Bonus Days

Sunny, reasonably warm, means it's testing time!

The November heat is still going strong here and that means I have to get to riding while the riding is good. The recent addition of the Vittoria Terreno series tires to the mix here has come at a time when I usually am winding down my reviewing end of things here. But not this year, and the weather is cooperating.

We're back to the super-dry, drought like conditions were were in a while back again. Creeks and rivers are crazy low. The gravel is super dusty. There aren't many places that haven't had another layer of gravel added at a time of year when fresh gravel is really odd to see. At least the roads aren't iced up or too snowy!

Like I say, it is warm for November this late in the month. 50's, high 40's, and it stays above freezing some nights. The only atmospheric hurdle I have right now is the wind. It is cranking most days. Yesterday it was out of the South and I was crawling to get far enough South of town to hit Petrie Road to do a bit of B Road testing. But the wind isn't so bad as long as the air is warm, and you don't freeze to death.

That the days are so nice this late into the year, I have to consider them "bonus days" to get this stuff reviewed and get that out of the way before it gets too cold or whatever. If that happens I just shut down the reviewing end here till Spring. It is kind of a drag when that happens, but I do live in Iowa, and things get dicey this time of year with the weather. Unless it is like it is now, of course!

A Black Mountain Cycles sunburst!

The other odd thing is that the days are short. It starts getting dark around 4pm now, so I really have only a few hours where it works for me to get something tested and ridden. The mornings are often too cold, the afternoons can be cut short due to low light, so to get the best conditions for riding and imaging, I have a shorter window of opportunity now.

It is looking like we are going to close out the week with this nicer weather, at least, so I'll be trying to make hay while the hay is good. With any luck, I'll have just about everything I need to get done in a few more good rides. We'll see!