BIKES AND BEER!

Yes the title is designed to attract people! Well in a recent post I noted that I was feeling fat and old - this was brought about by a lack of quality riding and my nagging injuries, my shoulder and now a back issue caused when I picked up a waste basket full of water in our basement that had been put there by "yours Truly" to catch the drips from our recent plumbing fiasco - talk about adding insult to injury - or in this case injury to insult!

Either bloody way I've been miserable and not riding enough. Well this last week or two things have not changed dramatically the "beer to biking ratio" is still too low by far. The Sunday ride again was a social affair rather than a "balls to the wall" effort, still it was a good ride with a group of six (including MLW) which included 4 neophytes. The highlight of the Sunday Patapsco ride was that Emil finally got out on his new bike for the inaugural ride! The guy is a kin hero! Having never really ridden seriously before he threw his bike at pretty much everything that he came across - he even left the main trail to take on the "optional" bigger logs at the trail side. This is with platform pedals too! I knew there was a reason I liked this guy. The ride itself ( a mere 8.5 miles) took in Belmont and the Rockburn Branch Trail from Landing Road - fun, even though Emil's enthusiasm eventually caught up with him when he managed to snap his rear deraileur hanger - first ride! Like I said "What a guy!".

Tuesday night Doug and I managed an illicit night ride from the Park and Ride which would have been bloody great if we hadn't conspired to get separated about two miles into the ride! So he did his ride and I did mine! Up the "mile smile hill" lose Doug by the water tower, circle back to look for him?! No sign. On to Vineyard, still no sign so back to Soapstone and down to the road - hoping to catch hinm coming the other way, nope. Back up Vineyard, down Soapstone, back to Park and Ride, no sign. Back to bottom of Soapstone... Bugger this, back to Park and ride, grab a beer and wait for Doug. Final stats about 9.5 miles, nice and hilly if a bit repetitive (but sh#t it's good to ride solid for over an hour without stopping) best ride in a while. Doug finally shows - he isn't dead in a ditch as I had feared and had actually done the ride I had planned from the beginning - oh well next time. Had a social beer and home - I love night riding.

The only other thing to liven my riding mood is a nice hill I've found on the way to work! Short, not especially steep and ........ it kicks my arse every single time! No idea what the issue is, a third of a mile of absolute sheer bloody agony that always ends with me straining to keep my pace above 10 mph and seeing stars. God I love this hill, it makes going to work worthwhile.

Ah enough of my wittering for now, I'm just cluttering up the ether because I have nothing of note worth saying. Still at least if I keep riding, drinking and blogging (hopefully in that order) I am still alive!

Cheers (mine's a pint!)

Dogzbollux