A weather front moved through late Thursday night and brought a little bit of rain, and a some gusting winds come Friday morning. As I stood staring out at the bending trees in the backyard I had little desire to ride. However the prospect of testing out the Nikon D7100 I picked up was just the motivation I needed to sneak out for a quick spin in the wind.
What a difference 48 hours can make! My last ride was a short post-rain road loop in hot, steamy, humid, conditions and had me feeling like I was breathing through a straw. Today it was 65˚ at ride time with a cool breeze coming from the north. Once I started sweating–which given my girth takes about two miles–I actually got sort of cold. At least for bit.
The life of a crap cyclist is all about choices. These choices can make or break even the crappest of planned rides.
Wifey’s family was coming into town on Thursday, so most of my day was doing husbandly duties relating to their arrival that evening, Dad duties with B-Man, and little–OK nothing–other than my physical therapy session in the way of working out. So Friday was going to be a make up day, right? Umm….
When the birds and sun woke me up this morning at four-fucking-thirty A.M., all I wanted to do was sleep. Then it started to rain, the birds shut up, and the sunlight went away. So I slept, and it felt gooooood!
With another failed attempt at riding singletrack in the woods on Saturday, I left the idea for a while and set off on the Boone Sunday morning for a dirt road ride from the house. I hadn’t even made mile, and I had already run into three other cyclists. That was pretty sweet.
Of course I hadn’t even made it five miles when my rear tire started making an unusual noise. Actually, it’s wasn’t that unusual of a noise for rear tire on its way to being flat. Shit balls!!
I had planned on a ride at MMCC on the PrOcal on Friday, but in the end opted to put that off until Saturday, save some time by just heading out on the dirt roads for a couple of hours. The ride had a little bit of everything: sun, dusty roads, wet brined roads, sluggish deep dirt slogs, head winds, tail winds, and broke things.
It seems if there’s one thing I know how to do well, it’s pile up junk miles. Rides with no purpose other than to burn off a few beer calories and take pictures. I won’t be setting any distance records, and I won’t be getting back into any of those jeans I have stored away just in case I ever shed those 3o extra pounds, but I am getting outside on my bike and scratching that time sucking, financially useless, creative itch that God cursed me with, so I guess that’s something.
My free time later this week is going to be filled up with B-Man school activities, house stuff, soccer practices, games, and my MRI appointment, so I figured I’d better front load this week with mile and then hope for the best as the week continues.
Sunday was a blissful day off the bike, fucking around in the pre-summer, holiday weekend sun. Late afternoon Wifey, B, and I headed south of town for a picnic with some friends. They live off one of the dirt roads I ride on often and it was a picturesque setting for a cookout. On one side of their house was a never-ending field of recently planted soy beans, and on the other was a wheat field. We had beers, grilled chicken, talked, had a bonfire, and goofed off. It was pretty darn next to perfect.
For some reason I had fitful night of sleep on Sunday (bad gas), and woke up Monday craving more and more sleep, and wishing my gut could rid itself of all that Texas Caviar I ate. In any event, I was happy to have the Memorial Day holiday to chill and get out on my bike.
I thought about driving up for another go at the MMCC trails, but was in the end was content to hang ’round the house for a bit, make some French press coffee, and then head out for a local dirt road ride.
The wind was blowing pretty steady from the west, and those first 8 miles westward were a taint-grinder, only made slightly easier by being all on pavement.
Once off of pavement, the next 17 miles would be all dirt and gravel roads featuring not-s0-bad cross winds, blessed tailwinds, and more than a few cows out munching grass in the Memorial Day sun.
The just over 30 mile loop I did has become my go-to road loop from the house. It used to be roughly 35 miles, but then we moved out of town, and four miles of paved town riding was eliminated. I keep saying that I’m going to make up those miles somewhere out on the dirt, but have yet to really do it. My slack is strong.
Once home it was time to chill on the porch with a beverage or three, watch no cars drive by the house, and listen to some tunes before throwing some chicken thighs on the grill, roasting some asparagus, and cooking up some homemade mac and cheese.
It was a really good holiday weekend, and a great way to kick off Summer 2016.
Later.
