Now That Was Betterish

I was not in a great frame of mind concerning my ride yesterday, mostly I was just being a bitch, but I was also pissed at myself for knowing damn well that the dirt roads were gonna be in shit condition for quality ride. This is not the first time I have done that this late winter/spring and I know that I should have either A. gone into the ride knowing and embracing that it was going to be like sucking muddy water out of a discarded bottle of Leffe in some cross raced destroyed Belgian farm field. Or B. planned and hit the pavement, shunning the icy and mud bogged dirt roads.

But as we now know I did not do that. I expected some relief from the winter, from the illness I have off/on again fought for the past month, and I didn't get it. Then bitched. But hey, that's part of my blog... the venting. But today, I saddled back up, and hit the road again.

And by "road" I mean pavement. Well, for the most part at least. I did a 35 mile out and back with a lollipop square that I thought was going to be pavement, but ended up being a few miles of cold, watery, gritty Michigan mud. The dirt portion did have a couple nice little kick ups, and I just enjoyed the mud spatter, hammered on back to the pavement for the "back" portion of the out and back.

The air was of course still chilly and I was still covered from head to toe in various shades of cold weather gear and lycra, but the sun was once again out I was happy to get a better ride in than yesterday.

I continue to have a strange relationship with my cross bike. Or I guess I should call it my gravel bike since it has never and probably will never see a cross race.... It rides nice, but I don't trust the wheels, I still hate the canti brakes, and I can NOT get the rear shifting dialed in. From day one last fall, it has skipped in the cassette even when clean and dry. Not all the time, usually at extremely opportune moments like standing to power up a hill. And I still find the 105 10 speed shifting sort of mushy, which I believe 105 should not be. I have made some derailleur adjustments but just can't get it dialed. Might be time to just have someone who actually KNOWS what they are doing look at it and maybe get some new cables/housing.

Other than the ride it was more XXC #11 work and taking delivery of a new batch of XXC cycling caps. If you missed the first batch and want one, order up, because there are less than 20 available, and I am not sure if I will be ordering any more this year.

Day 6: No B-Man. He continues to enjoy his spring break in PA with his grand father, and Wifey and I continue to miss him way more than we think he is missing us. Of course on the other hand we have spent a good deal of time together the the past few days and that has been sweet. We MIGHT even go out TWO night in a row this weekend! GASP!! Of course we will go out and talk about him the entire time, but still we'll be out.... amongst adults! LOL!

Later.