velotel
01-01-2013, 09:55 AM
this morning. A sweet end to 012, an excellent start to 013. Temp dropped during the night. Hovering at 2-3 over 0 C. Wore my wool cap today to keep my feet warmer. Same out and back as yesterday. The world calm. Couple of runners bouncing along the road, a handful of skiers at the small station. Sky low and gray. No Mont Blanc today. Saw some snow flurries on the Alps across the valley. Raining now, a soft rain, snow line just above the village. Good call riding this morning.
Rode easy, visiting all my haunts. Warmed up fast, me that is, not the air. Felt colder than it probably measured because of an at times agitated wind. On my back on the way out. In my face coming back. Sometimes gusting hard, rocking me around a bit. Didn’t feel any cog gain going out but sure felt a 3 tooth loss coming back in places.
An odd ride. Energy was slack starting out then subtly picked up. Ended up feeling like one of those early evening hoop shooting sessions. Just lazying around the court, idling, then a quick move and the ball’s in the air, arcing for the net, the world momentarily still watching to see where it goes. That was me on the bike today. Casual spin, looking at the views, hitting a grade and feeling the rhythm slide up the scale.
Got to the col, a ski station for families with small kids. Hardly anyone yet. Two slow circles in the parking lot to cool down from the final grade. Then off, down through the cogs, up onto the big ring, down the rest of the cogs. Not pushing, just spinning along. Through a couple of back and forths, down a quick accelerator, into a hard carve to the left then a drawn-out bend right that feeds into a harder right. Small accelerator into a beautiful leaner left and up a small grade. Out of the saddle, momentum keeping me on the smallest cog, sprinting past an old stone house. Road goes flat, keep pressing the pedals hard, feeding in more speed for the right-left combo coming up that dive into a furiously fast downhill. Only today not so furious. Headwind tossing in a big braking action. Also wasn’t in the mood for a full-on aggro plunge. Just rode it out, savoring the speed, the air whipping over me.
Into the small village, swing way left across the road, fingers floating over the brakes, looking for a car coming in from a hidden road on the right. In all the years I’ve ridden past that road, I’ve only seen one car coming. Always figure the day I don’t pay attention is the day one will come in fast. Not today. Still hardly anybody moving. Now it’s the long mixed climb back, mostly flattish but with a few hills to pump the legs. Feeling good on the bike, cruising, not pushing hard. Shooting hoops.
Get to the top of the last climb where when one of my alternate little out and back extra point forays breaks off. Not ready to wrap the ride up yet. Go left for the extra points. Past the cardiac grade, an old farm track straight up a hill that for some reason the village paved. Doesn’t go anywhere, just up a steep hillside. Not even long, 80 meters maybe. I like to do that on days I’m feeling invincible, to remind me I’m not. Ride past it. Out to the turn around point, ride back. Looking at the cardiac grade in profile. Definitely steep. Have to do it. Go straight to the 27 cog, already on the 34 ring. Turn right, cut on to the grass to go past the barrier, on to the blacktop, and up. Mountain biking mode. Out of the saddle, crouched low and forward, pulling back and low on the handlebar. There’s always gravel scattered on the surface, especially near the top where the grade is the steepest. A dance between power and balance to keep the rear wheel from slipping on the gravel. A satisfying movement, one I’ve always been good at for some reason.
I’m up, heart pumping, lungs searching, they all settle down quickly. No cardiac today. From the top I can see the col in the distance. Behind me the village where I live. Across the valley the Alps. If it was clear Mont Blanc would be standing proud. Not today. Just low clouds sagging across the hills. Back down, back to the road, turn left. Get to the house, not ready to stop. Keep going, through the village, down, across the small gorge, turn right on to the shortcut road to the road to the Col du Coq. One laner, steep, twisty, past a handful of homes, across the stream coming down from the col, join the road to the col. Keep going up. Through this beautiful combination of turns that coming down at speed are pure joy. Suddenly realize that’s why I’m here, heading up. No intention of riding to the col. Can’t anyway, road’s closed by snow further up. Just to the end of the village and out a dead end road with a great view back at the village. Probably should have brought my camera along. Could have bagged some nice shots. Feels good not having to stop to shoot. Just riding. Out to the turn-around, another place with a great view of Mont Blanc on clear days.
