Fair

What the hell have I been doing lately? Work, riding bikes, getting bikes rideable. The last Wednesday Night Bike Ride of consequence was this week at the Riley Tavern. It was a fast 30 which found me getting dropped halfway through from the fast group. There was redemption in that for me, considering the ride the day before.

The day before found me in Waukesha at the Gunshow. Ronsta, Matt, Dallas and a couple others aren't packing pea-shooters on this ride.

The roll-out on the bike path was civil enough. There was a stretch where there was a wildlife encounter. Bunnies were hopping across in both directions when a squirrel decided to do what squirrels do. It leapt into Ron's wheel and was kicked back into my left shoe. It then bounced under my bottom bracket and was dragged around to the rear brake where it "paused" for a moment. It dropped in front of Dallas. Next of kin was notified and the ride continued.

We headed west. Once on County D the doors opened to the gunshow. I managed a look at my speedometer a couple of times while glued to the wheel in front of me. Each time it read 34 and my body confirmed that reading by telling me "you're not going to last much longer if this pace continues." It wasn't so much the pace as it was the pace continuing up the rollers. I was done and dropped somewhere between 3 and 4 miles. I rolled down to 26, which has been fast enough for me this summer and tried to keep sight of them. They kept going and going and going and going and going and going ...

I kept rolling along solo once I lost sight of them. Later I found out they turned north while I kept headed west and turned south. Disregard the milage markers on the map, the distance was 40 miles for me. The last half hour was in the dark but I'd paid attention on the way out so I was good.

The only glitch on the way back was a train parked on the bike path. I did what every parent tells you not to do, I put my bike on the other side of the coupling and climbed onto the boxcar and over to the other side. Moments later another cyclist came to the same obstacle. He was a local so he decided to take a different route around the train. I'd have gotten lost if I'd have tried that and I wanted to be back to Ronsta's in time for Mexican food with the group.
For all you folks who're going to Chequamegon this year, this is Libby. She's fast enough to stay on my pokey wheel on the road and make me look bad on the hills. But then that's not a tall order. She'll be doing the Short & Fat again trying to better her 2nd place age group finish. Must be nice to have a preferred start, especially for Chequamegon. Look for her on the really old Fisher with Gripshift. I can't get her to drink the Koolaid so a 29er won't be in her immediate future.

With the temperatures dropping into the 50's in the last couple of days I was motivated to get the Axis cleaned up from the H8ter. The wheels are on the Spare, which is still on loan to Keith, so don't get uppity about it having a road tubular. The bar tape is my prize from the '10 H8ter. I know it don't match the celeste, but why should it?

Tonight is the WEMS Pitchblack Singletrack at Camrock. The Ferrous is ready and the light is charging. Last year the moon was big and bright, I hope the stars are out.