Sunday, March 29, 2009

Just Trying to Sail By




Even though it is officially spring, as I am writing this as I am thawing out from an early morning slush ride. Sure enough, it is still snowing out there. Today I had a plan. The plan was similar to yesterday. Get out before it gets bad and if it gets bad while you are out there, well, you knew it could happen.

Yesterday it was going to rain, late morning to early afternoon. It was going to rain and be in the lower 40's. Being cold I can deal with, being wet can be very tranquil but when they are combined it is misery. Even through there was a ride that went out early in the morning I had other obligations and wouldn't be able to go out till 1.5 hrs after they departed. So I followed my plan to get out, ride tempo, hurry up the hills, and get in before the rain. Mission accomplished. 3 hours of riding on/off road fixed gear 42-16 and a drop off rain fell on my jersey. It was incerdibly windy though! I went to the store to buy some veggies and rain drops hit the windshield.

This morning. The plan was to get out and ride in the snow. Yeah it is snowing again. Ride easy and enjoy the snow but be back before it turns to rain. Hmmmm. I woke up and started riding well before sunrise. The flakes were big and wet and there were many! The ride itself was smooth. Gliding over freshly fallen snow is peaceful; not being able to see out of my glasses because they are caked with slush, frustrating! I slide my glasses down to the tip of my nose, squinted slightly and rode. It wasn't but 30 seconds later that I took a snow flake to the eye and was seeing double as a tear fell down my cheek and I rode off in to the grass. The road soon turned to slush. I left my neoprene socks at home. My chain started to feel rough. Excuses as to why I should go home flood my brain. But I don't just yet because I knew this was a possibility and I do like to suffer on the bike. It feels good on some level. I do however start to notice a rough feeling in my drive train again. Is the bottom bracket worn, is my rear cog misaligned, is my chain worn? What if my pedals fall off when I am way out here in the snow/slush and I get stranded? Let me just take it on in. Mission failed. I rode about 90min and returned with my tail between my legs but I thought to myself at least I am returning with a bike completely intact.

2 comments:

Josh said...

lousy Smarch weather...

I woke up to my car snowed in and no sane reason to head up to Kenosha. I made Bialetti coffee and kept reading "The Rider" in the warmth of my apartment. Sometimes it is good to wait. Although I was pissed about the DPR flooding once the snow started melting.

Ryan! said...

What is Bialetti? I was all off on Sunday. After church it was so nice out. I really should have just waited. I really did think it was going to pour though. Hey I am going to Madison this weekned. Again I was off. Do you want to ride in Madison early in the morning?