New Bike Day - 2023 Cannondale Synapse Di2

10 years ago I bought my first Cannondale Synapse and I put 21 thousand miles on it. It was time for an upgrade and Shawn at the Bicycle Center suggested I get a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 2LE. 

Gravel with the Girlfriend

It was high time we try some gravel roads so I took Ann over to New Milford to try some climbing and real dirt roads and I figured this would be a good time to test ride the new Cross Check.

My second Surly Cross Check

I picked up this 2010 Surly Crosscheck, used, at Base Camp in Killington during my second visit to the area back in early February 2024. I had been looking for another Cross Check for the longest time and I was about to settle on another steel frame when I found this one. It’s a 60 cm frame with an uncut steering tube giving me higher position on the bike which I really like. It's a 9 speed like my last one. In the future, I am going to make it a 10 speed with a wider range of gears.

Topstone Test Ride to OEC

Ann & I didn’t get to do much riding in January 2024 due to winter returning to Southern New England and us spending time together in Killington. We finally got back out for a ride on the Larkin Trail in the early part of February and she finally got to test out her new Topstone. 

New Year, New Bike!

Ann and I went over to First Stop to do a little shopping on New Year's Day.  The place is amazing. They have just about everything you need to enjoy the outdoors in Vermont.  We started looking at Gravel Bikes and we found this Cannondale Topstone on sale so she bought it. What better way to start the New Year with a new bike!

3rd Cycling Date

The day after Christmas, 2023, Ann and I went to the Monroe Rail Trail

2nd Cycling Date

A week later, Ann brought out the big guns for our next ride. 

I was totally blown away with her bike, an Intense Primer 27.5, and full carbon!

1st Cycling Date

 

In November of 2023 I met this wonderful woman named Ann, on an App of all places! What attracted me to her initially was her love of skiing and we hit off on the first date. While getting to know one another she told me she was into cycling, too!

Kayaking Lake Saint Catherine

Our last activity at Lake Saint Catherine was a paddle on the lake. After our mountain bike ride and lunch, we launched our tandem kayak and went for a paddle around the northern part of the lake and into Lily Pond. 

Discovering the Slate Valley Trails

Little did I know but The Slate Valley Trails started right across the street from the camp ground we were staying at over the Memorial Day weekend. So I headed out solo to reconnoiter the trails nearest to us. 

Memorial Day camping and riding bikes

 

Ann and I went tent camping at Lake Saint Catherine State Park in Poultney, VT on Memorial Day weekend and we brought our mountain bikes. We also got to try out her new Yakima Backswing for the bike rack. Awesome design and functionality which lets you keep the bikes on the rack but get them out of the way when loading and unloading. 

Memorial Day at The Beast

It started out pretty crowded Saturday morning because the Rams Head lift was having some issues. 

Stick Season at PHP

 

Like every other state in New England, Vermont has four seasons but unlike those states it also has two bonus seasons: Stick Season - after all the leaves have fallen but before any major snowfalls; Mud Season - when the snow melts and the trails and dirt roads get soft and muddy. 

PHP in Autumn

With ski season coming next month in November Ann and I took our last downhill mountain biking laps at Killington around lunchtime. Then we headed back home and I rode over to PHP for some unassisted ascending  

Closing Day at the Beast

Ann and I took our last laps at Killington on October 26th, because the mountain will be changing over for winter operations. 

New Dropper Post Day!

After a few rides and having to periodically stop to change my seat post height either for climbing or descending I decided it was time to add a dropper. I took the bike over to Down Valley Bikes in Rutland. It was a little pricey but it was worth it and they did a great job. Of course it took a bit longer than it would have taken if I had it done in Connecticut but that’s Vermont for you. 

July at PHP

 

I brought my hard tail up to Vermont in July to ride at Pine Hill Park, because I was keeping my Specialized up at Killington and I wanted to be able to ride the park Friday afternoons when I get up to Rutland.

Buttah!

We got around an inch of snow overnight in Rutland and I waited till noon on Sunday for the temperatures to warm up a bit. I got to PHP around lunch time and it was still around 19 degrees. Heading out I was making the first tire tracks on Escalator. 

Rediscovering Pine Hill Park

I rode Pine Hill Park for the first time back in June 2013 when a riding buddy of mine, Glenn Vernes, and I decided to hit a few parks on our way north to NEMBAFest. Fast forward to July 9th, 2024, returning to the park I had no recollection of what I rode 11 years ago so it was like a new adventure. 

19° at Pine Hill Park

I wanted to ride Pine Hill Park on New Years Day but the high was 15 degrees and I thought it would be prudent not to ride in such cold temperatures. After today's ride I am don't think it would have mattered. Headed out to the park after grocery shopping. The sun was out and it was a blue bird day only by the time I got on my kit, put the bike in the truck and drove out to the park I had sun for all about 5 minutes.

Chez Cyclesnack North

My future forever home, aka Chez Cyclesnack North, is a bit smaller than my southern location, but its one advantage is a big basement. Getting bikes in and out of the basement can be challenging at times, especially with those bikes with really wide handle bars.