LOVE THE GLOVES!

I was recently given a gift card at work and decided to use it this weekend. My riding gloves are starting to wear a little thin and I needed some with more padding in the palm to help reduce fatigue from the vibration of the bike.


After dinner Saturday night, Mel and I stopped by Performance Bikes to see what they had in stock. I found a pair of Pearl Izumi Cyclone gloves that seemed to be what I needed. They have plenty of padding in the palm, with the requisite terry cloth snot wipe on each thumb (what will those bikers think of next?).






My rubber handlebar grips were starting to wear and crack, so I needed to upgrade. I found a pair of Lizardskins Peaty clamp on grips with red ends to match the paint on my bike. Sweet! After getting the old ones off (bit of a struggle), I fitted the new ones on in less than 10 minutes. I'll keep the old ones for spare parts in case I need them in the future.

This morning I went back out to OP Schnabel for my weekend ride. I had to get the Marin tuned up again this week, so I didn't ride during the week. OP fit the bill. I had a nice 2 hour ride and covered 10.5 miles. Best of all, I was able to conquer a part of the trail that I had avoided for weeks. It is a very rocky downhill section that for some reason, I hadn't been ready to handle mentally.








Today I made up my mind that I was going to ride it! I was already at the end of my ride and headed toward that section of the trail. I had already avoided it at the beginning of my ride, so I was determined to do it. I stopped at the top of the section to study the downhill and pick my line.


Satisfied with the line, I walked my bike back to the top of the trail and headed down. I navigated the first portion of the downhill, then lined up for the hard part. I shifted my butt off the seat and just above the rear wheel, in case I needed to jump off the bike. I hit the first rock and my bike absorbed the hit, then kept on going. At the bottom of the downhill, I gave a fist pump for my small victory! Then I headed back to the truck to load up and come home.


It seems that riding alone the last few weeks has helped my stamina, as I challenge myself to take shorter and fewer breaks throughout the ride. Daylight Savings time will end next weekend, so that virtually eliminates any chance to ride after work. I guess I'll have to make do by simulating my rides at the gym.


Once showered, I super glued my butt to the recliner, having earned my afternoon of guilt free football watching!