How 'bout this weather?

Is this really January? Is this global warming? Don't get me started on that climate change crap! This mild weather has been good for riding, not for blogging. I'll have to cover several rides in this post.

The EVMA club meeting was last Sunday in Williamsburg. The group ride was at York River that morning. Larry would be driving, only room for 2 bikes. Should I attempt the rigid SS with no backup bike? What the heck, if I can ride it here, anywhere else will be easy. The tire on the front of this bike is a massive 2.5, so 20psi might soften the rigid fork. I was wrong! The roots were brutal! Having to slow down for the roots on the downhills makes this bike no fun at York River. Maybe I will try again after I get used to the rigid setup, maybe I wont. One lap was all the hands and wrists could take!

Monday was a beautiful day, too bad I was working. The temp. was still in the 60's when Nick and I went for a ride. Leaving from Kempsville about 7pm, we biked down Kempsville road toward Va. Bch. Blvd. The sidewalk is actually fun and gives lots of opportunities to cut through parking lots, looking for curbs and other obstacles. It wasn't long before Nick's bike starts ghost shifting. I hear a load pop, and a yell from behind. Circling back, I find Nick in the middle of a big intersection picking up his chain! He whips out the chain tool, removes the broke link, and reinstalls it on the bike. One of the links is not moving and skips on every rotation. Luckily Performance Bikes is open until 9. We decide to limp it in to buy a new chain. The going is way too slow with the jerking chain, so we pull off to remove another link. This time things go better and the rarely lubricated chain squeaks smoothly to Performance. With new chain installed, and running way late, the pace quickens until our tires hit the boardwalk. After getting us lost and then unlost in Bay Colony, we head back. Riding sidewalks at 20+ mph can be exhilarating! Altogether about 28 miles for the night.

Tuesday night we headed south to ride a pump track. Lots of fun, and a great workout. I want one of these in my backyard! Hopefully more pumptracking is in our future. Thanks to Dave and his wife for having us out, and for the pizza.