up, down (repeat)

27 miles of narrow lanes and steep hills.



that google earth view is deceiving; the green is still buried under snow.

my morning

my morning
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

coffee, play-doh, and bike racing.

two days off the bike

well this nor'easter's been a bust. thursday's prediction feel flat and the height of the storm only brought us flurries. drove into work to theoretically avoid biking thru drifts along narrow lanes on the way home. the snow never happened. wind was even mild. would've been a fine day to ride as the roads were mainly dry too.

friday rolls around and it's auto time again. still little snow but the winds whipping and gusting. one inch of fallen snow yields foot tall drifts when geographic conditions are right. couple of whiteout moments and subsequent counter steering confirms this isn't a day for the pedaling. at least not my thirty mile roundtrip route.

i'm growing weary of the winter. a seasonal change would be greatly appreciated.
.

today - sun breaking through the clouds

today - sun breaking through the clouds
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

tomorrow - more snow and wind

little balls of ice

head down
hide my face
navigate by the white line
peek up for a moment
feel the biting sleet
head down again
motor on home

here's to hoping for minimal ice accumulation in the morning.
|

two bikes, two cameras...

two dorks out for a ride in the hills.

EDIT: the other view
|

filth

the bike takes a beating this time of year. rode hard and put away wet.













all next week looks wet or snowy so a cleaning would be futile; gotta wait till spring.

windswept

pedaling

well that snow didn't amount to much.  yesterdays slushy wet roads that left a gritty grey ice coating on the bike made for slick conditions this morn.  it was a perfect shitty storm; not enough snow for it to cover all the roads, just enough to wet everything down.  temps dropped, ice formed, and my alarm clock sounded early.  side streets were glazed over nicely and my tires rolled silently.  then onto busier roads and the reassuring hiss of tires on wet asphalt announced added traction.  silent glimmering sections slowly became more prevalent as traffic volume decreased and eventually packed snow/ice/slush became the new challenge.  seated climbing ensued and slippage was minimized but not entirely eliminated as even the slightest off camber sections pulled at the bike. lots of fine tuned throttle control via the fixed drivetrain got me to the top of the ridge where ice was still abundant. thankfully my descent was trouble free and led to more wet roads thru rolling farmland where temps must have been a degree or two warmer. sounds like tonights a repeat as light snow falls now and roads remain wet. still keeping with the slicks; studs will remain in the garage. the commute goes on.         

and the snow falls once more

and the snow falls once more
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the sky is clear, the sun is out, the roads are fairly clean...

and another three to five inches of snow will fall tonight. not bothering with the studs; sick of the hum, buzz, weight. 28mm slicks will get you lots of places just fine. not changing my gearing again; 40:16 from here on out. the 18t is handy in deeper snow but the roads will be plowed soon enough. those extra few mph that a smaller cog provides add up. the only wrenching i'll do is adding chain lube, airing up the tires, and keeping the lights charged. glad the geared rig has remained parked this winter. one speeds trump all in foul conditions.

fresh from the moka pot

welcome to my snow cave

seven foot tall snow piles

the sun is out. the shoveling is done. my arms are toast. having a beer (make that two) with lunch. works officially closed. snowman building scheduled for this afternoon. easy living on the home front. unsure of riding to work tomorrow. roads will be narrow. surface conditions a mystery considering the depth of snow. studs work on ice but no extra help in the muck with cars passing too close for comfort. maybe use the internal combustion machine instead. let the plows and sun do their thing.

so here's a debatable question: whats better for snow riding; skinny slick tires cutting thru the snow down to the asphalt, fatter knobby cross type tires with studs for gripping the surface and somewhat cutting thru, or super wide endomorph tires riding on top of it all?

no work, more digging

two feet total.

its getting deep out there

more

more
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

another 10" - 18" falling with blizzard conditions later in the day.
glad i'm not at work. maybe a quick spin before the wind kicks up
though.

overgeared and grunting along

40x16 was too tall a gear for studded tires on shitty roads. added 2 more teeth out back for easier spinning. another nor'easter is headed our way too and the snow just keeps piling up. my drivetrain motors along but the chain is a rusty yet somehow still greasy mess. however the stainless ring and cog are unfazed by the wintery abuse; testament to the metals desirable properties.
|

checking on the roads

conditions vary greatly. some roads are dry. some roads are completely covered and packed down. most are some variation of a slushy wet mess that will freeze up nicely overnight. studs have been mounted in preparation for the a.m. commute.



maybe not needed for stretches along sunlit and busier roads, but narrow lanes weaving among the hills and farm fields will most likely call for added grip.



tried riding thru the park breaking trail thru fresh powder but failed after encountering 2+ ft drifts. shouldered the bike and walked away defeated. gotta stick to the roads for the time being.
|

stuck

stuck
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

we've gotten the snow

we've gotten the snow
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

foot plus and more falling. action packed shoveling shots to follow.

put in your vacation requests a while

may 7th is the date.
time to load up the bike
and do some of that pedaling
that we're so fond of.

the straightest route is not the best

commuting route adjustments had to be made
tired of wide shoulders with fast moving traffic
opting for more back roads and increased mileage
add a little more zigzag weaving around
roll past more farm fields
see more countryside
encounter a lot less cars
fifteen miles one way
a little more climbing
but a fare trade off
|

a wednesday night on the rocks

a wednesday night on the rocks
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

my arms hurt.

thawing out

thawing out
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

another two inches of snow on the roads
another minor flood in the basement
some roads were plowed
some were only salted
some were just rutted from cars
but the slick tired fixed crosscheck did just fine

january wrap up

january wrap up
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

new year, new calendar, might as well keep on tracking the rides.

orange = ride to work (20 days, 540 miles)
yellow = drive to work (0 days)
blue = dirt or road ride (4 days)

random ponderings on sundays ride

• don't be the guy who forgets his helmet. luckily max lives nearby and he's a fellar with a large skull like mine so a loaner was easily procurred.

• i still hate wearing a camelbak. it's been emptied out and packed away once more. i'll be sticking with bottles, seat bag, frame pump, and jersey pockets from here on out.

• 15 degrees is not cold at all while out riding in the woods.

• log hopping skills still exist but form is quite rusty.

• release the death grip on the bars. stay loose. let the bike move.

• road riding and commuting, while great for maintaining fitness, does little to nothing in regards to upperbody strength. after a mere 16 miles my arms were shot. hands were pretty beat too. the slow grunt climbing of a singlespeed mt bike requires more effort than i'm currently used to. didn't even notice my strength dwindling away all these months...

• there's nothing finer than carving tight twisty singletrack. why did i wander away for so long?
|