It sure was good to be able to string two rides together in one week. It's been a long time since I've had either the time or the skeletal composure to do that, and it goes without saying that I definitely miss a big part of my life when I can't keep the wheels rolling. The grumposaurus I become when I don't is a royal pain in the glutes and best kept chained and subjugated.
The first ride was a fun road rip with Alex, with my stem sporting a decidedly upright stance (rotated by yours truly to allegedly relieve pressure on my L5 but in the end only making me feel like a total Magoo and absolutely killing my wind profile) and a new-found creak in my BB. We headed out to do the Carquinez loop from Martinez and soon started to rue the blast of wind as we pedaled up the hill. Welcome back the headwind seemed to say as it made the climb oh-so-much-nicer for my rubbery legs and crunchy knees. On the way down into Crockett the cross-winds were having a party with my bladed spokes and prudence (the virtue, not the dog) urged a restrained approach to what is usually a 45 mph + tear down the hill on the loveliest of asphalt. At the bottom when we turned towards home we finally had a pseudo tailwind that kept the pace lively and more than made up for the earlier inconvenience, and with grins plastered on our mugs we tore it up on the way back. When we were done I was stoked to discover that my various wonky body parts held together, and that the ride left me hungry for more.
Part deux of this epic two-part saga was a freedom and independence romp on Mt D on my mountain bike on the 4th. Due to the scorching heat we've been having I knew I had to get out early to avoid getting cooked - sadly it was too early for anyone else to join in the fun so I went solo. Thought that maybe I'd fling myself with reckless abandon at Wall Point, but once again prudence held court and presented other alternatives - as did the certain possibility of broiling as the sun and heat index rose higher. So in the interest of saving myself to ride another day I did what comes with great difficulty - I took it easy. I put together a mellow loop that gave me ample opportunities to dig a bit deeper without bringing on a blowout like I've managed to do in the past with alarming frequency. It appears that, like a boneheaded rat in a bizarre experiment, I'm finally learning and having more fun in the process.
The first ride was a fun road rip with Alex, with my stem sporting a decidedly upright stance (rotated by yours truly to allegedly relieve pressure on my L5 but in the end only making me feel like a total Magoo and absolutely killing my wind profile) and a new-found creak in my BB. We headed out to do the Carquinez loop from Martinez and soon started to rue the blast of wind as we pedaled up the hill. Welcome back the headwind seemed to say as it made the climb oh-so-much-nicer for my rubbery legs and crunchy knees. On the way down into Crockett the cross-winds were having a party with my bladed spokes and prudence (the virtue, not the dog) urged a restrained approach to what is usually a 45 mph + tear down the hill on the loveliest of asphalt. At the bottom when we turned towards home we finally had a pseudo tailwind that kept the pace lively and more than made up for the earlier inconvenience, and with grins plastered on our mugs we tore it up on the way back. When we were done I was stoked to discover that my various wonky body parts held together, and that the ride left me hungry for more.
Part deux of this epic two-part saga was a freedom and independence romp on Mt D on my mountain bike on the 4th. Due to the scorching heat we've been having I knew I had to get out early to avoid getting cooked - sadly it was too early for anyone else to join in the fun so I went solo. Thought that maybe I'd fling myself with reckless abandon at Wall Point, but once again prudence held court and presented other alternatives - as did the certain possibility of broiling as the sun and heat index rose higher. So in the interest of saving myself to ride another day I did what comes with great difficulty - I took it easy. I put together a mellow loop that gave me ample opportunities to dig a bit deeper without bringing on a blowout like I've managed to do in the past with alarming frequency. It appears that, like a boneheaded rat in a bizarre experiment, I'm finally learning and having more fun in the process.