The Paceline Forum - Savoie groading

Blue skies, temperature creeping into the plus zone, body restless, time for some groading. Valley floor, descents too damn cold for this old pilgrim. Spinning, exercising the big ring. Do some exploring, extend the Savoie section of my Farmer’s TT.

January days too short, the sun doing that slow creep in a shallow arc across the southern sky. Still better than a month earlier!

A hundred meters of supermarket paved parking lot, cross a road, and on the dirt. Over a bridge, cut left onto a roller coaster single-track mountain bikers have worn through the woods, smile city. Onto the dike superstrada, a dirt and rock double-track that rides like a single-track, weaving around fat puddles of water, big ring jamming.

Off the dike, more blacktop, through a business park, onto a road, across the river, definitely not heading to grandma’s house. More blacktop then back to the dirt, wetter than last time I rode it. Could be interesting. Following memories, sometimes clear, sometimes murky, just keep jamming. Hit a long, straight double-track across fields, muddy and slick. Don’t remember this. Press on. Big time sketchy, traction marginal. Momentum the key.

Make it, barely, could be a ripper dry. I also finally saw what I’d ridden the first time through, off to the left, oh well, the mud was fun, mostly because I made it through.

Past my last known point, into exploring mode, big ring, pushing hard, riding whatever looks good. Hit one dead end, turn around, find another way, there’s always another way. Doing the kid thing, goofing off. My dad would have told me I should know better at my age. He was right, I should, and do, being a kid goofing off in the dirt, can’t beat it, even at 73!

Mountains turning orange, must be getting late. Finally stop. Yep, it’s late. Way late. Beating the light back to the car won’t be easy. The old highway along the base of the mountains the call. Big ringing all the way, pressing hard, just have to get to the bridge over the river before dark. After that home free, nothing but deserted roads and dirt right back to the car. Tires humming on the asphalt, chunks of dry mud from time to time flying off, one dirty bike under me, man do I love riding!

Hit the dike superstrada double-track, light fading fast, no problem. Into the supermarket parking, swing into the car wash, perfect, a wand leaking with a nice jet of water next to a bucket full of soapy water and a brush. A quickie bike bath. Another excellent adventure.