Two Wheel Blogs

Note to self: Stop numbering posts as "Step X"

Today was too nice a day not to ride.

When it comes to the wind, my motto is "Eat it early," so I headed due south. On the other side of Troy, I took Liberty Road south to Mill Creek Road. This intersected with Longhi, which carried me into Collinsville, my turnaround point. I headed north until I reached the intersection with the Schoolhouse Trail. Despite the warm temperatures, I figured the trail would still be snow- or slush-covered in places, so I got on the road that ran parallel to it. I headed west towards Horseshoe Lake, then headed north towards home. I got lost in Pontoon Beach, so I backtracked and got on the Nature Trail.

At first, the trail was clear. Eventually, I hit a couple of spots where the snow had not melted, and I had to slow down and toe my way through the slushy snowpack. Farther on, I ran into a tree-lined stretch of trail that I expected might still have a lot of snow on it, and it did. I had to dismount and walk a couple of long stretches. It probably took me thirty minutes to cover a distance I should have covered in less than ten. After that, I was back on clear county roads for the rest of the ride.

I covered about 40 miles in 3:16, a slightly better than 13.3 mph pace, but that doesn't matter. It was just good to get out and ride in the sun's warmth. Afterwards, I gave my bike a much-needed and well-deserved bath. The frame is black, but with all the grit from the road, it looked more gray. I also cleaned and oiled my chain, something it really needed.