Don't Make Me Do It

So I broke down this morning and rode the trainer. I had aspirations and instructions from my Secret Weapon to ride a 10 minute time trial. I was able to TT for exactly 4:38, and after 32 minutes I coudn't go any longer. The thing about trainers is that you don't go anywhere. I know, this isn't a very astute observation, but, the only reason I ride a bike is because it takes me places. That is the whole point of bike riding. I'd like to think that my love of bikes is pure and that I simply love my bikes for who/what they are. But the fact is that my love is not unconditional and is quite selective: when the bike doesn't take me places, I have no love for the two-wheeled machine. It's that simple. Riding on a trainer is nearly (and I stress "nearly") as bad as going to a gym. You probably don't want to get me started on the lameness of gyms and gym memberships, e.g., I tend to see a lot of similarities, both physical and mental, between people who go to the gym and hamsters.

I'm working on my issues with the trainer. My therapist tells me my aversion is abnormal and promises me that there is hope for me to one day have a more productive and friendly relationship with my trainer. Until then, however, I have to resort to other alternatives.

I was happy yesterday to see that the upper Millcreek road is groomed. That means, I have the skate skiing alternative.

An alternative that I have been attempting to perfect is the fat tire, singlespeed, snow machine.



It's a 29er single speed, so no snow and mud in gears. It has fat Exiwolfs on it and rolls really well in snow, slush and mud. It has a light on it so I can ride in the dark. I kind of wish it had disc brakes. In any event, it is a good alternative. Monday and Tuesday I rode up the Pipeline on it. There were certain places where I had to push the bike up the hill though, i.e., Rattlesnake Gulch and Church Fork. I simply consider that cross/strength training. And it went really fast down the groomed ski trail. Some of the skiiers were a bit perturbed about me putting a bike track down the middle of the groomed track.