Sunday, February 25, 2007

ride to Babylon

Sunday 25th, Sayville to Babylon. Nothing exciting, just one more great winter group ride.

And a nice detour and loop around Hecksher Park on the ride back. Thanks for the good ride!

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Wind Chill 17F

After a long cold, missed rides and boarding, PyZahl was getting very nervous and needed fresh air. The sun was bright and the sky steel blue and clear, but a steady icy NW wind was blowing, he waited almost until noon to let the air warm up just little above freezing...


Riding out on North Country, taking his favorite hills warming up was quick, but the extra wind protection was a must to keep the arctic wind away. A few patches of black ice, sand and salt mix all over made road looking like dried out creeks at sections and some not so welcome thick frozen over sections were forcing PyZahl to very slow motion... but a easy ride out in the sun with tail wind... let PyZahl already thinking on the long way home with the wind in his face...

All the way out along the "tanks" to Iron Pier Beach Park several frozen ponds and a nice view to the rough Bay...


A very quick stop.


And back home, PyZahl picked up a bag of apples and a great looking apple pie as he stopped at a farm stand half way back and stowed away 1kg in his Camelbag -- back home, a hot shower never felt so good and the apple pie turned out to be on of the best he ever had :-)

Monday, February 19, 2007

Nothing as planned

Day 11. PyZahl made it back to the icy and all frozen over Long Island from his trip to Switzerland. He was planning for a winter vacation in deep power in the Alps with his swiss friends but it all came so different. We all are wondering if this very irregular warm temps of January and February so far are only an exception or if this may become more usual in future... It felt like spring, green meadows, warm air (Föhn), rain up to elevations above 2000m. PyZahl should have brought his road bike for a comfortable spin along the Rhein valley.

A quick review:

Day 1 was buisness, visiting ZRL.

Day 2 and 3 were dedicated for a birthday party with good old friends.

Day 4 was planned for Snowboarding with friends but due to some previous misshappen one was not able to participate and otheres decided in X-Country skiing, so PyZahl joined those and had a first taste and some fun in little wet snow around Davos Dorf.

Day 5 started out feeling very sick and having a cold -- PyZahl can only speculate about it's origin, bad luck. Changing location from Seewis to Amden, taking it easy trying to overcome that cold.

Day 6 -- visiting STONEBITE, small talk and great dinner, TF-brainstorming. Most surprising news: Esther Suess rides on STONEBITE COBALT RACE soon.

Day 7, 1st attempt to go snow boarding, but felt very bad on the way -- hard decision but to yield to reason, backing home to Amden. The afternoon called for a summer like hike... how strange, temps in the sun were way above 24C. Amden, the sun terrace.

Friday - Day 8, 2nd attempt -- Davos. Snow conditions were quite reasonable and better than expected, staying inbetween 2200 m and 2844 m.




Day 9, back in Seewis, again chilling out the cold until Day 10.