News On A Rest Day

Yesterday the DNR opened the New Fane and Greenbush trails for the 2012 mountain biking season.  Last year the trails didn’t open until April 29.  I hope to take advantage of the extra time, particularly at New Fane.  Not only is it a good training area for the WORS races I plan to do, but it also is the site of a just-announced WEMS race scheduled for Sep. 22.  Having the opportunity to ride those trails all spring and summer should give me the experience and confidence to race well in the fall.

Sep. 22 might be a very busy day.  It’s a good thing that the 3-hour WEMS races don’t start until 3 p.m., because I think I’ll be at a cyclocross race that same morning.  If I don’t race at New Fane—and perhaps even if I do—I’ll volunteer some time for the event.  Bill & Brittany Nigh are hosting, but it won’t be a Team Pedal Moraine event.  The Northern Kettles Endurance Challenge at Greenbush on May 12 will be a team event, and I’ll certainly volunteer time for it but I don’t know whether I will compete there.

Before heading out on my cyclocross bike yesterday, I finally removed that goofy top-tube nameplate that I hated so much.  Until yesterday I lived with it because I thought removal would be difficult and/or would compromise the finish.  But I was able to peel off the nameplate using just my fingers, then I removed a tiny amount of residual glue with nothing more than WD-40 and spit.  If the bike were stealthy before with its black decals on a matte-black finish, it’s damned-near invisible now.

My Bike Snob NYC-approved disembodied hand presents the gaudy nameplate.

Yesterday I rode with the Steilacoom's stock Equation wheels.  I'm not a fan, but they're fine for rec trail riding.  They're set up with last year's cyclocross tires.  For a ride like Cheesehead Roubaix, I'll switch back to my new Mavic Aksium wheelset and Continental Gatorskin tires.  I like the flexibility, and the Cateye wireless computer allows me to switch easily between the two tire sizes.