Crappy weather in Minnesota this weekend. First sign of no rain or snow I ventured out and only got about 3 miles out before getting pelted with snow. The skies are clearing so out went the bike again and this time for a little over 10 miles before I had to be home for dinner. Of course the sun will shine with the weekend closing...

22 miles on the C&O canal (round trip) from Great Falls National Park into DC and back. A beautiful, well groomed and gently flat section of trail that was like rush hour traffic adjacent to Great Falls with a billion walkers, a million (well behaved and almost every breed imaginable) dogs on leashes, and quite a few cyclists all casually enjoying the views via the very dusty trail. 3 miles out from Great Falls the trail opened up with few people and lovely riding with peaceful views of the Potomac and much exposed river rocks normally submerged. Got into the National Park with my senior pass, and hubby stayed at the visitor center, enjoying the museum and the food vendor before relaxing with his Kindle awaiting my return. Really glad for the bike's carbon belt as the dust was super bad from lack of rain. The falls are also suffering, in some cases side branches of the river are down to stagnant pools or mere trickles of water. I may have to return after the rains plump up the falls to more scenic levels.
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Yesterday (Saturday) rode 24 miles on long wheelbase 'bent over to Decatur Township and down into Morgan County. Climbed Fox Hill, which is the hill closest to home that always gets me breathing hard.
Today rode 14 miles with spouse on her Trek e-assist bike and me on short wheelbase 'bent. She led the way most of the time and directed us up a variety of short but steepish hills close to home. Trying to get ready for Hilly Hundred in two weeks. She confessed after the ride that she had been in Sport, the 3rd (of 4) assist range but thought she was in Tour, the 2nd range. Made for a better workout for me!

Did you ride today?
 

No.

did some paved and trail today
 

Just finished repaint and rebuild of a 1994 Stumpjumper M2 FS and RockSkox DH. Took it out for an hour on trails near my house. Still need to adjust some things. Seat is a little off, front pads need a bit of readjustment and computer needs mounted for when I'm not taking phone with me for GPS.https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9f4c50a91f.jpg

Rode Sunday, the first time in a month, and probably the last until the holidays.

Ten miles today including a couple of hills not far from home.

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25 mile ride on a brisk 45 degree day through Minneapolis

A sunny but cold morning for some shred-time:
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IMG_0431 by 2cam16, on Flickr

Autumn in the other twin, St. Paul, MN
 

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Milford to Milford, by way of West lake Okoboji. About 30 miles if you stop in Spirit Lake for a snack. Beautiful day, and not many left this year like this.

Out and back on the entire Springwater Corridor Trail, plus some stuff in town, about 55 miles. Poor guy broke his chain at about the 20-mile point. Nothing I could do to really help him. Felt bad. Luckily, was dry almost the entire ride. Joined Strava. Still trying to figure out how to use it. Looking at Ride with GPS, too. Not sure which one I am going to go with. Probably whichever is easier to use, as I am no computer genius.

32 miles on our local gravel and paved roads. It was cold earlier this morning at sunrise, right at freezing, and not much better when I set off at 10:30am after coming back from an early (7:30am and 32°) Cars and Coffee an hour away by car. We met son there and had a great time looking at the cars. Back home hubby fell fast asleep on the couch watching This Old House when I slipped away and set my sights on a nice relaxing bike ride around the countryside.

About 4 miles down the road I passed a beautiful estate, Newstead Farm (founded 1936), that has a unique spot in Thoroughbred racing history - it was the home, and now the burial place, of Genuine Risk - the second of only three mares to win the Kentucky Derby. The first mare to ever win the Derby was Regret in 1915. Racing fans had to wait 65 years for another mare to win the prestigious race, and that happened in 1980 with the chestnut daughter of Exclusive Native (who was also the sire the Triple Crown winner Affirmed). Although foaled in Kentucky, Genuine Risk spent her youth in Northern Virginia at Newstead, and after her Derby win, as well as coming in second at the Belmont and Preakness, she was retired to broodmare duties. First bred to Secretariat, her foal would have made history as being the first ever from two Derby winners. Sadly, Mother Nature had other plans and the foal was stillborn. 17 years of future breedings only resulted in two live foals, neither of which ever raced. Genuine Risk died in 2008 at age 31 and I remember years ago riding my horse through the property, shortly after her death, to visit her grave, proudly placed near the manor house so that all who visited would be able to pay the great mare homage.

A bicycle sadly, hasn't the prestige or panache or acceptance to gain entry to these old private estates like a ridden horse would, so I had to settle for a photo of my two wheeled steed outside the estate gates.

