Sweet Windy Buttertarts

Mother Nature is still having her way with us...but at least we are not in North East Australia right now (they are in for a nasty cyclone!!).  Just enough rain here to keep folks off the trails.  Which meant it was once again a CX road/gravel/railtrail training weekend.  'Tis the season.

Saturday a group of friends went out to pre-ride the Tour of Pelham course.  Sadly (or not), I could not make it.  Plus 2 degrees and rain made it a bit of a challenge.

Dis Was Dem

However Sunday Mark & JennR, Giant, Jaimie, Seth, Fig, et moi headed out into the +6 degree, 35km/h wind gusts, and rain in search of adventure.  Mark had damaged his bike on his Saturday ride, so BicycleWorksPaul very graciously loaned him a Kona Rove for the Sunday ride.  (Dem BicycleWorks guys are some kinda awesome!!).

Crux 'n' Kona...cousins almost...before the Sunday ride.

Not really....Paul is genuinely generous to his customers....but he does sell alot by loaning/demo-ing...

Anyways...off we went.  West...through Dundas Valley, then onto an extended section of rail trail.  The rail...not soft enough that we would damage it, but just soft enough to make you feel like you were dragging an elephant...and suck the life out of your legs early in the ride.  When we eventually took things north...Fig was dying, and we were now battling the wind.  By 50km Fig packed it in and headed for home.

More wind and rain...we eventually made it to 97 General Store at the 77km mark, and made a brief stop to refuel (buttertarts!!), and refill bottles.  We were three hours in....cold, and soaked...and whipped from the soft trail and gravel, wind, and rain.  We decided to take the most direct route back.  30kms to home...for a total of 107kms in ass kicking conditions...what better to prepare for the spring races??  4hours, 22minutes....home where Lois had hot vegan chilli, and cold beverages waiting for us.  (Yah...Fig was back waiting for us...and surprisingly left enough chilli for all.)

JennR's training program called for her to do another 3 hour ride on Monday...so I offered to join.  So Monday we did it again...conditions slightly better this time.  90km of hurt (JennR is faster than a Riot!)...to Moffat (Dar's bakery....and buttertarts!!) and back.

Dar's famous bike rack.

So it wasn't the nicest weekend, so if you got out for an epic ride...like JeffS and Hal's 165km fatbike ride.  Seriously...165km on a fatbike...who does that???  Well, besides JeffS, and Hal...(and Jack would have if he had known...).

Or if you just got out for a 10km spin in the rain, before the sun set....good on you!!  It's all about the passion for the game, and the love of the outdoors and nature in all its forms and conditions.  Don't let anyone tell ya different!

Looking forward to getting back on a mountain bike soon!  (I have to burn off a couple of buttertarts.)  Until then...

Stay posted!!

Nature...in all it's forms??