It’s a bit of a contradiction; some of the most beautiful sights you’ll see on a bike are under conditions not terribly kind to your bike (and maybe just a bit on the cold & wet side for you!). This morning was a great example of this; after climbing Kings, we entered into the fog up on Skyline. Entered, emerged, entered, emerged I should say. The only constant is the effect on your bike; it’s a mess after one of these rides. The drivetrain in particular becomes quite grungy, with a strong likelihood of bearing damage. “But I don’t ride in the rain!” customers frequently protest. If anything, it’s actually worse than rain because everything from the road splashes up onto your bike, but nothing comes down from the sky to wash it clean.

Carl, Karen, Eric, Scotty & JR this morning. Not sure why but my legs just weren’t feeling like pushing me up the hill, although as usual, I felt better later on. The rabbits must have been feeling good; on West Old LaHonda, we saw at least 20 of them. Everywhere you looked, a rabbit. They run along the side of the road and, as you come by, totally freeze. I mean totally. Strangest thing. Probably something they do instinctively, to keep from being seen by predators.

Guess it’s getting time to clean up my bike. So far, I’ve felt pretty good about not doing so, since whatever work I put into it will be undone with just one ride. Still, it’s not very pretty to look at now… it deserves better!