Big Ringing the Season Opener

Oh...sweet object of my desire.



How I dream of the day when we might travel together as one. Wait, that's today. Seven degrees and sunny and the babies are napping. I figure that the first outdoor bike ride of the season would be a good way to recover from a 40 km nordic ski race the day before. Yes sir, that sounds down right lovely.

The weather was fine and while The Beautiful Machine (here after referred to as TBM) was not really finished being sorted for the season, (cables need to be clipped with ends put on and I still don't have rear brake pads) the time was right. The ride itself was awesome. After 55 km of generally easy flat roads I can draw some conclusions as follows.

1. I feel really light and strong for the first ride of the season not even counting yesterday's activities. I only left the big ring on one short climb with a strong headwind.

2. This is likely due to deviation from my typical Jan Ullrich style off season (pastries, beer, and wild boar hunting with Vino'). I might be 20 to 25 pounds lighter than most previous early marches.

3. Nordic skiing all winter is like wearing the Golden Fleece in July - it gives you an extra gear. I seem to have cardio to burn - I just need to get some biking muscles.

TBM is working super well. In fact, I actually have an extra gear as I changed from a 12-25 to a 12-26 cassette but until I ride some hills the difference will likely be imperceptible. The new Race Face crank is working great and front shifting is exceptional but probably also due in part to all new cables. I'm definitely glad that I didn't get a compact crank for these flatlands since I am feeling so good. My fresh arctic white bar tape should strike fear in the legs of all competitors.

This picture is post ride and I am feeling really good with a dull tingling in my legs from the effort. This is the best feeling and best delivered by a minimum two hour ride on a freshly tuned road machine.



My form has me amped with a few April possibilities in my sights. As previously mentioned there is Paris Ancaster on April 18th which I definitely hope to compete in. But, the weekend before there is a race called the Tour of Bronte which sounds awesome. It is on closed roads in the provincial park so there are no traffic issues. The 8 laps are 8 km long with about half and half tarmac and gravel which is an approximation of a European Spring Classic. There are other mixed surface races in April as well.

I think this is totally brilliant as it seems like the popularity of these 'Spring Classic' races is growing the number of races available to be ridden around here. Great hard man challenges scaled down from their inspiring namesakes in Europe.

This is good news for me as my calls to Quick Step have so far gone unanswered, despite the fact that I promised to clear my schedule to help pull Boonen to number four in Roubaix. With my early season form I imagined showering my chasers with a rooster tail of torn up cobbles as I was 'beasting it' at the sharp end of the peloton in 'The Hell of the North'. I guess I will have to stick to sucking wind 'off the back' in southern Ontario for now.

The day was capped off with some flame broiled burgers made by yours truly. Pretty good to open the barbeque season the same day as the bike season in early March.



Mmmm...yummy.