Now that spring has finally arrived (here in nc anyway), I'm seeing a lot of riders out and about. Yesterday I took my '80 Mclean out for a ~50 mile circuit, with a ~3 hour climbing/work session at the midpoint (climbing gym in morrisville). The Mclean has a light rear rack, which was perfect for toting shorts, t-shirt, flat kit, some food, etc. It has Campy SR w/ downtube shifters, my low gear is 42/26 I believe, which was moderately challenging at times but worked well overall. I run 28mm tires on it, so I took a route that goes partly along a paved greenway, and through umstead state park for 5 miles or so, on fine mesh gravel road. That was a lot of fun, except having to dodge oblivious peds and stop-blockers. Some people must not really think about the "multi-use" aspect of the paths, they will either walk fully across it, or stop and gather to chat in the middle of it, usually at the bottom of a steep hill On the way back I stopped for a slice of pie and a pironi beer, both of which were quite the tasty treat. I then sized up a stromboli and realized it would fit in my rack bag if it were wrapped and secured properly, and so i toted one home for my supper. But not before stopping for a double latte for additional fuel for the last 8 miles! Nice day - where did you ride?

obligatory Mclean pic:

A. Winthrop, JunkYarkBike and I did a 50 mile spin through Montgomery, Hunterdon and Mercer Counties NJ yesterday. Here's a map.

Beautiful day for it! I did my best to find them some hills, but around here my resources are a bit limited. I rode my 1950 Norman with a Sturmey Archer four speed hub (FW).

Picture is obligatory, you say? Okay, then:

Any excuse to post bike pics! I found a pic of umstead:

I took off on an '89 Ironman, no partners willing, on a 25-miler. Having already had one flat this year, I made sure to have my kit.

Sure enough 7.5 miles in, a small rock started that rhythmic hissing sound I've come to know and dread.

Off the bike I hop, doff the helmet, take the bag off the bike, pull out the CO2, tube, lever, reach down and....

....anti-theft skewers. No wrench in the bag, which has been on a carbon bike w/QR.

7.5 mile walk home, pushing an Ironman, carbon-soled shoes with Look Delta's. Dozens of cars and trucks and vans whizzed by.

I saw several dead opossum's, a raccoon or two, maybe a couple of cats, couldn't quite tell. Didn't matter, as I wasn't that hungry. One kind of looked like stromboli.

Only took 90 minutes or so, glad the shoulder is mostly grass and still soft.

Bet you won't do that again. Something similar happened to me (though it was only ~5 miles) on my very first ride on my brand new '03 giant ocr1, the bike that got me started into...bikes. I figured I wouldn't flat on my first short ride. Wrong. It was 95 degrees or more that day too. Now I always carry a flat kit unless I'm urban riding and my car is parked nearbye.

Tried to take a 45-50 mile ride on the Illinois Prairie Path/Fox River Trail last Thursday, but had the fiance pick me up about 5 miles from home. Horses and mountain bikes all winter left the dirt/gravel trails with tons of ruts to make the first part of the ride relatively slow. When I got to the Fox River Trail, the ride smoothed out with a paved trail and the best scenery. The last leg took me back to another portion of the Prairie Path, which had a detour due to a little bit of construction. The gravel was very loose and my 1 1/4" tires sunk into it, leaving me struggling to keep a 5mph speed. I've never taken that route, so I didn't know that I was so close to home until she was already on her way. Taking the trail conditions into mind, it was still great to get out riding again. I'll have to give that route another try in a few weeks.

Pics below are from the Fox River Trail. With smooth conditions, I didn't feel much like stopping to take more. Although the trees were bare, at least there was a little bit of wildlife returning.

spring arrived here in north texas with 6 inches of fresh snow. In Texas. It should be in the mid 70's by now. . .
sigh.

I had a rehearsal early Saturday morning, so I rode out there. About 15 miles through quiet, scenic suburban roads. On the way back, I ran into a friend on a training ride, so I went with him for a bit, which lengthened the ride, which is a good thing. I'm not sure how much longer.

The others at the rehearsal were impressed that I was willing and able to ride so far, but they're not cyclists.

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WOW! That is effing beautiful. You sure know how to bring out the English bike lust!

Oh, and the bike I took Saturday was my Surly Cross Check. It's not C or V, but it's an honorary guest among C&V fans.

Got the right hook from a city bus on the way out today. The "Right Turn in Front of a Bus is Illegal" sign on the back added a smidge of irony.