Springing Back on the Bike

Today was my first outdoor bike ride of the year – a relaxed hour’s ride south and east of town. Going out was tough, thanks to a stiff southerly breeze, but then again going back was really easy – 22mph without even pedaling hard, thanks to that breeze. All in all it was a good start to the “off-season,” which will have an early peak for me on Sunday, May 14, when I’m going to do a 100-mile gravel-road cycling race, the Almanzo 100. I’m a bit freaked out by the race, since I’ve only ever done one ride that long, but I do have a few days to train – 56, but who’s counting?

There was a bit of yin/yang to my ride today. On the one hand, this was a typical sight. All of this will all be green in a month, but it’s pretty bleak right now.
First Ride of the Spring - 1

I tried to cut home across the still-snowy Upper Arb, but it was impossible to ride through three inches of icy snow – not least because my brake pads literally froze up:
First Ride of the Spring - 2

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