Tri-Bury Gravel Grinder

I finally did it!  Riding from Exit 14 I went from Southbury to Middlebury via Larkin Bridle Trail, then Middlebury to Woodbury via the Middlebury greenway.  Down the Woodbury Trolley Trail and then on back to Southbury.

Of course riding the Larkin after the area got upwards of 8 inches of rain the past week was not the brightest of ideas.  Quite a few new blowdowns, lots water everywhere and it was axle deep at Towantic Hill Road!

It's almost half gravel and pretty good route.  If I had more time I would have added the old farming road in Flanders Nature Center which would make it half dirt and half pave.

I think the Woodbury Trolley Trail was worse.  Quite a few blowdowns and quite a bit of water running down the middle of the trail.  Out by the end there is a lot of Poison Ivy.  I won't be coming back till the fall - I hate poison ivy!

Nothing like a nice mud tan on Father's day!

Getting some more ASS...phalt

With all the rain we have had so far I have spent next to no time on the trails and most of my riding has been on roads, either commuting or actually riding asphalt.  Of course, I can't ignore the fact that I really love my Cannondale.  I love having just a little squish up front for descending dirt roads and riding trails like I did today at Fairfield Hills again.  I also found that I have to be more careful with my singlespeed riding and do that every other day.  Back to back SS'ing is not good for my knee.

I stayed up too late the night before playing Minecraft, add in that it was still raining when I woke up, and you get a pegged Give-a-shit meter.  Getting home early from work was an excellent opportunity to make up for chickening out on the commute but just as I was getting ready to leave, it began to rain.  Checking the Weather Channel online it seemed to be just a passing shower so I headed out.

 

The passing shower really cooled the area off and I was glad that I was actually wearing another layer under my jersey.  I am finding a sleeveless wicking shirt to be perfect for riding in most temperatures because it absorbs most of my sweat and seems to keep my cooler with the wind from the outer jersey.  Of course I am not sure I would do this in 80 or 90 degree temperatures.

Looks like we just caught the edge of the storm.  The roads by me were damp but no soaked.  When I got down towards the other end of Castle Meadow Road the roads were soaked!

Brought a few snacks for the ride, including a banana that I found troublesome to peal and pedal at the same time.  I also had a goo and a unibar and was never fatigued or lacking energy.  I think this is going to be one of my new work out courses. 

Another Newtown Bike Commuter!

That was Nancy!

I am rolling out of the office park and there is a woman mounting a bike in the driving way of the Nursing Home.  I ask her if she bike commutes, and she does and from Newtown, too!  I told her about Endomondo and the local team covering the Danbury area.  I hope she joins us!

Glad I was on my bike and not sitting this traffic!

Of course I seldom drive home this way anymore because of this.

The real highlight of today's bike commute was to get a little CX action on the Monster Cross.  I took the right of way cut through to Old Farm Road.  I think I need to come back on the Cannondale and ride the "trails" that appear to have been mowed into fields I would guess are for runners.  Rode the trails behind the water tanks and then followed a mowed path that was perpendicular to the Rec Path some ways before jumping back on to the paved path.  There was some warrior run here last weekend where you have crawl through mud and jump over obstacles.  Sounds like basic training - why would anyone want to subject themselves to that I don't know.  

I have found that 42:17 is just too tall a gear for riding grass

But Pave, or hard packed dirt roads it's perfect!

After Fairfield Hills, I rode through Sandy Hook and noticed this sign on this barn.

Could this mean that a new bike shop is coming to town?

Getting some Ass...phalt

This guy should have followed my lead - say no to mud!

With Baseball canceled due to wet fields and after pouring rain yesterday and this morning there was no way I was going in the woods.  Plus, I saw the doctor today and he said stay off the mountain bike for a week due to this inflammation I have in my joints.  He said road riding was fine because it doesn't have the same kind of jarring effect that you get on a mountain bike.  I hate to say this but I am kind of liking road riding more these days.  Yikes, what's next?  Shaved legs and a Cannondale EVO 6? 

I went full Fred this evening.  Wanted to test out a fender on the Qball and just jumped on the bike in what I was wearing, t-shirt, basketball shorts and no socks.

New stem is really making this bike ride fun!

After all the rain we got Sunday night and Monday I rode down to the boat ramp at the end of Hanover Road, thinking that the water level on Lake Lillononah would have come up quite a bit from Sunday but it appears to have only risen marginally.

I don't think I have ever been this far out into the lake and not getting wet

 

 

 

Monster Cross Perfection

I ordered a less happier stem for the Qball last week in order to drop the bars so that they are the same height as the Cannondale.  I ended up getting a 35 degree, 70mm stem, which lowered the bars about an inch from the 90/100 mm stem that I had to begin with.

While I was hoping for more of a drop I found it be perfect for the Qball.  The shorting stem also brings the bars back about 2 inches so I don't feel over stretched on them either.

I tried them out on the Trumbull Railtrail and the bike road beautifully!

Since I had my top tube bag I ready didn't need a pocketed jersey so I went full Fred.
It turned into a great ride and workout!