#psyck Part 3

Tired of sitting inside all weekend, I decided to break out and enjoy a Sunset. Glad I did!

Noticing a theme for 2015 so far?

Not that I wouldn't like to change that. It's been great outside, (for January), and I could have been piling on some miles. Oh well....... They say things happen for a reason. Perhaps it was a period where I needed to slow down, relax, and take it easy, and as much as I am not liking that, it may be true. Well, there is only so much I can take, so after resting all day Saturday and most of Sunday, I went out for a short jaunt on the Blackborow DS to chase down a Sunset.

I mentioned in my #psyck Part 2 post that the snow would be mostly gone by the weekend, and it was. There were a few stretches of mushy snow left here and there, but for the most part it was either completely gone, packed into ice, or forming big stretches of water. I merrily splooshed through the mud and water, trundling along in the "low range" on the Blackborow, and kept things chill. I didn't need to burn any matches, what with being sick yet, I just wanted some exercise and fresh air. Plus, the slower speeds kept the muck in check.

It always amazes me how little impact fat bikes can have on soft ground. (Note dog print in left foreground)

The Blackborow DS with its Clown Shoe 100mm rims and Lou tires really leaves little impact in comparison to anything else out there, and I know that any other bike than a wide tire type fat bike would have caused a lot of trail damage that day. Not that it matters in the Green Belt, but it is a good observation. I noted that pedestrian and dog traffic was leaving more evidence of passage, and more damage, than I was creating. In fact, all you could see in most places I rode were my tread block marks, as shown above.

You should ride this event.

This past weekend marked another running of the Triple D event in Dubuque. It is a three pronged event- when there is enough snow- and one of those is a fat bike race. I have done it three years in a row and decided to take a year off. Good thing! Seeing as how I have been under the weather for a couple weeks, I wouldn't have been able to ride it anyway.

They had record number of riders attempt the event this year, and by some estimations it was the fastest course conditions ever. Sounds good, right? Well, I admire anyone that tackled the event, but I am not sorry I missed subjecting my self and my equipment to that mudfest. Whoo-wee! The images that I saw of folks coming back in made it look as though they had been in a mud wrestling match with a herd of pigs. The bikes didn't look much better! I'm sure it was "fun" but that aftermath didn't look too great.

Let's hope that the rescheduled Iowa Winter Games fat bike event at George Wyth State Park on the 31st actually has snow. As of now, I doubt there is a whole lot left out there. Of course, you could always go to the Fatbike Frozen Forty in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Being further North, that event may have the best chances of actually being a snow event than anything down this way does this year. I probably won't get up there as it is the 14th of February and right before Frostbike, which I cannot miss. Well, unless I am still sick then! 

Which brings me back to that- If you have your health, don't take it for granted. Get out there, use it, and enjoy it while you can. I can tell you one thing- It ain't no fun sitting on the sidelines due to being ill, mudfest or no!