Weekend Recap

Although the weekend was somewhat rainy, it turned out pretty good for me. On Friday night I took a ride on the Rig through Peterson's, just too make sure the 32x16 gearing is still working for me. It was. I cleared the big climbs on the backside of McFarland with it using the slow cadence rocking technique mentioned earlier.

On Saturday I had planned a three-hour gravel grinder with Cory. I wanted to take the 8500, but didn't want to wear out the new Michelin A/Ts, so I swapped the wheels on the 8500 with the Michelin Comp S Light/Mavic 817 on the Fuel. It took a little messing around to get the new combination dialed in (the rear derailleur and both brake calipers had to be adjusted), but it got me where I wanted to be.

Cory had planned to be at my place at 7:30 AM. I got ready in spite of the rain/forecast/radar. When the phone rang at 7:30, I thought it could go either way. I was glad to hear that Cory was on his way. In spite of the rain, we rode east on 170th, and south to where ever, with him leading the way, and me being the blissful tagalong. In the end I'm guessing I did 40-45 miles (my computer was not working in the rain) with Cory doing more like 55-60 by the time he got home (he's training for G-Ted's Death March, so he needs to get in the extra miles). We had a great ride, in spite of the rain, and Cory's near flat. It was long, slow, distance (LSD), so we had plenty of time to solve all of the worlds' problems. I also wore my Jimi Hendrix jersey to commemorate the LSD. There was some bike cleanup afterwards because of the slop, but it was all good.

On Sunday I took care of some neglected tasks that come with living on an acreage (mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, cleaned the gutters, etc.). Later I took the 8500 (still with the Michelin Comp S Light/Mavic 817 wheels) out too Peterson's for a quick spin (1.5 hours). I should ride that bike more often. It's pretty sweet. It's quick, light, and nimble. But I could feel that lack of traction on a few climbs. I don't know whether it was from the lack of full suspension, or the worn out Michelin’s.

For the week I got in 9.5 hours of riding, with a good mix of intensity and endurance. I think I'm on my way to another good build period. I will try to build the next peak for races in September.