FAIL

Saturday I was feeling like I was fighting a cold and I couldn't rouse myself to go ride until after 11.  For some reason I thought I would still be able to pull off an epic ride even though it would be dark by 5:30?  From the house I rode up to the foothills and then took the trails south.  Copper to Tramway to Route 66 out to Tijeras.  The original plan was to ride 337>542 (gravel)>252 (gravel)>242 (gravel)>217>337 and then Otero>Tunnel on the way out.  By the time I was climbing up 337 I was at the two hour mark and not feeling such a big ride anyways. 

Instead I rode Tunnel>Otero and then took the unnamed trail from Tunnel back to the Coyote trail head. 

 Snowy singletrack

 It was 60 degrees and I was in shorts

Headed back to town on Route 66 I must have ran over a piece of glass because my rear tire sustained a cut in the center of the tread block and immediately went flat.

I tried a 2 oz bottle of Stan's and no amount of profanity and furious jerking with my hand pump would get it to seal up.  I finally gave up and put a tube in only to find out the tube had a hole in it from being mounted to my seat post for so long.  I'm about 20 miles from home via my original route.

 I blame this on the damn deer that throw their little Coronita bottles out the window and graffiti our roadways with images of their nude models.

Still, it was a beautiful day while I waited for my ride to show up.

Winter "Training"

We had a dusting of snow last Saturday night. Summer has left the building. It is the official indicator that the "Late Fall Party of Laziness" has ended and Winter training has begun (with or without me). So Tim and I ventured out in the dusting of God's cocaine and mustered about 12 miles in the Foothills.

I cannot reveal the details of my "SSWTP" (super secret Winter training plan) but it might involve pilates while watching McGyver reruns. Or it might not, you'll just have to wait until the Spring season starts. If I crush it you'll know.

I ordered a revelate designs tangle bag a few weeks ago and I haven't used it yet. I've been too busy trying to decide what I will carry with all of this new found space that is not on my back, but between my legs. So far I have made these conclusions:

 

Two 24oz Podium bottles do not fit.

A 48oz Nalgene fits (but then I have to refill bottles).

 A stuffed white squirrel does not fit.

One Giro Code fits....you never know when you might destroy a carbon last hammering on a bikepacking trip.

I was going to ride to work tomorrow but then realized that I am out of spare tubes and my front has two punctures from goatheads today.