26 degrees. cloudy. windy.
3 hour singlespeed ride
all winter gear + balaclava

it was another one of those days. George needed to go snowboarding this morning and we needed to get our tree before i could head out to get my ride in. my goal was to be on the road by 12:30 so that i could be sure and be home before it started to get dark – well, it was about 1 when i got on the road.

at first i was freezing, which is generally a sign that you’ve chosen your layers well. the paved roads were messy with slush and ice. the dirt roads had a layer of ice under the slush and grit on top. for the most part traction was fine, but going up anything steep i often found myself spinning out on ice just as I was most committed into a standing climb.

with a big climb at the beginning and end of today’s ride, i spent the middle portion enjoying a nice spin down River Road – the closest thing we have around here to flat. Once I was going, and especially the sheltered parts of the ride, the temperature wasn’t too bad. Only the last 45 minutes were the feet really cold. and there was no tingling when i got home so they didn’t even actually freeze today. that’s a good thing.
it was a balaclava sort of day. it gave me a nice coccoon and with my ipod i happily hummed along the frozen roads.
between the slush that built up on the bike, and these damn 2.55 tires (which were filled with cement that last hour) i had a devil of a time getting up the last hills. it was just so heavy. and there was only one gear, which was not the right one for this suddenly 45 pound bike. it wasn’t a proud moment when a runner passed me as i walked up a hill. but hey, i passed her much faster a few moments later.

not quite sure how exactly to clean this mess up. i know i shouldn’t leave it – this is a steel frame. but since it’s so cold outside i don’t exactly know the best way to tackle it.