Getting dark for RAW rides

Hit the Gussy trail Friday after work for a quick up-and-down but just in case, I brought the headlight just in case. Nice temps prevailed but still went out with a long sleeve jersey. I mainly wanted to check out the blow down that Paula cut up for me last week. It's got potential, only I don't have time at the moment. I figure the trail gnomes will make an up and over out of it but it will be some time before I can get in there and do something with it.

I have the headlamp on for morning rides because that is when the hunters are out and I want as much visibility as possible.  I didn't need the light riding Friday evening because there was still enough light but I put it on anyway. Riding back to my house, in the dark was helpful, though.

The Friday Fix: Fixed with a Trail-a-bike

My fixed gear commuter (Marin Stinson) with an Adams Trail-a-bike

Dang, it was cold this morning!

I woke up Thursday morning a bit early, around 5:30 AM and looking up at my ceiling where the time and temp are projected I laid there in shock as I read the outside temperature:  41 degrees!  I spent the next 30 minutes thinking about what to wear.

I ended up going with a short and long sleeve riding shirts, riding jacket, wind vest, cold weather gloves, wool  sox, a headband and shorts.  

While it was cold the legs were fine.

By the time I got to the half way point where I took these pictures I was getting hot and took off the vest.

Hands were starting to sweat at this point, too

I found the original mount to my Blinky and hooked it up last week.  It beats having it dangle off the seatpack.  I am really enjoying riding the Qball as a commuter.  It has such a nice, smooth and solid feel to it.

Can't ride without Zip Pits!

Someone told me at lunch that it was supposed to rain.  At 3 PM it was looking gloomy out and I chided myself for removing my fenders last night.  I got on the road a little early and felt a few schpritzes but nothing sustained.  I tried riding a different route and I was going for speed.  Last week, I got home in 39 minutes taking the all backroads route.  Today, I tried a more direct route on a major roads and probably would have beaten that time except for having to remove my riding jacket because I was getting too hot and having to stop a second time to retie my shoe.  Add to the fact that I was carrying my laptop I rolled in to the Snack House in 41 minutes.  5 minutes later, it started to pour!

WADSRAW

CT NEMBA's September Chapter meeting Ride after Work at Wadsworth Falls State Park finally happened.  I say that because with the exception of the ride at Middlesex last month, we had been trying to get over here all summer but it was either the weather or something else that preempted every other attempt since may.

Never-the-less it was a great ride.  Glenn, Ryan, Al and myself where riding big wheeled bikes and Paula was on her Trek.  Who said 29er's were just a fad?  Even Paula is considering taking the plunge!

We basically rode just about every bit of single track both ways.  I would still like to know how someone can get a 15 mile ride out of this place without re-riding the trails two or three times.  While I don't like re-riding trails that I have already ridden, most of the trails that we did ride and then re-rode were in the other direction and as I have found it's always different going the other way. 

Wadsworth Falls might not be the most challenging of places to ride in Connecticut but the trail builders have done a fantastic job of creating fast flowy singletrack.  The perfect riding place afterwork..

Another look at that blow down on the Gussy

This is the final before picture of the blow down on the Upper Gussy Trail because Paula came in on Tuesday and cut it up. She told me she left 25 foot section intact for a future skinny. Now I just need to get in there and do something about it before the trail gnomes get to it.