Roubaix's Return

2019 Outdoor Season: Ride #3

-Route: Lake Loop & 4 Crit laps

-Miles: 17.0

-Time: 1:14

-Ave Speed: 13.3 mph

Weather:

-Sunny

-46 degrees

-Wind 10 mph

2019 Outdoor Season Total Miles:

46.0

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The Story

The day started out with much promise.

It seems the stars were aligning to allow for my first real road test of the new season. For one thing, I would have the time to do it. With my wife away for the day it was up to me to keep myself entertained on a Saturday afternoon. Secondly, the weather looked good, with sunshine and 50 the forecast.

I pumped the tires up on my primary road bike, the blue and white Roubaix by Specialized.

Today marked the first time those tires had touched the road since I put the bike away last fall.

But it wasn't the big road ride I had anticipated. I changed plans on the fly due to the weather. With a constant and cold wind of about 10 mph it just didn't feel good enough out there to go any distance. So I did a lake loop lap and four laps of the neighborhood course, venturing off the beaten path just enough to get a taste of open road for the first time in 2019.

I had no desire to go a full 25 or so out in the countryside, where barren farm fields and empty tree branches would provide no shield from that biting wind.

I rode through Riverside Park in Neenah today on the way back from the lake loop and it reminded me of the beauty of that place when I was there back in autumn. Today it was just cold. My toes were frozen by the time I got there.

So this ride didn't live up to what I had in mind ahead of time, but it DOES mark the first Roubaix ride of the new season and the first time I have ventured at least somewhat out onto sloppy roads other than the ones around my house on my crit course.