Sat. 2/23/08

We had four this morning for a nice brisk (5 degree) start at Dunn Brothers. With no real wind to speak of, we headed on the standard West CX route toward Rock Dell. Things were going along nicely, until we came upon a black lab around the 8 mile mark, who decided to come with us. He ran along side and ahead of us all the way to Rock Dell (about 5 miles). We were pretty sure he would never make it home from there, so we backtracked to the farm where we picked him up. We tried for several minutes to discourage him from following us, but he persisted. Tim and Eric went to the house to talk with the family, but nobody was home. One of the sheds was unlocked, so we put him in there and left. Then we continued west and then north on some very scenic gravel road. Then back east to Salem Corners, where we jogged north for one mile then countinued east and back to Rochester. After that we sat at Dunn Brothers and had a nice hot cup of coffee. Almost 33 miles, nice ride Tim B., Jim T., and Eric.

Sun. 2/17/08

No go for today. Nice temps in the mid-twenties, but about an inch of fresh snow (with more on the way) and winds in the twenties (gusts to 30mph) have made riding the roads (even gravel roads) suicidal. I rode a small portion of the trail yesterday and Jeff tried a couple of other sections along our route yesterday. We found that it was passable, but still pretty soft in places. And with the new snow, it wouldn't be any better. So it's off to the DAHLC for some indoor riding, weights, and warmer/dryer conditions. Also, this way I don't have to clean my bike...

Marty, you remember this.

Maybe another ride on Tuesday or Thursday evening, but for sure next Saturday.

Sat. 2/16/08

We had four brave souls on Saturday. Jeff and Tim had a lot to catch up on. With temps in the lower teens and stiff SSW winds, we headed out on the standard VR NW CX #1 route. Shown here:
Things moved along nicely until we had to turn south and head for Rochester, where the wind seemed to pick up just a bit. But we all made it back. Great ride Jeff, Tim, and Eric.

Sun. 2/10/08

Man, what a difference a day makes. Minus 15 degrees with 10 to 15 mph NNW winds. Time for some indoor activities. :)

Sat. 2/9/08

Six of us (Jeff S., Jim P., Chris F., Mark C., Charlie T., and myself) took off from Dunn Brothers South at 9:00am. Light snow and light SW winds, we headed west toward Salem Corners, then south on 104 which turned west and finally onto some gravel. Here we picked up a friendly (but large) lab. He must have really wanted to play because he stayed with us for several miles, until we came to a farm with another dog and the two of them stayed with us for 1/2 mile or so and then they must have got bored and turned around. We continued south and then west into Rock Dell. We continued west and then turned north on some very quiet gravel roads. We headed east back toward Salem Corners and then headed north across Hwy 14 for several more miles, then east on gravel roads. Here we met up with Mark O. and Ray L., who had headed out at 8:00am and were on their way back to Rochester as well. We headed south on 104, while Mark and Ray continued east. We turned east on Salem Road and back into town. The snow, winds, and colder temps were started to make riding fun. So, I think we timed our return about right. Back at Dunn Brothers for a nice hot cup of java...

Here is our route (as far as I can remember):

Thur. 2/7/08

Jim and I headed out from the condos at 6:00pm. We headed north and west until we hit Cty 5, then turned east and south until we got to Cty 3. Then east until 60th St, from there south back to the condos. Just a couple of slick spots, but nothing major. I did have my studded tire on the front, while Jim was riding his wider 29ers. Right around 2 1/2 hours and about 27 miles. Good thing Jim was along, my light battery started to run low as we turned south on 60th. Saturday should be cold, so bundle up...

Here's our route:

Sun. 2/3/08

The Three Amigos headed out from the trusty condos at 10:00am. With a fairly consistant SE wind, we headed south. Jim came to a complete and sudden stop, when he spotted pornography in the ditch. After retrieving the new-found viewing material, we continued on our ride. Too bad, Beebe or Herbert weren't along. Either one could have added this masterpiece to their extensive collections. We connected up with Dan Schaid as he was returning from a morning ride and rode with him until he headed back into town. We continued south, then east past Fleet Farm. Then south and back west again past the airport. Then we turned north on Cty 8 and back-tracked to the condos. Temps in the low 20s, winds between 10 and 15 (closer to 15), about 3 hours of riding and almost 40 miles of total riding. A great start to February.

Sat. 2/2/08

Jeff, Jim, and I headed out from the condos at 10:00am. The temp was mild for February and the winds were from west/southwest. Jim had rode in on the trail and said it was icy with a bit of snow covering it. Even with studs, he said it was hard to ride. So, we headed for the gravel roads again. This time we went north first, then west, and back to Rochester. We were out for about 2 hours and I logged almost 27 miles. Hopefully, we can get out again tomorrow morning...