Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Five for Five

I haven't posted much lately due to a lack of exciting content. And I am not saying this post will be any different, so read at your own risk.

Fall Little League baseball, work, a torn calf muscle and a bad cold all conspired to keep me off the bike for much of the fall, which is a great time to ride here in Northern California. With all that behind me, I seized an opportunity to have five days off work to ride and relax.

My first ride was a two-hour spin around Granite Bay on Friday.


The temperature was perfect, the sky blue and the trails slightly damp.


I am still enjoying the Canfield. However, because the bike is so different than anything I've ever owned, the position is still off just a bit. Although the geometry numbers say a straight post should be fine, I feel like I need more setback. My theory is this is due to the higher hand position.


Folsom Lake is very low, and there is no end in sight. Everything I have heard concerning long-range forecasting points to another dry year.


On Saturday and Sunday I did local road rides around my house. The only excitement was on Sunday when I came across a crying seven-year-old boy at the end of a long driveway. After a minute of expert interrogation (so . . . are you . . . OK?), I realized this kid was very alone. He was able to rattle off both his parents' cell phone numbers, which impressed me. After placing a couple calls, it turned out that his parents were in Tahoe for the weekend. A friend had unknowingly dropped him off at an empty house half a day early. Luckily his two older siblings were with a babysitter down the street. Within 25 minutes the frantic child was back with his brother and sister, and I was back riding with a small deposit in the karma bank.

On Monday I took the Fargo out for a spin. I parked in Folsom and wound around on various bike trails, gravel roads and singletrack.


I rode over the new Johnny Cash Bridge for the first time. Designed to look like the old prison east gate guard towers, it's a neat addition to our local trail network. I wonder, though, why the metal structures were left bare. After a couple rains the steel is corroding, and the rust has stained the new concrete. I understand the look they were going for, but it was poorly executed. Maybe a clear coat for that bare-metal look?


The trails were empty for once, which was nice. I'm all for sharing, but some of the most unpleasant people I come across are usually running on this trail.


The salmon are running, so the seagulls are making the most of it.


I stopped for a couple minutes to watch the fishing action. It didn't take long for someone to hook into one.


After a nice five-minute battle, he finally landed his catch.


On Veterans day I did another local ride near my house, concluding my short vacation. Riding five days in a row is a real luxury these days, and I really enjoyed it.

Later.

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