Happy New Year to all!! I spent the holidays training for the post ride activities as well. My training plan was intended to have me peak on Jan 1, when we hosted Matthew and Roberta for a New Years Day dinner. All went according to plan. Bock, Guinness, Chardonnay, a couple of over priced but decent Canadian Cabs, '95 Grand Cru Pomerol Champers and finally a great '62 Tawny Port: all went down without a hitch.

Rode for couple of hours on Saturday, +(!!) 12 C and windy as hell. At first I thought the '62 colheita and oyster bisque had fortified me as I flogged down the spit at 45 kph; turns out it was the 30 kph tail wind. Made much worse time on the return leg! Ended up doing 2 hours at an average of 22 kph, riding solo. Fell on a steel grated bridge at less than walking speed, no damage. Watch them when they're wet with leaves: NO traction at all with the tubulars at 130 psi.

The accomplishment of the ride was to do the Bayview extention climb (1 mile even at about 7%) in the top chain ring, at about 20 kph. God bless that 24 tooth cog. Knees are fine today, but damn the snow.

Slowcolnago