As we have had literally two weeks of heavy rain in the area imagine my delight when I awoke to see almost dry conditions this AM. It was a little cold (37 degrees) but I thought I'd give it a shot. I've been riding on the trainer for the last week so a little fresh air would do me good.
I set off full of hope but 15 mins into the ride the heavens opened up and we had a good old-fashioned snow-rain mix. Some other brave souls were out there too. We gave the all-knowing nod as we passed each other. The nod that says "we must be crazy in this weather":
After 5 miles of riding the MTB on the road, I finally reached the trail-head.
I was riding my Motobecane Fantom from Bikes Direct. I have to say that the bike is the best $799 I have ever spent on cycling. Its stong, relatively light, 30-speed (overkill-I know) and holds my weight like a champ. I bought the bike in the fall and have around 500 trouble-free miles on it. Highly recommended. However, I need to get a cadence dongle for my garmin becasue as soon as I enter the heavy woods, I lose GPS reception and the garmin thinks Ive stopped.
After 4-5 miles of riding the trails I headed home. That's when Mother Nature really threw the wrench in. It poured freezing rain for the 5 miles home and the descents were brutal. The cold felt like a migraine through the helmet vents - even with the skull-cap on.
A river runs through it - fun riding the rain rivers all the way home.
All in all, I rode 15 miles but it felt a lot farther due to the wide-tires and extra weight of the MTB bike. Lots of fun though.
I just thought I'd post my ride report as I've been lazy lately with posting pics etc. I always mean too but don't get around to it.
Perhaps my brief report will help in motivating people in these winter months
