Training is NOT my thing!!

Today my ride's goal was to find "many hills" and ride them with 40 lbs. of gear in rack trunk and panniers (saddlebags), to add at least some training for our first "multi-day mini-tour", starting July 12th. The whole tour is 200 miles over 3 to 4 days, a lot of hill's and one pretty good "mnt. pass", (Hardscrabble Pass, between Wetmore and Westcliffe, CO. ) Today was warm, sunny but with a constant 20 mph. crosswind with gust's so it was kind like a headwind in most directions and will finding and ridding hills, my 26.5 miles was kinda tough but rewarding. 

One objective was to find out how the bike handled the extra weight, that was a success, the "frankenbrid" handled like a dream, no twitch, even going up steep hills, etc. Now the "motor", ie: ME, well, it's too bad you can't yet have your "brain" stuffed in a robot's body, LOL. It's kinda funny, that semi-steep uphill's seem "worse" than steep up hills??  On the flats, the load is no biggie but on a semi-steeping hill, with a longer grade, you can really FEEL the weight. I can't tell you how GLAD I am that we decided to "Hotel" this mini-tour, (still saving for a BOB tralier), instead of tent camp!! It's a lot lighter load to have to "pedal up the hills with" when your moteling.

Here's hoping the "wind" with be at our backs for the first couple of days, giving us more "TIME" go get our touring legs going! Still it's so cool the time is getting closer, even with the intrepedation, we can't wait to get, "On the road again"! ;)

B.J. and Jo :)