Studies have shown...

So Saturday, as has happened for the past few, Junior Management had soccer. Games are at 0830, which screws the pooch for making any group rides.
After the game, I came home, ate a bite, and climbed on the CX bike for a couple hours of playing in the dirt.
Perfect day. Sunny. Warm enough. North wind. I headed out 12th with the wind at my back with the knowledge that coming in on the dirt, I'd be sort of protected by the trees.
Rolled out just wanting to turn the legs over. No plan. Well, that North wind was shoving me down the road at 40+ kmh...on knobbies. It was nice.
Turned onto the dirt...a little heavy from the rain, but in good shape. SCE&G manages The Powerstation, so some "maintenance items" are good, some are poor decisions. They cleared the two downed trees, and someone built a bridge across the washout. Awesome...thanks!
Now, yin is always tempered with yang. They also decided to put down some gravel in a couple of the soft spots. Not pea gravel mind you, but fist sized chunks of granite.
I shellaced one of these chunks at about 30 kmh. The back end of the bike flew up about 12 inches. I rode a really nice nose wheelie for a few meters. When the rear of the Salsa came down...still in the gravel...the back tube blew out with prejudice. No slow leak. No snakebite. Think shotgun blast...
Off the bike in the sunshine to change it.
Got everything changed, and started to pump it with the mini pump. Up to about 50psi, and done...or so I thought.
Pushed the pump off the valve and....PSSSSHHHHHH! The top of the presta valve remained in the pump.
I was well and truly screwed.
Studies have shown that minipumps suck. Universally...
Studies have also shown that minipumps fly a really long way when thrown into the woods.
Phone out...call the team car...start walking...
You know what makes your feet and lower legs hurt really bad? Walking almost 2km in soft dirt...in carbon soled shoes.
Team car picked me up, and we returned to Service Course. Did I switch bikes and go back out? Nope. I took it as a sign, and stayed home.
Sunday was sunny, but cold and breezy. Let's try this CX bike thing again.
Same loop. No issues this time.

The pollen count was about 137 on a 12 scale.

And Spring has sprung out in the woods. It's going to be brilliant out there this Summer. Mother Nature is slowly reclaiming the road. It will be full canopy, and double track very soon. I'm cool with that.

And speaking of Mother Nature...
Dear, sweet Mother Nature...you know we love you. We appreciate your temperate, sunny days. You are very kind to those of us who like to play outside. Here's the thing...
Get your shit together! These 40-50 degree temperature swings, punctuated by clouds of yellow, and rain storms, only serve for us to get angry with you. No one likes the headaches, or joint pain.
Some of us are old(er). The shit hurts!
Let's get Spring fully under way! It's almost April!!

Gent Wevelgem was yesterday. Freaking brilliant Belgian Hardman race!



Or HERE'S the last 95km, if you have some Marquis de Sade blood in your veins....
It was very windy yesterday...

Some guys ended up in the canal...

Bet that water was warm...and clean...
Good win for Paolini. An old dog that can still hunt. And as usual, Etixx-Quickstep couldn't close. And since they always need someone to blame, Lefevere blamed Boonen. You know...the guy who's at home, nursing an injury.
Hey Tom...now you know what it's like to be married. No matter what you do, or where you are, it's ALWAYS your fault!
At least Etixx is good for some comedy these days...

And in local-ish racing, Ty Magner, and the Hincapie boys took it to United Healthcare at SunnyKing on Saturday night. Kind of nice to see actually. UHC is so horribly predictable, and boring...
And I gotta say, the Hincapie team kits are pretty dope...

I'll leave you with this...



Smile people...
I know it's a rainy, crappy Monday, but you woke up this morning, and drew breath. Make the most of it.