Sunrise

This was the best part of my workday yesterday. The view from work is what gets me by until I can get out and ride.

Scenes From a Snowy Trail

Fat Tire Envy

Trish picked up her new Salsa Mukluk today.

She took it on it's maiden voyage on a local logging road.


I tagged along riding my hybrid with it's 40 mm tires.

We both had fun, but one of us had an easier time.

The Sound of Silence

I'll make this simple.

Oryx = noisy

CR720 = silent

I'm not sure whether the new brakes work any better than the old ones. They were so loud I never wanted to squeeze them any harder than I had to. I just know that they're quiet and I will no longer spook the wildlife when I stop to snap a picture. I think the neighbors will be happy too.

Riding in the Rain

With the impending winter storm approaching, Trish and I went for a 20 mile ride after work on one of our favorite loops. The temp was in the upper thirties with a light mist falling, but we were dressed properly and were able to stay quite comfortable.
It was almost too wet to stop to take pictures.......almost.

Over the River....

Went for a 40 mile ride on Saturday. It was my longest of the year so far.

 I got to ride for a little bit through the woods.



N.E.R.C.C. is in the background here. It's a corrections center in Saginaw. Whenever I ride by here, I imagine escaped prisoners wading through the creek trying to lose the trailing bloodhounds. Although I doubt anything that dramatic happens.



My first crossing of the Cloquet River, heading north on Munger Shaw Rd.



Come next winter, Trish may be crossing the snowmobile bridge in the center of the picture on her new Mukluk.



My second crossing, heading south on Taft Rd.



The geese seem to be having a good time.

A view from the cockpit

I rode about dozen miles today after work. I took the same route I usually do. I didn't see anything too exciting to take a picture of, so I thought I would at least get a shot from a different angle. Things should get more interesting once the trees start budding, but for now I'll be happy being able to see deeper into the woods.

Waiting for Monday

Mmmm.....Salty

I made sure I got out for a 30 mile ride this morning before the snow hits us. Although the roads were nice and dry I did have to deal with salt blowing up at me every time a car went by. It wasn't that bad though, it was kind of like eating potato chips and riding bike at the same time.

I often wonder what people do for a living in order to afford a house like this. It's almost bigger than the lake that's in front of it.

Looks like someone lost their pants trying to make the payment.


Canosia WMA is a great place to snowshoe. Too bad I didn't strap a pair to the rack.


They don't seem to mind the cold.

Here Comes the Sun

The next best thing to a warm March day is a sunny March day. It was about 20°F when I left for my ride, with a cold wind from the north. I lost the feeling in my thumbs after about a mile. Luckily, just like the sun, I was bright today too, and brought a much thicker pair of gloves with me. My thumbs were soon happy, but the rest of my body stayed pretty cool until I was able turn south on the way home.

I ended up with a very nice 18 mile ride. Even though it was a beautiful day, I wasn't seeing many things to take pictures of. I might just be getting a bit bored with my usual loop, but until I get my mileage built back up I may be stuck with the same old same old.

I did take one picture today that I wanted to post. From what I've read, when taking a picture of a bike, it should be shot from the drive line side. Most of the pictures I took last year were from the left side, so I thought I would try it "the right way." Here is my result.


I'm not really sure I like it that way. I either have to turn the bike around before taking the shot, or I have to stop on the wrong side of the road, and I don't usually feel like being a salmon. I think I'll just keep taking the photos the way they come naturally. Besides, I like the way the bike leans towards the camera when you shoot from the left.

After I stopped at home, I took Loki put for a three mile walk down a forest road a few miles north of town.

As usual, the scenery was nice.....

And Loki had a great time.

Groovy!

When I got home from work today it was only 10°F, so I thought I would stay close to home and explore some nearby roads I don't normally ride. In about 10 miles I really only found one spot I considered scenic enough to stop and snap a photo.



The majority of my ride took place on dirt roads which were about half covered with ice.



While driving a car, I've never noticed the grooves in the ice, which are readily apparent while riding a bike. Although I'm assuming they are put there to give cars better traction, they sure weren't doing me any good. Even with studs, I found the grooves to be more of a hinderance than a help.