I was able to get in one last week night gravel grind on the single-speed just before Halloween weekend; in between the rainy days of course. It was a cold ride requiring toe covers, ear covers and insulated base layers. But the road was dry and fast, so quit yer bitching and get out there! I made a stop to see the mystery train along the way. Still have no clue why these are here?
But with November has come a warm up. And I for one am enjoying it. The mornings often feature foggy sunrises thanks to the cool night air and still warm river water.
The big warm ball in the sky returned this weekend and with it, I hit the road for a CX bike gravel grind. I found all the local roads to be dry, packed and great for riding. The final tally was just under 30 miles and it turned out to be one of the best rides of the year. Just love those Big Green Machines. I want to drive that behemoth!
It was so nice this past weekend, I was able to ride both days with shorts and short sleeves. A rare occurrence here in November. Saturday was an MTB ride at the Ski Hill trail. I had the place to myself all afternoon, which I incorrectly assumed was due to the 4,000+ racers up in Traverse City enjoying one of the warmest Iceman’s on record. I assumed wrong. Actually, the Ski Hill trail is closed to riding for the rest of the year and I was pouching! Had I known that fact, I would not have ridden there. I did not see a sign indicating this and no one came running out of the lodge to stop me, so, let’s just call it a misdemeanor. A first offense if you will!
This coming weekend is round #5 of the Kisscross series; Manhattan Park. The last event was Halloween weekend at Richmond Park and the course was a beauty. It had a little of everything and that combined with sunshine and a chili potluck, made for a great day.
The Bissell boys were fully in charge during the ‘A’ race and finished one-two.
This coming weekend is round #5 of the Kisscross series; Manhattan Park. The last event was Halloween weekend at Richmond Park and the course was a beauty. It had a little of everything and that combined with sunshine and a chili potluck, made for a great day.
The Bissell boys were fully in charge during the ‘A’ race and finished one-two.
Steve Kunnath, the manager at Ada Bike was all smiles here. He later crashed the barriers (which I recorded for posterity!) and mangled a shifter/brake lever. But he trooped on and finished in the top 10.
There were a lot of mountain bikes in attendance at this race and the course suited them. The guy on the sweet blue Niner above actually rode over the logs and up the run up, so that had to be an advantage!
Jeff Jacobi from the Founder’s team always seems to be enjoying himself. As he was riding by, he asked me if I got his good side. I said "what good side?" and he almost feel off the bike!
There were a lot of mountain bikes in attendance at this race and the course suited them. The guy on the sweet blue Niner above actually rode over the logs and up the run up, so that had to be an advantage!
Jeff Jacobi from the Founder’s team always seems to be enjoying himself. As he was riding by, he asked me if I got his good side. I said "what good side?" and he almost feel off the bike!
Then came Bronson (me). I had my best race of the season, moving up 8 or 9 positions from the previous week. Part of it was due to the new Vittoria tires but a bigger part was not hanging back at the start for a change. I eventually caught Kirk (who beat me last week) on the final lap and just barely beat him to the line! That was fun but we were both feeling like death warmed over afterwards.
It will be a long week due to a project deadline on Friday and that coupled with the sun setting at 5-ish probably means no riding until the weekend. Guess its time to pull out the wind trainer and head for the basement!
It will be a long week due to a project deadline on Friday and that coupled with the sun setting at 5-ish probably means no riding until the weekend. Guess its time to pull out the wind trainer and head for the basement!
