New route

Somehow I managed to get a little 17-mile ride in today, a day I never thought I would be out riding.


But "der Jan" dropped me an email asking if by chance I was interested in a short ride. He offered to drop by and help me get a new tire on the Klein too.


Although I had made a promise to my wife to go somewhere in the afternoon, there was a small window of time available. We went for it.


He showed me a way to head east, a new route that I will certainly expand and make part of my rotation this season. It's the Hank Aaron trail, taking me behind the Petit Ice Center, through Zablocki Medical Center and around Miller Park. 


That's where we turned around today, but eventually he is going to show me how to make this a loop, or perhaps also expand to the east while heading toward the lakefront.


It was cold at 35 degrees, but I will say that under the right conditions it wasn't bad. Those conditions would include the sun being out, the nagging cold north/northeast wind out of your face, and tucked behind der Jan!


I had to laugh at my out-of-shape self toward the end. He was riding his single speed as training for the early racing season...and here I am turning 105 rpm steady and huffing and puffing on my fancy carbon fiber bike just trying to remain his wheel sucker.


I WAS vindicated however today when he admitted there is something odd about my wheel situation. I have taken a lot of crap for struggling to change my own tire/tube. But even he couldn't do it today. He ended up taking the wheel home with him so as not to eat away at the short time we had to actually ride. Priorities.

Season Miles: 184