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Snow Ride....Take it Easy.... ---Foghat
My last stop of the day was downtown at my former office on the river, complete with a changing room. Sashay into the black, pink and yellow winter riding garb, go to Camelsback Park, and meet up with the infamous Bomber Craig, rhymes with Dingo.
It's already 4:15 pm, about 18degf, and we only have an hour and a half of daylight, --if we're lucky. At the park, Darryl's also there, so he joins up, and away we go.
The ground is frozen, and last week's snow is compacted hard, with as much traction as sheet ice in places. I remind myself, "self, take it easy, remember the Foghat song?"
So we go up Kestrel, I'm on the Titus boinger, which doesn't have any low gear capacity (shot drivetrain & rear derr.), Why didn't I bring the *always* reliable singlespeed?? So I have to stand, which I normally don't mind, but when I stand on the packed snow, I spin out, when I sit down, I can't pedal hard enough to go uphill. What's a guy to do??? I yell, I cry, I call down curses on the snow, commanding hellfire to melt a way for me. Somehow I make it to the first summit, and we take in the orange sunset over the valley and catch our breath.
Hop onto the connector that drops us into to the Military Reserve area, and we book it along to the black forest.
Meander and amble through all that stuff, until we have to climb back *up* the connector, and I'm wondering how that's going to happen. Thank goodness the steepest pitches had froze dirt to grab into, so I'm standing up like a geriatric banshee on crack, trying to drag that beast up the hill, pass the Bomber, then he passes me, but we make it. Darryl just pedals along, no problemo. Bomber's toes are gone, mine are quite comfortable in my Performance booties, yes indeedy.
As we're booking it down Kestrel, I'm slowly letting the horses loose, ever mindful of how easy it is to lay it over in that snow and ice. Beautiful view of the full moon over the snowcapped hills. Just when I think it's going easy, I come around a corner all groovin and find the Bomber yard saled off in the deeper snow and sage brush, picking himself up. Considering he's one of the best technical riders I've ever seen, I decide to remember it's a "Snow Ride... Take it Easy..." just like the amigos sang in the 70's.
Back to the Sports Utility Beater, debate pizza and beer, its truly dark now, getting colder, but we're not feeling it. We've got the grin on for having snuck a good ride in past old man Winter once again!
CDB
My last stop of the day was downtown at my former office on the river, complete with a changing room. Sashay into the black, pink and yellow winter riding garb, go to Camelsback Park, and meet up with the infamous Bomber Craig, rhymes with Dingo.
It's already 4:15 pm, about 18degf, and we only have an hour and a half of daylight, --if we're lucky. At the park, Darryl's also there, so he joins up, and away we go.
The ground is frozen, and last week's snow is compacted hard, with as much traction as sheet ice in places. I remind myself, "self, take it easy, remember the Foghat song?"
So we go up Kestrel, I'm on the Titus boinger, which doesn't have any low gear capacity (shot drivetrain & rear derr.), Why didn't I bring the *always* reliable singlespeed?? So I have to stand, which I normally don't mind, but when I stand on the packed snow, I spin out, when I sit down, I can't pedal hard enough to go uphill. What's a guy to do??? I yell, I cry, I call down curses on the snow, commanding hellfire to melt a way for me. Somehow I make it to the first summit, and we take in the orange sunset over the valley and catch our breath.
Hop onto the connector that drops us into to the Military Reserve area, and we book it along to the black forest.
Meander and amble through all that stuff, until we have to climb back *up* the connector, and I'm wondering how that's going to happen. Thank goodness the steepest pitches had froze dirt to grab into, so I'm standing up like a geriatric banshee on crack, trying to drag that beast up the hill, pass the Bomber, then he passes me, but we make it. Darryl just pedals along, no problemo. Bomber's toes are gone, mine are quite comfortable in my Performance booties, yes indeedy.
As we're booking it down Kestrel, I'm slowly letting the horses loose, ever mindful of how easy it is to lay it over in that snow and ice. Beautiful view of the full moon over the snowcapped hills. Just when I think it's going easy, I come around a corner all groovin and find the Bomber yard saled off in the deeper snow and sage brush, picking himself up. Considering he's one of the best technical riders I've ever seen, I decide to remember it's a "Snow Ride... Take it Easy..." just like the amigos sang in the 70's.
Back to the Sports Utility Beater, debate pizza and beer, its truly dark now, getting colder, but we're not feeling it. We've got the grin on for having snuck a good ride in past old man Winter once again!
CDB
