Been riding the Krampus in single speed mode most of the summer. Wil took these of me descending Flo at Saxon Hill – which has been my go to place for 45 minutes to 2 hours+ of riding.
Swamp Thing
Local trails, drying out. Areas that are wet will likely stay tacky through the summer. The real wet is on the two track and dirt road that was flooded in the Intervale, where most of this mess came from.
Soma Juice29r SOLD
Sold, thanks for the interest.
Back to the Pugs
I spent Friday morning on the Soma with Nokian studs. Last year these tires inspired confidence in their width and grip on ice and snow – especially in mixed conditions. Friday morning was rough. Terrain I would have cruised over on the Pugs slowed me down, had me second guessing my lines, and the (relative) high pressure (25?) and narrow width (2.1!) had me chattering on frozen ground and over frozen post holed trail. It was unnerving and exhausting.
I rode some of the same terrain Saturday morning on the Pugs, and covered all and more Sunday morning again on the Pugs. I’m much more confident on the Pugs – the float of the tires over chop and through mixed conditions is drastic, not to mention the places I could ride with the additional snow that arrived over the last two nights. I didn’t have the bite of the studded Nokians – and I payed for it a few times when the base was frozen and the snow atop simply slid out of my way as I washed out my front wheel several times – but overall it was great to be back on the fatbike. The Soma will get slightly higher gearing and I’ll keep it for fixed winter road duty. With the Pugs in the stable there is little reason to take out ‘skinny’ tires in mixed conditions.
Winter
Seems to be arriving slowly. Some flurry snow flakes to start, followed by freezing rain. Toured town and the Intervale trails. Single speed, studs. Fun. Jim and I stopped at Viva for warm up, did another lap of the trails, and ran into a few friends. Quite a few bikes out today.
Tweak
A small tweak. New Titec Jones H-Bars on the Soma Juice. I threw the Ergons on as I ran out of time to tape. So far I like them over the Soma Odin bar. Time will tell.
Enjoyed a really slow roll on the lakefront Monday morning. Was under geared for flat riding – so I cruised along at whatever speed 32/19 would take me. Listened to the birds. Watched cormorants fishing. Sat by the lake. Slow bicycle movement – maybe I should sign up.
Begin
Weather is changing.
Soma is hooked to the little one train for groceries, yoga, and playtime. Body weight is up. Mood is improving. Fitness is down. Kidervals to begin. Stopping at parks is a must.
Thinking about a Schlumpf Mountain Drive. 2 speed fixed gear. Mmmm. Where to find the $$.
House hunting continues. Hopefully townhouse selling will commence magically in the next few weeks. We’ve looked at a handful of properties – and only a few would suit our tastes and neighborhood choices. Those that do fit stretch the budget but also our imagination about life in town, good public schools, and being much closer to friends and family. Walking downtown? To the store? I could get used to that.
Snowstorm 3.0
24 hours can make a big difference in the weather. Yesterday morning I was flying down smooth roads spinning easily on the IF. Today I made first tracks on the lakefront bike path and some exploring in the woods. Heavy, wet snow coated the bike. 30/18 and the studs was work in the 4″+ of wet, heavy snow.
Recent Snaps
Morning
Finding my morning routine again, now that the sun is coming up a bit earlier each day.
