Yes, it's that time of year for the slush-bottle rides.
Yesterday Chris and I met up for an awesome mountain bike ride at Gambrills State Park in Maryland. It was a classic winter day. The sky was streaked gray with high cirrus clouds. It was 28 degrees and the ground was frozen like hardened concrete with rocks sticking out of it. The fallen leaves and dusting of snow added an element of skill to the already super techi trails.
Got a chance to spin on the prototype 2009 full sus race bike. "HOLY CRAP" is all I have to say. Sorry, no pictures... you'll just have to dream of bat mobile meets mountain bike! The ride was just awesome; we chased each other around and rode different lines thru the maze of prehistoric rocks, berms, turns, boulder rides and drops! It was sweet!
Thanks for the comments. I was thinking of another good cold weather trick. Some days we head out under dressed and have hit the big road ride with just a pair of shoes covers when full booties are called for. One day my feet were burning from the cold, so I stopped and got a grocery bag that had blown to the side of the road. I tore it in two and covered my feet with it and put the covers back on. Works like a charm. I have also used tinfoil, it works even better. There was another less proud moment when I was caught off guard by a winter cold front and the temperature dropped like a rock. I used a piece of roadside trash as a wind block for my chest. It's amazing the difference a piece of cardboard can make. If you are unlucky enough to resort to this type desperation remember never call some one to pick you up, it is a sign of weakness. Just kidding. ;)
Go prepared, tell someone where you're headed and when you will expect to return.
Thanks for reading and keep the cold weather riding ideas and tricks coming...
JeremiahLabels: The Elements, Training
It's me, Erin, stopping by JB's blog again. You might have noticed the new photo gallery. If you've yet to explore this, click on the Gallery link to the left. There should be some new albums added today, and frequently throughout the year. Also, be sure to check out the Sponsors page, it's been updated with links to some of the great companies and organizations that have teamed up with Jeremiah for 2008.
In the coming weeks, there will be great new features coming to JeremiahBishop.com, including an awesome promotion with long-time team sponsor JBL. It's going to be so cool, I'm having a hard time not spilling the beans right now. (In the meantime, JBL has a special portal where cycling fans can access discounts on products. This helped me out when I was doing my Christmas shopping. Now, instead of blasting his iPod headphones while riding on the trainer, Jeremiah can pump out great tunes courtesy of a new JBL Radial.)
Lately, there's been a lot of excitement in Harrisonburg. We've hosted family and friends, including some of Jeremiah's favorite training pals. Our local crew enjoyed celebrating at the annual solstice party. If you're talented at Boolean searches, you might find some photos online. Christmas and New Year's Eve were both enjoyable holidays for us, and hopefully for you, too.
Now, it's time to make plans for the year ahead. The coldest days of winter are about to move into the 'Burg and I see a trip to Clemson in my near future.
It seems like most people have a few little tricks to staying warm, or at least fooling themselves out the door on the coldest days. Other than the usual warm winter wear, I treat myself to those tiny foot warmers and mix my Cytomax with warm water. Sometimes, Jeremiah will use Climitts over his handle bars. Do you have any special tricks? Do tell!
ErinLabels: E Bishop, Sponsors, The Elements, Training
