Counting Backwards

Today I thought I would do my favorite 50 mile loop. Decisions, decisions as to which bike to take.

I'm so confused.

I decided the bike with the least resistance. The Stratus with it's long stretched wheelbase and soft comfy ride is a great high miler bike.

The Limo

The day started cold in the 30's with light winds and blue skies. I dressed in my cold attire, wool socks, Snowhill warm pants, Snowhill warm shirt, hoodie, windbreaker jacket, warm gloves and my favorite wool Walz cap with earmuffs.

 Walz cap and Sporthill shirt.

 The morning started to warm and I thought I might be a bit over dressed. A needless concern as it turned out. 3 miles into the ride I met with a construction detour. Instead of back tracking and rerouting, it put me in a position to do my ride backwards. It seemed like a great idea and would give me a different perspective as if it was a totally new ride.

Seeing this on my left going downhill. A different perspective.

 I was going at a good pace and thought, WOW, how much easier it is this way. For all these years I have been doing this route the hard way. 30 miles into the ride things changed. You know those light winds I mentioned. They were now in my face. The temps no longer warming and instead were dropping. It seemed all grades were an incline. My speed dropped significantly. I even got a little disoriented and didn't know which way to go. Things look a lot different going the other way. The last 10 miles was work. I am not sure exactly why that was. Maybe I was not up for such a long ride. I haven't been doing the miles as usual. Maybe it was the cold. Two thing I learned, you can't dress too warm and think twice before doing those extra miles when riding on those cold  Fall/Winter days. Although my legs are aching and my body has finally warmed up it was great to get out.
KEEP RIDING!!!