Bonus time, from here down is a ripper. Lots of speed, long carving turns stacked one after the other. Nothing but joy. Get back to the house, muscles beat, the rest relaxed and smiling. A perfect start to a new year of riding. Like I said, shooting hoops in a lazy twilight. Nothing but net at the end. Gotta love it.
Rode easy, visiting all my haunts. Warmed up fast, me that is, not the air. Felt colder than it probably measured because of an at times agitated wind. On my back on the way out. In my face coming back. Sometimes gusting hard, rocking me around a bit. Didn’t feel any cog gain going out but sure felt a 3 tooth loss coming back in places.
An odd ride. Energy was slack starting out then subtly picked up. Ended up feeling like one of those early evening hoop shooting sessions. Just lazying around the court, idling, then a quick move and the ball’s in the air, arcing for the net, the world momentarily still watching to see where it goes. That was me on the bike today. Casual spin, looking at the views, hitting a grade and feeling the rhythm slide up the scale.
Got to the col, a ski station for families with small kids. Hardly anyone yet. Two slow circles in the parking lot to cool down from the final grade. Then off, down through the cogs, up onto the big ring, down the rest of the cogs. Not pushing, just spinning along. Through a couple of back and forths, down a quick accelerator, into a hard carve to the left then a drawn-out bend right that feeds into a harder right. Small accelerator into a beautiful leaner left and up a small grade. Out of the saddle, momentum keeping me on the smallest cog, sprinting past an old stone house. Road goes flat, keep pressing the pedals hard, feeding in more speed for the right-left combo coming up that dive into a furiously fast downhill. Only today not so furious. Headwind tossing in a big braking action. Also wasn’t in the mood for a full-on aggro plunge. Just rode it out, savoring the speed, the air whipping over me.
Into the small village, swing way left across the road, fingers floating over the brakes, looking for a car coming in from a hidden road on the right. In all the years I’ve ridden past that road, I’ve only seen one car coming. Always figure the day I don’t pay attention is the day one will come in fast. Not today. Still hardly anybody moving. Now it’s the long mixed climb back, mostly flattish but with a few hills to pump the legs. Feeling good on the bike, cruising, not pushing hard. Shooting hoops.
Get to the top of the last climb where when one of my alternate little out and back extra point forays breaks off. Not ready to wrap the ride up yet. Go left for the extra points. Past the cardiac grade, an old farm track straight up a hill that for some reason the village paved. Doesn’t go anywhere, just up a steep hillside. Not even long, 80 meters maybe. I like to do that on days I’m feeling invincible, to remind me I’m not. Ride past it. Out to the turn around point, ride back. Looking at the cardiac grade in profile. Definitely steep. Have to do it. Go straight to the 27 cog, already on the 34 ring. Turn right, cut on to the grass to go past the barrier, on to the blacktop, and up. Mountain biking mode. Out of the saddle, crouched low and forward, pulling back and low on the handlebar. There’s always gravel scattered on the surface, especially near the top where the grade is the steepest. A dance between power and balance to keep the rear wheel from slipping on the gravel. A satisfying movement, one I’ve always been good at for some reason.
I’m up, heart pumping, lungs searching, they all settle down quickly. No cardiac today. From the top I can see the col in the distance. Behind me the village where I live. Across the valley the Alps. If it was clear Mont Blanc would be standing proud. Not today. Just low clouds sagging across the hills. Back down, back to the road, turn left. Get to the house, not ready to stop. Keep going, through the village, down, across the small gorge, turn right on to the shortcut road to the road to the Col du Coq. One laner, steep, twisty, past a handful of homes, across the stream coming down from the col, join the road to the col. Keep going up. Through this beautiful combination of turns that coming down at speed are pure joy. Suddenly realize that’s why I’m here, heading up. No intention of riding to the col. Can’t anyway, road’s closed by snow further up. Just to the end of the village and out a dead end road with a great view back at the village. Probably should have brought my camera along. Could have bagged some nice shots. Feels good not having to stop to shoot. Just riding. Out to the turn-around, another place with a great view of Mont Blanc on clear days.
Bonus time, from here down is a ripper. Lots of speed, long carving turns stacked one after the other. Nothing but joy. Get back to the house, muscles beat, the rest relaxed and smiling. A perfect start to a new year of riding. Like I said, shooting hoops in a lazy twilight. Nothing but net at the end. Gotta love it.