9 February 2009 - 17:22First one done…

First outside ride in VT that is.

The harsh reality that we don’t live someplace warm or dry has finally settled in, and getting out and riding is something you must do when you have the opportunity. We have a saying here “make hay while the sun is shining”, well, if you want to ride bikes in VT in winter, you gotta do it while it isn’t snowing or below zero.

Saturday was such a day, the temps were climbing. In fact, they kept rising through midday Sunday topping out in the 40s. I got out right around 2:30 with a couple of other folks who were jonesing for some two wheeled time, and embraced the raw, 35°, overcast and pretty windy afternoon. Today’s ride? Well, since it wasn’t my first ride of the year, I thought that Perry should be doable with a minimal amount of pain.

I got Kermit back together last week, now with the prototype Niner rigid fork back in place. Also, I figured that I’d try out the Ergon GX1 grips for funsies. They are an obnoxious color green, which I am growing to like. 

I gotta say, that while I appreciated the extra cush of the Reba fork during my trip to AZ, I was very happy to have the rigid carbon fork back. The bike feels faster, more nimble, and much more responsive. The grips felt a little weird at first, but halfway through the ride, I had forgotten all about them. 

So how was the first VT ride of the year?

Not bad at all! Can’t wait for the next one.