A Just Post To A Good Ride

I had updated yesterday's post, with some video n'at, but I figured I'm bored, sort of might be sick, mentally drained from dealing with more snow again last night, and 7 digits away from getting back on the train to normal, so I figured "what the eph, I will just waste some time with a proper post on yesterday's ride. Because really, who doesn't love reading about an aging, slow, non pro cyclist riding dirt roads?

My plan as usual to deal with solo base miles, on pretty un-challenging terrain is to take the camera, and piss around with it as I see what I see in/over the amazing rural landscapes of central Michigan. I also wanted to do some video, comparing my new Canon s95 camera with my Kodak PlaySport video camera. Some of that of course involved my good friend Mr. Tri Pod, and a heaping dose of looking like a narcissistic goof with too much time on his hands.

One of the best things about living here in MP is the ability to ride out my back door, and 3 short miles of pavement later, have an endless system of dirt roads at my disposal. Low to no traffic, peace, and no yahoos (yet) to scream at me to "get the f*ck off the road" or call me an asshole. While it's in NO way perfect (NO CLIMBING!!! MY GOD, MY LEFT F*CKING NUT FOR AN EXCUSE TO GET OUT OF MY FRIGGIN' BIG RING!!), it is nice.


I didn't know that to expect from the dirt roads, but dealt with it. For the most part they were snow and ice covered. There was the occasional band of dirt to ride, but for the most part it was snow packed that hooked up pretty good. There was the occasional rutted slippy spot, but for the most part no worries and the rubber stayed down.

Most of the first 1.5 hours was great- I felt warm enough, was taking some pics and wasted a few minutes with my video project. After that though, I put the cameras away and just hammered out the rest of the ride. I hit some new roads, thought I was lost a couple times, and started getting cold. Real cold.

The route I did was one of the better ones I've done, in that I was able to incorporated some of the climbs (rollers that hurt) that local dude Mike S. turned me on to, and the new roads offered some pretty sweet pic locals that I want to revisit when I am NOT freezing to f'ing death, and have some better light to play with.

Some of the locations I saw would be freaking sweet with some late day sun sets or early morning sunrise action. There are some folks who are all into their urban riding, and that shit, but I have never been. I love the nostril burn of manure, the cows, sheep, pigs, barns, random Uncle Rico RVs, and of course the low traffic roads to get my ride on.


The thing I love most about the rural landscape is the unknown stories in which they offer. Take the farmstead photos I have shown here. What is the story behind there abandonment? Why were they all painted that unique shade of green? How old are they? Who lived there Maybe I think too much? Maybe my inability to ride past these places (both here in Michigan and everywhere) and not stop to take pics, or think these things is what keeps me from success on the bike? Or is my ability to think these things, take pics, and have this training crippling thought process what allows me the ever so minute personal success of using my God given, non career having, non money making creativity?

I guess it's best to just not think about all that and just keep doing what I do. Happiness comes in many different packages, I rarely pick the right package, and when I do I am to wrapped up with being a mental train wreck to appreciate it. But that's my own thang.

Here is the video that I took. For the camera peeps- the first video was taken with the Kodak PlaySport (a very good hand held video recorder) the second was taken with my new Canon s95. I like what the s95 did a whole lot better. The thing with the s95 is that it costs a shit load of cash for a high end point and shoot, and isn't waterproof. The Kodak is water proof, shock proof, and is only like $150 (I can't remember).



The ride ended up being about 2:50 of ride time + about 10 minutes of time taking pics and video. A pretty good way to kill time on yet another snow covered Saturday in Michigan.

Later.