With the help of my friend Tony I got my hitch installed on the Crosstrek. I was down and out on Saturday. Had a fever and sore throat. Didn't do a darn thing. There was a training ride Sunday morning so I figured I would give it a shot and loaded up.
I had to take the Kuat rack from a 4 bike down to a 2 bike so it is easier to carry. lol. Honestly, the 4 spot rack is just overkill for my little car. The changeover was simple (4 bolts) and I had it on the ride and ready to rock. Thankfully I got to sleep in some because the ride wasn't until 11am.
Upon arrival I saw Jay and Dan T. along with Dwight, Charles and a few other WSI riders. Dan S. pulled in and we were ready to rock. Dan S. brought a tank to a Formula 1 race. What I mean is...he had a Borealis Yampa with Studs. Yes...a fat bike with studs....6 PSI...and the roads were like concrete. The majority of the group was on CX bikes and a few were on their mountain bikes. It was evident that the ride was going to be good for a fat bike. He opted for the 24 mile route. Wise choice.
The group made the turn onto the 36 mile loop and there was a river crossing....yes...a river crossing in the middle of the road. It was only about 5' wide and 6-8" deep. The Barry is a CX race....so no biggie right? lol. I was on the Defy again with the CX tires and the roads were in awesome shape. Only one road we hit had ice and it was a short section. There were also some areas where it was getting soft and you could tell that the mud was there a few days before. Thankfully it was frozen because temps were in the low 20's when we were out there.
The group opted to cut the ride short because of the lower temps. We took M-43 and cut out the finish/start of the route. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. Nailed the long climb on Gun Lake Road and ripped it back to the car. My average speed was .6 mph higher than my fastest race time. And my average heart rate was 9 beats per minute lower.....so I am doing alright.
Rick just posted the start waves for Saturday. I get to lead the pack out of Hastings. Wow....that will be an experience. Having around 3000 people behind me trying to beat me to the finish line. Hey...I will always have someone to ride with.....See ya Saturday.
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