Mixte Action To Cumming

No party at the Lean To today.

With the weather improving and our winter commuter bikes heavy, slow and half functioning, Mary and I decided to go on a ride together after work.  We have over 1600 miles each since the beginning of the year and very few of those miles have been for pleasure.  Even less have been in "warm" weather. But winter is still with us despite the Official Season Change To Spring the day before.  Roads are filthy covered with salt, sand, debris from car wrecks.  Trails are in similar conditions with the addition of mud both dried and wet and tree debris.  We took our cheap mixte frame bicycles.

I covet our road bikes.  I refuse to ride them with such crappy conditions. Maybe because I see what happens to our winter bikes.  The sand and the salt and the filth and the destruction.  Wait until May to bust out the top o line.  We need our best road bikes to be in perfect condition for the early June ride across South Dakota.  The mixtes, on the other hand, are less expensive and cheaper to maintain.  We literally can abuse them until mid May when we need to do serious road bike rides.

The went according to early morning discussions and daytime texts.  Meet at the Raccoon River bridge in Water Works Park and ride to the Cumming Tap.  We had not been there since October of last year.  I would leave from West Des Moines where I work on the other side of the freeway.  Mary would leave from home since she had the day off..  Pack lights, hats, gloves and jackets as it may be cold and dark by the time we return.

What we did not count on was the strong 30 mph wind from the NNW.  Now I did get to enjoy it from WDM to the bridge.  Turbo, WEP (war emergency power) boost.  Smooth sailing.  And in the back of my head I feared the 13 mile ride home from the Tap since it would be into the that evil wind.  Gusts up to 41 mph.

1977 Raleigh Grand Prix and 90s vintage Bianchi Boardwalk.  Neither currently as when originally built and sold.

On a normal bike this would not be as big of a deal.  Scoot ass back, stretch out arms and flatten back.  Ride in the drops.  All skills we will need in June.  BUT we are riding bikes that put one in the most upright sitting position imaginable.  No drops, no aerobars, nada.  The Bianchi was a set of Tiki moustache bars and the Raleigh has something similar.  Great for slow speed maneuverability but extremely high profile.  Not aerodynamic.  Good for a tailwind!  To her credit, Mary did not chicken out.

So we made it to the Tap in record time.  Only got passed by 1 road bike.  Empty trail.  Two road bikes at the bar.  Stayed for one round.  And headed out.  We saw Laura and Will heading to the Tap on loaded touring bikes as well as a few other brave souls.  Really need a cheap diner and a Casey's there.  Hunger was a major factor in our short visit.

Tiki bars.  The red bike is my winter commuter.  The Tiki bars put my up higher than on the red bike which is already a high position.

NOTE ON THE TRAIL:  Massive tree cleanup/clearing outside Cumming.  Use the park turn off as the trail is extremely dirty and covered with mud, rocks, tree debris.  ALSO noticed a sign saying that the trail would be closed for two weeks in March or April.  Linda thinks they are doing drainage work.

It was not bad at all.  I use Endomondo to track mileage when I ride a bike lacking a proper computer.  Every mile was less than 5.5 minutes with the exception of 1 but that was still less than 6 minutes.  The curved nature of the trail and the protection the trees offer help mitigate the wind.  That and the general descent from Cumming to Orlandos.  Got home before dark and collected Timmy and went to Mullets for dinner.  I ended up with 45 miles for the day.  A good day.  A great day.

Yeah, take your stupidest bike and fight the wind.  Come May, I am going to kill on my road bike.