The Other Cyclists are Staring At Me

And, I really don't know why. They may be wondering what Ole Miss is. Or it may be the mountain bike shorts on a road ride. Or maybe it's the steel cyclocross bike with only a rear fender. I'm not sure, but yesterday, on my 42 mile road ride, it seemed like all the other cyclists were giving me inquisitive looks. The other roadies waved, but the more casual cyclists just looked puzzled.

It was the warmest day of the year so far, and everyone was out enjoying it - 70 degrees with a blue sky. I saw tons of cyclists in and around town, but once I got passed Rist Canyon Rd, they vanished. Not a single one in Poudre Canyon; something else I don't understand. It was a great ride! No lung-busting, gut-wrenching climbs. No break-neck speeds. Just a gradual incline winding alongside the Poudre River with scenic views around every turn, most too big for my view finder. There were plenty of other recreators out hiking, fly fishing, and picnicing by the river at various parks and trails. My goal was to reach Hewlett Gulch and explore the area since it is an off-leash trail. I've heard it was damaged by fires and floods from the past few years and was wondering if it is still rideable. I didn't bring a map and didn't pinpoint it's exact location prior to setting out. I should've because as it turns out, I turned around less than 500 feet from it. That was disappointing to find out, but I'm sure I'll be back there soon.

On another note, I finally got tired of single speeding up super steep hills and into 30+ mph headwinds and put gears back on the Pompino. I'm currently running it 1x10 which is a new trend in the off road scene, but unheard of amongst tarmac riders. The low gear still gives me a challenge uphills, and the top gear is plenty fast. I'm not sure why, but my chain came off twice on the way back down. It's fine everywhere else though. My current bike plans consist of a few more upgrades to my current bikes which will then leave me with enough spare parts to build up a light weight cyclocross/long distance bike. That way, I can ride to Hewlett Gulch, ride the trail, and ride back! I'll still keep the Pompino as a winter/commuter/bar bike.

My legs rarely burn while biking anymore, but that ride did it. It was my longest ride at this altitude, and I'm still feeling it. Counting my morning commute, I got in 55 miles. Finished the day with Blackjack Pizza and a Breckenridge Brewery IPA. Then slept like a log.