A satisfying ride on 'Locke'

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

I had managed two colder rides on ‘Locke’ prior to yesterday and loved the new bike.  It has the climbing gears I need to handle difficult terrain on long journeys and the steel frame is forgiving and responsive.  I can feel the difference it makes as I bump over the crappy roads in the valley.

I came home from work thinking about a ride and how cold my feet were likely to get.  I stopped at Horseshoe Pond to check on the trail conditions and was not surprised to find them extremely icy.  Dakota looked longingly at me when I opened the front door, but seemed to understand when I explained to her that hiking in the ice was just not an option.  It was that or guilt over eating another box of Kleenex.

I looked at the box and back at her.  She was cowering under my newly constructed counter in my office.  “Does it really taste that good?” I asked.  She hid her face.  Apparently, it did.

I pulled on my regular riding gear and supplemented with tights, riding mittens, my new head/face covering and a second set of socks.  I decided against the booties since it was forty degrees…a veritable heat wave.

Kathy had been warning me that she needed to do some training on hills for an upcoming ride she was going to do and so I climbed out of the valley in a heavier gear, pushing hard from the saddle and getting a good thigh burn.  As I reached the top I knew I’d be dropping down and then climbing out again.  I needed it.  I rode past Boston Mills and watched the ski lift carrying customers to the top for the brief glide down the hill.  Still, it was an interesting backdrop for a bike ride.

I passed two other riders as I cruised through the valley…both giving me enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’.  We were the few, the brave, the stupid…

I climbed once more out of the valley thinking I was doing myself some real good with the second effort.  I know I’m a very long way from good conditioning, but I could also feel the old determination that leads to difficult efforts and excellent results.  As I finished the climb, sweat coming down my face, my already cold feet and I knew what was coming.  The descent completed the foot freeze and I turned for home – thirty minutes away. 

I pulled into the driveway, dismounted, and walked on feet devoid of feeling.  It would take several minutes for the thaw, but I’d managed almost two hours of riding and felt fantastic.  ‘Locke’ is a hell of a bike and tomorrow is supposed to be in the forties, so I’ll hopefully hit the road for a second day in a row, which hasn’t happened in over a year!
Bike duration: One hour and 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 bpm.
Calories Burned: 1,400.
Bonus: 21,000 steps.