After 16 years it's still all about the ride!

I talked to another rider this afternoon who has been cycling quite some time. As with many riders she used to ride mountain bikes but has gone more roadie now. We were talking about what time of day to ride on the weekend. She said she likes to ride early, when it's warm enough to do so, to, and I quote "... get the ride over with and ...." She continued to say do other things the rest of the day. I'm not knocking that if that's what she, or anyone else wants to do but, my mind went crazy with that.

"... to get the ride over with...." I can't grasp this concept for myself.

Thanks to a friends encouragement I started riding in 1996. At the age of 36. I had ridden less before that than anyone I know but all of a sudden a love affair with 2 wheels sparked. Now to me life is just one ride after another in ever increasing intensity, speed and more and more beautiful and hopefully someday a few exotic places.

Anyone that ever reads my blog, tweets or Facebook know that Jodi and I obviously enjoy spending time together so please no one take this as negative in regards to spending time with her doing the things we love to do together. But when I think of my picture perfect weekend it involves sleeping in a little, 7ish. Having a leisurely breakfast with Jodi. Getting my gear, bike and me ready slowly for a ride to start around 10ish. Winter I do not want any earlier, summer I can deal with the heat so I still think around 8:30 or so. Get in a good ride of somewhere between 25 and 50 miles, summertime maybe ending at the pool. That was fun this past year. Eating a well-balanced replenish, rebuild, build energy stores meal. Recup for a couple hours and trade bikes. Pile on the knobby tired bike and hit a trail somewhere!!

Now that I'm running maybe throw in a short run before dark.

It's just still about the ride. Less vigorous, less aggressive riders tell me they don't want to ride with me because they don't want to slow me down. I feel bad when I slow riders down that are much faster or much better hill climbers than me, but you know what? I just want to ride. I don't care if it's a slow bike-path ride with the slower team or climbing big hills with the fast boys and girls, I just enjoy being in the saddle and making forward motion.

It's not about where I am, who I'm with, which bike I'm on, where I'm going or how fast I'm getting there. To me it's still all about the ride!!!

See you out there!

2 wheels, skinny or fat doesn't really matter

I've had conversations with a couple people recently about bikes and biking. Yeah I know, imagine that! In the conversation I explained that if I ever had to give up one bike for the other I would always keep my mountain biking and give up being a roadie. I noticed the last couple of nights that evidence does not support that proclamation.

Yesterday afternoon I took off early to get in a good ride since the winter weather has been so amazing, 50's for highs the end of January, first of February. Monday night when Jodi and I went for a run, another night of our C25K training, the trails on the Bosque had signs all over the place that they are closed. The signs they're closed because of pesticide being sprayed but there is equipment there that I think is cleaning out underbrush and blow-down to lessen the danger of fire. Due to so many trails being "closed" and these being the only trails close enough to work to get in a ride in the afternoon before dark I opted for the road bike. Got in a great 13 mile ride with a lot of short, steep hill-climbing.

Today, I got home at regular time but it was warm again and I had enough daylight to do some more short quick hill-climbing training. So I did. Just 5 miles but a lot of good climbing. Oh, did I mention? Once again I climbed on the skinny tire bike. It is a longer ride from home to fun off-road riding and I didn't have enough time before dark.

I guess the moral of this story is, I sure hope I never have to choose. My Scott Scale mountain bike is my favorite "toy" I have ever owned but the CR1 is becoming more a part of life than I ever thought it would.

I don't really care which or where I just want to ride and climb!