Day Off Ride

Me looking half dead

Awesome drifts

Gunnar Ruffian 29er Fixed

Tortureous Great Western Trail

Despite all the snow from yesterday I had to gain the courage to get out and do my hours. I really thought about the conditions and for sure knew that it was best to stay on the deserted roads. They do plow them but do not salt at all. The Gunnar 29er in fixed mode would be the best shot since my Shimano Freewheels tend to freeze up.

Getting to the country roads meant travelling on civilized roads that were plowed and salted.

The cold slush hit my boots and lower part of my tights and if it started to penetrate the party would be over. I was running a 2 to 1 ratio and at times it seemed to high and others too short.

I was also chased by a white male with 4 legs and to my disbelief he would not give up. As he got closer I was starting to imagine his teeth sinking in my fat leg. I kept the bike straight and we sprinted. I hit top speed of 23 mph on ice and my HR monitor was going crazy. Then the fucker loses his footing on the ice and starts to slide. I am imagining falling, fucking up myself, my bike and when all said and done getting bitten. I turned to see him finally gone and I had to stop since I was not breathing anymore.

I ended up doing almost 3 hours of penitence and on the way home I walked 5 miles on churned up snow (snowmobiles) on the Great Western Trail. Burned 2,500 calories in that time.

I smartened up and took a backpack with tools, a full size pump and a nalgene bottle with 1 liter of water. Rode with my Patagonia Puff Jacket, Merino sweater, and patagonia R4 baselayer. I was soaked but all the moisture was off of me. Now I never leave without my Toe Warmers.

Dead and Out,

Ari

November 26th, 2006

Nice time off everything and now it is back to the ratrace. Thanksgiving day was a blast. I started the day by leaving the house at 8 am and heading out towards my father in laws house in Sycamore. The ride is about 50 miles. The sun was out and it was rather mild for the end of November. I rode the trusty Gunnar Fixie. I rode towards Batavia thru Fermi lab and all the while I thought about how cool it was that Jamie had sent me out on the bike. She was to get the girls ready , pack the car and drive all the way there. I felt blessed. I took an old backpack from Billabong with a couple of bananas my inhaler, camera and some water. I was afraid to miss out on this one. Damn , I did not even inflate my tires. I got to Batavia and headed north to Geneva, then St Charles hunting down the Great Western trail which runs along 64 and goes all the way to Sycamore. The trail is flat, straight and gravel. Man if you want to meditate, chill , think, that is the way to go. I kept a good pace since I was targeting 1130 for arrival time. I took two short breaks to strech and shoot some pictures. I took the second break to strech and eat my naners. I was dressed perfect. Shorts, Knee warmers, wool socks, wool undershirt, jersey, windbreaker, my beloved craft balaclava, cotton cap and my windproof gloves. Bike, position, everything was perfect. Ran into Ken in Wasco and said a quick hello and kept booking. I arrived in 3 hrs 20 minutes with no pain..... as if the ride had been too short.
Thankgiving dinner was great and it was cool to hang out with the fam. Friday was work, saturday work and today Sunday we went with JAmie to Argonne and did two good laps of the gravel. My gunnar had a flat so I took the Bianchi. It was really weird riding gears and freewheeling and also the low (conventional) bars on the bianchi felt really strange. The bike also felt loopy. Riding a fixie offroad with a quick steering fork and skinny tires is like cheating. I hope Matt Chester comes back, that dude sure knows a lot about position.

Image #1: The Great Western Trail St Charles to Sycamore
Image#2: Taking a break along the trail
Image#3: Almost two hours on the bike and twenty to go.

Peace to all,
Ari