Wet B-Day Celebration Ride
The conditions today were anything but good as six of us rode the first 20 + miles in pouring rain in sub 50 degree temps. I ended up with 47 miles and a rear flat in the last 4 miles just as the rain started again. It was a good test for my new Tri-Cross as I had a fleet of high end road bikes around me as I cruised with my 700 x 32c cross tires and a more upright riding position. The bike is a great all-around bike for that person that has to choose one bike for road, dirt roads, granite bike paths, touring and commuting. I lost some ground on the downhills to the sleek lightweight road machines in our group, but with the 48-34 compact front chainrings I could easily hold my own on the flats and climbs. Three rides and 150 miles after building the Tri-Cross, I'm now just looking into tire options for the Trans Iowa epic four weeks away that could quite possibly be the hardest decision I'll need to make. I've been reading the forum posts at mtbr.com and it seems that the other entrants are all over the place with bike set-up. With only tires to consider in the next four weeks and a few fueling choices, I feel pretty good going into this 322 mile challenge with the rest of my preparation.
The conditions today were anything but good as six of us rode the first 20 + miles in pouring rain in sub 50 degree temps. I ended up with 47 miles and a rear flat in the last 4 miles just as the rain started again. It was a good test for my new Tri-Cross as I had a fleet of high end road bikes around me as I cruised with my 700 x 32c cross tires and a more upright riding position. The bike is a great all-around bike for that person that has to choose one bike for road, dirt roads, granite bike paths, touring and commuting. I lost some ground on the downhills to the sleek lightweight road machines in our group, but with the 48-34 compact front chainrings I could easily hold my own on the flats and climbs. Three rides and 150 miles after building the Tri-Cross, I'm now just looking into tire options for the Trans Iowa epic four weeks away that could quite possibly be the hardest decision I'll need to make. I've been reading the forum posts at mtbr.com and it seems that the other entrants are all over the place with bike set-up. With only tires to consider in the next four weeks and a few fueling choices, I feel pretty good going into this 322 mile challenge with the rest of my preparation.
3 comments:
I know the weather has been horrible lately. I did 3 hours on the trainer while watching "Off Road to Athens" I think watching that was the only reason I stayed on.
Later,
Justin Lund
The weather forecast isn't looking any better for this coming week either. I'm trying to stay off the trainer if at all possible, but the bike maintenance(cleaning) takes up a lot of good training time which is a big negative.
Scott,
Happy belated Birthday.
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