If it ain't one thing, it's another

[jhetley]

Or both. Now the road warriors are grinding pavement out near the golf course, preparatory to repaving. Now, I am all in favor of new pavement. New pavement improves the bicycling experience considerably, relative to the normal roads 'round here. But it should appear as if by magic, applied _between_ my uses of the road. I have spoken.

Nothing of note in the ride itself, usual supply of wildflowers and invasive alien species by the roadside, usual supply of chirps and screeches from the avian population. One dead crow in the middle of the road by the cemetery -- sometimes you eat the roadkill, sometimes you _are_ the roadkill. That's life. Or otherwise.

Need to get back to writing one of these days. Swapping back and forth between books and universes messes with the creative juices. Either that, or I'm lazy.

15.28 miles, 1:03:24

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Speaking of biking, I'm considering getting back to it. Do you have any opinion on the hybrid full-suspension bikes?

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I represent a poor reference for bike reviews -- not even sure what a hybrid bike _is_, and have never ridden a bike with either full or partial suspension. If "hybrid" means what I've heard called "cross" bikes, sort of in between road and mountain bikes, I don't have much use for them. I want to be able to change my riding position every mile or two, so the road handlebars work better on long rides. And when the roads are spring-bad, or I want to ride the carriage trails at Acadia*, I want that full-blown mountain bike.

Also, I want that third chain ring of a mountain or touring bike -- our hills combine with my aging legs to _demand_ a low hill-climbing gear.

*Or when the loose gravel surface of the carriage trails transplants itself to Maple Street....

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Well, I bought the beast and will be investing in aero bars for precisely the reason you mentioned: varying hand position. I rode the 10 mile course that I haven't ridden in too many (5?) years. 10 mi, 47 min. As for the third chain ring, I agree. This bike has 3 in the front and 8 in the back for 24 possible combinations. I didn't have to go to the lowest combination on the hills, but I did grab that small front one a couple of times.

Let's see how my legs feel tomorrow.

Roadkill Query

[prophet-marcus.livejournal.com]

An odd topic for conversation, of course, but I'm wondering. It seems to me that in past years, I almost never saw woodchucks as roadkill. This year, however, I've seen a lot of woodchuck road-pizza. How have they been doing up north?

Re: Roadkill Query

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I'd say about average. We always get a run of groundhog corpses early in the season, when the grass is greener by the side of the road. Later, like now, they seem to thin out, and the porcupines and raccoons become more common. Probably has to do with nocturnal animals and drivers overrunning their headlights.