Mount Vernon Adventure Ride

After losing another Saturday to work, I was eager to recharge my spiritual batteries in the saddle on Sunday.  I decided to take the SS Karate Monkey out -- I just can't seem to get enough of that bike.  Commuting, grocery store runs, road rides with the more sedate crowd, and adventure rides.  This bike seems happy to do it all.

This was definitely a stop-and-smell-the-roses kind of ride.  I wasn't in a hurry and had no real agenda.  I had a 104 mile route mapped out, but then decided to do more putzin and explorin rather than making time on a long century.  I took a handful of photos and quite a bit of video footage.  I forgot my Go Pro so I had to use the cell phone.

I had to stop early and take this picture.  I think the color and texture both caught my eye.  Maybe it was this picture which set the tone for a leisurely ride.  

I discovered a great series of dirt backroads near Mount Vernon.  I had a great time exploring.  The dampness from the last few days helped keep the road firm and dust free.   Just on the outskirts of town, I  encountered the "Heart of Ohio" Trail.  I didn't know that it extended West of Mount Vernon.  This is part of the larger Rails to Trails effort to connect Cleveland with Cincinnati.  This particular part exists as an overgrown foot path.  Turns out the Karate Monkey was right at home.   Apparently the trail goes all the way to Centerberg.  I'll go back later to scope the whole thing, maybe on a snow day!

After a lunch stop in Mount Vernon, I hit the Kokosing Gap Trail for a short ways.  Got bored and split off for the hills.  And hills they were, lots  of them.  Gave me a good workout on the 34x17 stock gearing.  I made a vimeo video of the day's excursions.  Check it out here.


Mt Vernon Adventure Ride from Matt Kretchmar on Vimeo.

Evening Ride

Its been a rough last two weeks.  I logged 84 hours in the office for orientation week, then got sick and spent the next few days (glorious weather) confined to bed.   Finally a weekend rolls around (20 straight days of work without a day off) and Saturday is 97 degrees with disgusting humidity (110 heat index) and then Sunday rains all day.   I pretty much give up trying to ride in the extreme heat of Saturday and wait to fit in a long ride on Sunday, except that it is raining all the time.  Finally, I head out between storms and ... get rained on.

Saturday night I spent in the shop, so not entirely wasted.  I put the new Salsa Bell Lap bars on the cross bike along with the gore ride-on cables I ordered two months ago.  Everything went on smoothly in about 3 hours ... about 2 hours less than I expected.  

Sunday, during rain, I drove down to Paradise Garage on high street, in the Short North district of Columbus.  Everyone was 20-something and totally hip or trying to look totally hip.  I can't tell the difference and frankly I don't care.  The shop is pretty cool and specializes in commuter and alternative bikes rather than the latest and greatest carbon clones that everyone else has.  They carry both Surly and Salsa, so they must be all right.   Not a lot in stock.  An El Mariachi caught my eye; boy is that a nice frame.  The Vaya they had on the floor looked pretty nice too.  Shop guys (and gals) say they expect a fleet of the new Mukluks in about two weeks from now, including a demo unit.  I hope to be first in line to test one out.  I'd really like to have $2k to blow on that bike ... some mental wrangling over how cool it is and how utterly unpractical it is.

Of course on Monday, I have to work, unlike 99% of USA.  And it is a gorgeous fall day to boot.   Blustery, cloudy, 60 degrees ... perfect fall weather.   I'm not sure I'd want every single day to be like this, but I'll take 90% of them this way.   I logged a full day and took Eli to piano lessons.  Then I headed out the door at 6:30pm on the SS KM for an evening ride.  Lights, bottle, GPS, and a very rural route NW to Sunbury and back.  Logged 55 very relaxing miles in just under 4 hours.   Riding west into the sunset was totally beautiful.  Lovely hues of orange and then deep, blood red before the darkness finally came.  I rode home on very narrow farm lanes so I had 10 foot walls of corn on either side of me forming a dark tunnel.  I just love that KM, it is the perfect bike.  Sorry no pics, it just seemed to lovely to stop and take a picture.