Usually Py would not blog about his cyclo commutes, but this one has to be (b)logged for several reasons.
The first day back on the bike for his full (almost) regular commute route in 2011 after his knee recovery, what is about getting back to normal and smooth operation slowly, no pain any more, just still been a bit careful with his power output.
This morning getting on the road by about 7:30am, the air feeling amazing warm with nearly +7C, almost like a spring day -- but still snow and ice masses left and right on the road shoulders. Possibly a bit overdressed for this day -- but it's a windy day, so it will be OK from that point of view. To be expected -- gritty dirty sandy roads with snow melt running across about every where... Making his way out East on NC to Wading River. Down the hill side slopes along the road -- still fully snow covered -- a weird wet cold stream of air mixing with warmer air -- little feeling like in front of an open refrigerator door -- made him all sudden not feel a tiny bit over dressed any more!
Reaching 25 via Lake Panamoka a few minutes behind usual schedule and finding him self 4 minutes slow at his benchmark point what he usually reaches in 34 min on average regular moving speed. Hmm. Well, OK, he still used the small ring all the time again and took it fairly easy. From there he decided to take his regular route into the North gate via this old back road, well, almost to be expected -- it was still impassable deep snow and he had to walk for some 300 meters, clean his cleats from ice and proceed. (Yes, these steps in the snow are all Py's, both sets, one older already! And if not gone today, they will be frozen again tomorrow)
Shower -- Work.
Returning home almost the same way. Dusk is just about to set in. Going around the snow covered road now, what works kind of OK in that direction, except that one wicked ramp has to be taken up to 25 East again. Besides huge holes, way more water running all over as it even got warmer and windy. Slick roads! A few times he notices a slight slipping of his rear wheel.
And not only holes (huge holes) -- but sick dangerous cracks in the middle of the road shoulders at several location on 25! Several bike length long and at sections badly offsetted by a few inches!! Hitting this unprepared will send a bicycle eventually out of control :-( And with more warm/wet + freezing cold cycles to come -- this will get even worse.
Seams like an extended Cyclo Cross season is on us.
Well, safely home in the dark. Good that his light works and put a lot of lumens out to see hopefully enough of the gaps & holes.
