Weekend Ride in Trevor

With temperatures rising to almost 40, sunny skies and a stiff breeze out of the north, it was too good of a day to miss a post-Thanksgiving ride. There was also the need to compensate somehow for the extra calories of stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut (we're a German family), pumpkin pie, wine, and assorted finger foods consumed at my Uncle Orv's farm in central Wisconsin. Even holding back and eating less, much to the consternation of my grandmother--'Is something wrong with you, Chris?'-- I needed some time on the bike.

Eck answered the call with an invite to his place in Trevor for a 2-3 hour jaunt on the rolling roads heading west towards Lake Geneva. Growing up in southern Wisconsin, I loved the oak trees lining small country roads, the rolling hills and lakes with Ojibwa names, Pewaukee, Oconomowoc, Lake Five, and the well-kept, freshly painted towns complete with general stores and a dozen bars.

We suited up, Eck, Addison and myself, and started out with the 15mph wind on our right cheeks out of the northwest. Addison and Eck had spent the morning doing a bike fit, Addison strapped to his bike on a Computrainer and Eck having him accelerate, stand, sit, spin, stand, sit until Addison and he were quite satisfied with the adjustments to the bike and the resulting wattage outputs. The fitting continued on the ride and I took advantage of their need to talk more by staying in the two-rider draft a while.

Other memories of my last ride outside in a week: getting dropped on a climb as the 146 pound Addison accelerated to the crest.  Getting a tad bit of payback showing the same Addison a clean wheel in the ride-ending sprint coming into Trevor.  The camaraderie of hanging with teammates the day after Thanksgiving.  Can't wait for the next season to begin!