluster their skills), to basements and garages to climb aboard stationary trainers, or to the humid crotch-like stank of the gym. Almost everyone will bitch about it at some time or another. Such is life.

Continue reading