First Winter ride

from Dec12th
I had been in Puerto Rico the first weekend of the December so when DC was getting some wet snow on the ground I was hiking in shorts in a tropical rain forest. I really liked my PR trip and could even see myself maybe going down there for a biking trip.
The DCMTB boys got together for a Patapsco ride. This is a park that I have ridden a good amount over the years but not as much as other places. I think it has to do with it being as far as the Shed for me and that the riding is good, but subject to rain more then other parks. Also the park has many visitors so unless you go at off times you have to deal with a large amount of people.

The weather was cold around freezing and getting up to 38 or so by the time we left. I had started to get sickish after I came back from PR, I guess my body is allergic to the cold. As usual we were to meet at 9am and all of us came late-shocker. I got dressed for the cold with wearing a little too much but glad I had my neck gator. I had a sore throat the night before so I knew I was not really the best idea to be riding in the cold, but I thought I was going to get sick no matter what. I decided to ride my SS Rigid at Patapsco which was a first. I put on a 32 x 20 on the SS which I usually ride a 32 x 18 at places like Rosy, Shaeffer, and Laural hills. The ride went well with Mike K. ribbing everyone, and I actually handled myself pretty well on some downhills going fully rigid. I think I could of run a little less pressure in the tires, but I had just set up the wheels tubeless again. The weirwolf LTs were not the best when it got slippery, I think that a Racing Ralph 2.4 might be the next big tire to try on the SS. I wish there were more Bridges over the creeks, cause that is the biggest reason not to ride there, cause you are likely to get your feet wet, and that is no good in cold weather.

The ride was fun, thinking next time if I go with people I will ride gears, cause for me I need to sit down and not be standing all the time. I found that the 32x20 was a little too much for me on the ridge trail. I was pushing the pace there, not so much that I wanted to but I wanted to be on top the of the gear sitting down. So I would maybe go to a 21 there, I spin allot more then others, since I rode the lodi race with a 32 x 22 and felt that was the right gear while others thought that was way to low of a gear. Will have to see the next time that I end up there what bike I am riding.