Back in the saddle again.

Today's agenda plans consisted strictly of riding a bicycle on snow trails. So that is what I did.

I have been experimenting with different handlebars. My arms and shoulders do not like straight handlebars that come with most off road bikes for long duration rides. Drop bars would  not give the control one would need for the technical riding required on snow ruts and icy paths. I tried these today. They worked quite well on my FatBack. The angle gives my wrist and shoulders a more natural feel.

Using double insulators on each of my bottles kept fluids from freezing at 20F for 6 hours.

I rode Heritage Trail until Graf Iowa then headed out Humke Road to explore that "B" section of road that I didn't make it to in last weeks Triple D race. The road everybody talked about. It didn't disappointment me. A steep heavily rutted road. I tried to stay in a tire rut as I climbed, I rode as long as I could until spin out. I pushed me and my bike up the hill, just to ride down it. It was like being in a bob sled on the way down, you were trapped in a tire rut that was 12 inches deep, bouncing from side to side. One Crash!!!!! Back on my bike, and using more brake, I made it back down.

36 miles in  6 hours. A whooping 6 mph. It was hard  trying to stay on a good line. I weaved back and forth trying to stay out of the soft snow and find a good line to ride which kept changing. My knee did not like that last hour one bit. Ice and Motrin are my companions tonight.

More then funny. I am getting Emails from friends regarding yesterdays NewsPaper article asking for autographs. Totally satire btw.
However I couple of people I do not know wrote and asked if they could talk to me about snow riding. I sure could I spose. Snow riding for me was born out of the need to ride outside from early Dec into March in this Iowa climate.

Well thanks for visiting.
DAve