sparky33
03-20-2014, 12:20 PM
Welcome spring.
It was chilly and raining when I let the dog out this early this morning and the kids were up a bunch last night, but the weather app promised sunshine and almost 50F by afternoon. Score. The bike is already at the office, and I keep a bag packed in the trunk.
Work is unusually slow this morning. Tick tick tick tick. 11:45 is close enough. Dress. Roll. It sounds gritty as my tires roll over the sandy pavement. It's a melt day, and wide puddles are seeping out from the snow banks. That splat splat sound reminds me why I like fenders this time of year even when its sunny.
Right turn, up the hill, over the highway. The Kirk feels particularly good today. I rode the cx bike yesterday, and that's a fine bike too, but it doesn't sing along like the Kirk does when you turn the cranks over. Anyway, turned up another brief hill, past the school, down the back-road that cuts behind the local golf club. Faster. I should have slowed more taking that right through the sandy turn with the huge pot-hole where a car is pulling out. Next is a nice descending left under large pine trees, and out to South St and then Claybrook Rd where it's flat by the Charles River. The water is still frozen in the shady spots. Make a left on Main, really straight with a up at the end, then a gradial sweeping down onto Haven St. That turn feels great in the drops, really moving. A few more turns and right on Mill. I stop by the large snow bank planning to get a photo of the snow, the rushing water and the dam. I forgot my phone, maybe next time. Up, left, right. Strawberry Hill is a straight gentle up - perfect for big ring spinning. The horses are out at the farm grazing with their blankets on. They don't notice me. Left to Wilsondale - I click down several cogs for the downward roller coaster, the kind where you power right up over short hills that follow so close after the downs. It never gets old. At the bottom, I stop at the intersection and breath. It's a easy roll back, maybe a few more miles. Crossing over the highway signals that the ride is almost finished. The ground near the backdoor of the office is gooey with mud. I do a quick cx dismount and shoulder with a hop step up the backstairs. So good to be out today.
How is your first day of spring?
It was chilly and raining when I let the dog out this early this morning and the kids were up a bunch last night, but the weather app promised sunshine and almost 50F by afternoon. Score. The bike is already at the office, and I keep a bag packed in the trunk.
Work is unusually slow this morning. Tick tick tick tick. 11:45 is close enough. Dress. Roll. It sounds gritty as my tires roll over the sandy pavement. It's a melt day, and wide puddles are seeping out from the snow banks. That splat splat sound reminds me why I like fenders this time of year even when its sunny.
Right turn, up the hill, over the highway. The Kirk feels particularly good today. I rode the cx bike yesterday, and that's a fine bike too, but it doesn't sing along like the Kirk does when you turn the cranks over. Anyway, turned up another brief hill, past the school, down the back-road that cuts behind the local golf club. Faster. I should have slowed more taking that right through the sandy turn with the huge pot-hole where a car is pulling out. Next is a nice descending left under large pine trees, and out to South St and then Claybrook Rd where it's flat by the Charles River. The water is still frozen in the shady spots. Make a left on Main, really straight with a up at the end, then a gradial sweeping down onto Haven St. That turn feels great in the drops, really moving. A few more turns and right on Mill. I stop by the large snow bank planning to get a photo of the snow, the rushing water and the dam. I forgot my phone, maybe next time. Up, left, right. Strawberry Hill is a straight gentle up - perfect for big ring spinning. The horses are out at the farm grazing with their blankets on. They don't notice me. Left to Wilsondale - I click down several cogs for the downward roller coaster, the kind where you power right up over short hills that follow so close after the downs. It never gets old. At the bottom, I stop at the intersection and breath. It's a easy roll back, maybe a few more miles. Crossing over the highway signals that the ride is almost finished. The ground near the backdoor of the office is gooey with mud. I do a quick cx dismount and shoulder with a hop step up the backstairs. So good to be out today.
How is your first day of spring?