Different Bikes

SpinGoatMeisters

And then, it was winter.

Things changed quickly here. There was dirt, and then there was snow. It was only a couple weeks ago I went on a week night mountain bike ride in the dark with some Goat Meisters on my Anthem. It was a little crisp but Ranger Summit and Strange Brew were in great shape other than a few muddy spots.

That weekend I also got out for a ride with Kate M on Highline ... there was a no-fun adventure component to that day when Sante disappeared. I'm not sure who was more relieved when we were reunited, her or me, but it was a long half an hour that ultimately involved a phone call cycle from two gals who she'd found (evidently she kept trying to get them to come into the woods with her ... they gave her a lot of credit by assuming someone was hurt and she'd gone for help - Timmy was not in a well though. Ha ha!), the Humane Society, Kelly (who has my old cell number) and me. The system works.

If only Sante's nose worked as well and she'd just found her way back to her mama after a little romp chasing after a creature of some variety. I'm contemplating a Marco Polo tracker for her but still doing some research. The little turkey was so beat by the time we were finished the ride she couldn't keep up. We dropped her at Kate's place to hang out with Farley while we did another hour at the Nordic Centre. Then it was back to the city to play hockey.

After that the snow arrived ... in blizzard fashion. There's been some Norco CX spinning on the pathways since then but this week I got the Titus out for a winter play up at Nosehill. I knew it would be a blast but it sure is hard to leave the warm house after a long work day and venture into the cold darkness at 7pm. Suck it up! Right? Yep ...

I had already prepped the bike. I thought of putting some spikers on the bike that Sean had given me when he cleansed his garage of all things 26er, but when I put them up against my Nobbie Nicks and noticed the spikes didn't have much lift left to them, I opted to stay with the fatties, which was perfect for the conditions that night. I also put some pogies on the bike to keep my paws warm, and some downhill pedals since I suspected there'd be some walking in the snow and I know that can jam up the cleats.

Photo by Gerry

What a great time!

There was a beautiful orange crescent moon low on the horizon as 6 of us converged exactly on time at our meeting spot at the John Laurie foot path. So cool to see the lights on the bikes all coming together. Then we headed off behind Gerry to do a tour of Nosehill. Lots of hard-packed skinny track, some dirt, a little ice, and lots of powder too. I smiled the whole time ... mostly warm and working hard and loving any earned descents. Can't wait to do it again!

Today I gave the Norco's new Bar Mitts a try. After a nasty short ride last Sunday where I froze my hands so badly I was nauseous and in severe pain when I got home (Anemia + Raynaud's in a perfect storm I'm thinking), I picked up some Bar Mitts at Bow. Yeah, they rock. The insulation has a huge impact on the exposure your hands get. No question about it ... they catch the wind a little, but that only surprises you the first time. Ha ha ...

Get outside! Remember what they say, "There's no bad weather. Just bad gear." Although ... really, I'd better go retrieve the Crux from Bow this afternoon ... a day will come when I'll have to use the trainer in the basement.