My Backyard and some other drifiting

I live in the foothills next to the mountains.  My home is 8300 feet in elevation, but here it’s more dry than snow much of the winter. My local, out the front door, riding areas consist of 4x4 roads, doubletrack, ATV track, singletrack, no track, bike paths, gravel and rarely a bit of pave.

My personal temperature cutoff is 40 deg F.  Above 40 I am always up for a ride, below 40 and it’s a big maybe.  IE: below 40 deg and I have to break out true winter clothing.  But anything at or above 40 and I can just add knee or leg warmers, arm warmers or a long sleeve jersey and carry in my pockets a thin balaclava, wind breaker and maybe shoe covers.  So during daylight I can ride almost year round with very minor accommodations.  I like riding at night but in the winter I rarely do, rather I go to the fitness center and spin for an hour.   

I think I might do a winter overnight'er here, cant you just picture the fire and reflected heat?

So in my backyard it would be pretty easy to get in some extended/focused training.  If I actually had a 9-5 job, but as I spend about 100+ nights per year in hotel rooms there is nothing focused about my training.  A main training stable is to pretend to train on beat up, ½ broke hotel exercise bikes.  Ha, but I am not going to let that stop me from hitting my body weight target for 2015 TDR!

And speaking of weight my bike is 33lbs (as shown) with my old bags, most of my old gear and suspension fork.  I can now see my 30 pound bike target is going to happen (give or take 1 pound).

Saddle Testing:

I have spent about 9 hours and 3 rides so far on the new Spiderflex. To soon to make a definitive decision but to summarize my three test rides:

Ride 1) 2 hrs, Stop and adjust, stop and adjust over and over.  No comfort, no power, as awkward as could be.

Ride 2) 3 hrs, Adjust 1 time, Some comfort some power in certain gears/grades, aero bars, one hand riding to eat and drink all very awkward. Very sore in new places, like one’s 1^st ride.  Side bar—Ha, I was trashed talked by a 77 year old—he laughed at how slow I was going.  We chatted for a bit, he rides 12 mile loops around town, had a new hip put in 2 years ago—I told him I hope to be a fit as he is when I hit 77.  He said to never stop and I will be.

Ride 3) 4 hrs, Adjust 1 time, Starting to feel like I might be getting the hang of this saddle.  Today I rode and rode hard and fast.  Adjusted a cleat position which I was not willing to do till I saw some overall progress.  Some things I really liked (aero position fell into a happy place big time), some not so much, but a bit more yay than nay today.  And I am even more sore, but over all I am encouraged, at least enough to want to continue testing.  More when I get back from overseas.

 

Yah we have rednecks in my backyard. ( I do not drink, but if I did this Fireball Whisky has just got to be the cure for a sore bum?)