Then off several more miles to pay a visit to the graveyard in Upperville where an old Endurance friend is buried. A rose from my gardens laid on her tombstone (did she really die 15 years ago as her tombstone claims? - it seems like only yesterday we were laughing and talking and riding together), and then I headed off to continue my ride, my knees still cold, the roads still open and inviting as I passed by yet another estate where another notable racehorse winner, this one named simply Hansel, who had missed a Derby win but won both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes instead, had called home. He was the Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old male of 1991, and is also buried at his home farm. But his story is perhaps for another time and another ride.

What I did discover this ride, and this is the first time it ever happened to me (I swear!) was that unique euphoria that settles in when you, your bike, and the roads are in sync, and somehow ...somehow...you just want to keep riding and not stop. Every other road beckons, every pedal stroke seems almost effortless, your body feels good, perhaps even better, even as the miles roll on, and your mind just starts to whisper "Why stop? Why go back? This feels so good. Let's keep on going". And you seriously contemplate extending your distance a bit further and not quite returning home...not just yet.

I suppose I could point the finger of blame to the ebike as the dastardly culprit in the whisper campaign as it tends to sneak in seductive suggestions all the time, but today it was putting the moves on me pretty hard to do another 10 to 15 miles (it would be soooo much fun (it whispered) and you feel great, legs strong, and look at all these lovely roads we can explore), so it was with great reluctance that I finally said "no, it's time to head home. We need to see if hubby has woken up yet". (Note: he had, and also had mowed the back pasture while I was gone. Well done, honey).

A pretty day, a lovely ride, a visit down the annals of Thoroughbred history, and still lots more roads to explore...later.

It is supposed to rain buckets tomorrow.
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My anticipation, not Carly's song of the impending winds and rain for Saturday convinced me to ride Friday AM instead of on Saturday. Finally got my butt in gear and on the saddle at almost 3AM for a slow, warm 63 miles. Back home at 7AM for a kit change, bite to eat then aired up the tires an additional 20psi and back out for 47 more miles.

I thought I was the only one who rode in the middle of the night. I usually take off closer to 4 AM. I started doing this to avoid the city traffic issue. It works great. I have the roads to myself. And I'm usually done in time for breakfast. I do believe it is safer riding at this time of day, just because there are so few vehicles out, relatively speaking. Of course, Saturday morning at 4 AM is also prime I'm-insanely-drunk-and-driving-home-in-my-car time, so there's always that as well.

When I lived in stupidly hot west Texas, I'd ride my monthly 200k overnight. From midnight to 5 am, it was just the coyotes and me. 62 miles of darkness, turnaround at a convenience store, 62 miles back, with only the wind as my companion.

It was nice, in a lonely, meditative way.

Tuesday I was out my usual 12:03AM for my 110 miler and had a local coyote cross the street from house to house just 1/4 mile from home right after starting. Friday it was even closer.

About 33 miles today. I would've done half that on the old bike; this is only possible because of the new bike. Like a starter credit card offer, it's giving me free miles.

I prefer the night too. I can see the cars and there are a lot fewer of them. Sometimes none at all, and that's the best. The peace and quiet are delicious.

Not being inside a car also allows one to hear a car coming, from a long way away, if there is minimum traffic.

Speaking of Carly, I did 43 miles with 3,000' climbing as slow man in the group on Sat, but had "Legend in Your Own Time" stuck in my head the whole way. It wasn't exactly what I had planned...

Yes, it's amazing how far your senses can spread out when they're not overloaded. I can feel like I'm tuned into an area about six miles across. This is actually something I have strong feelings about. The main highway near my house was a two lane when we moved in, then the state decided to buy property and upgrade to a four lane. One of the land owners (bless him) decided he didn't like the price and for ten years the project was stalled halfway finished, and traffic simply avoided the whole area. This meant that for ten years we had essentially no traffic sounds at night, and it was heavenly. Now the highway is finished and I realize how oppressive traffic sounds are. Sure, we're all used to it, like (I would say) we're used to a lot of things that aren't so great either. Because I was free from it for so long, I realize what we're giving up.

Took out my first ever modern road bike after a rebuild. Man, cf bikes sure are fast! Loved the ride and I'm sure more fun rides to come. :)
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Do I need to even say where I rode yesterday?
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South bound on the Troy-O'Fallon Trail in southwest Illinois last weekend.https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a0e6feb9ea.jpg

Someday soon this trail will "officially" open.