"what the f---" are we thinking was the consensus between Dan and I today. The temps were in the low 20's when we got out of the truck. It was going to be Dan and I on the Barry ride, and Mark B. was there too. He ended up turning back for something and we never saw him again.
Barry Roubaix is tough enough when the roads are clear....but when we have about 6 inches of snow on the roads.....Barry Roubaix is brutal. The pavement was a combination of hard packed snow and ice with some softer fluff on the outer edges. This is where I stuck for the most part while Dan took advantage of his studded tires and rode the rock hard pack. The gravel roads were all a mixture....some soft....some barely driven on, all tough.
The ride was going okay. The climbs hurt like usual...and I was just churning away to get up the small and big climbs. Questioning our decision was easy.....riding in conditions like that suck. We were 4 miles in and it felt like we had ridden 20. When we got to the decision maker spot...either 25 or 35 we opted for the short course. My comment was "I have no desire to be out here for 4 hours". At this point we were about 9 miles in....and over an hour. We took the short loop...and headed back....with about 10 miles to go.
The hills still sucked....the snow was still loose in spots....sticky in others. My Panaracer tires were a good match to the snow...but there were a few times when they would grip the sides and try to take me down. Never fell....but there were some moments.
So....yeah...I rode in the snow. Not my favorite thing to do. Stupid even. But you know....I was having fun. It felt good to be outside and just riding....with no timeline. I was even enjoying it....might have smiled once or twice.
Good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment