Back on the bike

After Almanzo it was time for a weeks worth of vacation and unlike some other lucky people, this one didn't include any sneaking in of bike time. Oh sure, I lugged a mountain bike out to Ohio, but that was to deliver it to it's new owner who I'm happy to report took it out 3 times the very week he got it from me. A great start for a new rider if I do say so. I really hope he enjoys it as much as I did. In any case, it had been a full on week and a half since I'd sat my butt on that little sliver of hard plastic we all lovingly refer to as a "saddle". It had been even longer since I'd been on the Paragon considering the on and off rain we'd had before leaving and my desire to get some hours on the Axis in prep for Almanzo's gravel goodness.

Squirrel was nice enough to put a quick shout out about riding at Summerset last night. While I had my doubts that it was dry enough or would remain dry, I was excited about the possibility. Even looking out from work as I pointed towards home, I was certain we'd be sitting in the parking lot watching the rain stream down the windshield. As I careened towards the meet-up point knowing they'd probably be getting a full lap in before I arrived, Squirrel said they were taking a quick safety break and I should be able to catch up.

The trails were slimy in spots, but not really what I consider muddy. While I was covered head to toe in splatter, I had a minimal amount coating the bike or tires which is a good thing. The slime definitely made the trails that all ready give me a nice pucker factor just that much more interesting. As I noted to Conlan and Gov, just the trail setups elevate my heart rate. Squirrel opted out feeling a bit of guilt on riding the soft trails after one lap, but the rest of us took one more spin through the north side and were greeted with a quickly drying trail that took a lot less effort and was again thoroughly enjoyed.

I'm headed over to Race like a girl tonight put on by the lovely ladies of PRC and then racing the Summerset Shootout on Sunday. This will be my first race in the sport class and I'm thinking 4 laps is going to hurt pretty good by the time all is said and done. I'm betting on roughly a 2 hour finish time for the sport class riders. We also have some good friends coming in to town for the race and I'm looking forward to playing trail tour guide on Saturday for them. I love showing off the goodness that is the Center Trails. Hope to see some of you out there soon.