More Lost Valley

So last night I got a text about riding over at Lost Valley again today.  Let's see, it's January, it hasn't rained since before New Year's, and the forecast still says 50°+.  Duh! Of course I'm in!  Okay, maybe I'm not really that enthusiastic about riding over there, but I signed up for a "Biggest Loser" contest last month that has money at stake.  So I need to jump on any opportunitites that I can to work out.  Plus I want to reclaim my title that I didn't try very hard to hold onto was stolen from me the last time we had the contest.  At least LV is a better workout than the current after work alternative, a flat ride on the levee trail in Chesterfield with my road bike.  When I woke up, I gathered my stuff and dumped it by my door when I looked outside. 

This pile looked bigger when I dumped it on the floor.

Brrr!!!!

 The view outside looked pretty cold for a day that was supposed to be 50.  At least it was sunny, so there would probably be a better chance of warming up than yesterday where 50 was just a big lie by the weather computer.  But I made sure to bring everything in that pile with me.  It's no wonder my car is so cluttered.

As it turns out, I needed every thing I brought and was still freezing for most of the loop I rode.  I was slow getting out of work, then my riding partner was even slower to leave.  This was the view from the parking lot when we were ready to roll.

Where did the sun go??

Even though I knew it would be dark while I was riding, I had neglected to charge my light that day and it already the two rides from last week on it since my last charge.  I have yet to have it go dead on me, but I haven't tested the limits of it either.  I think it's good for about 3 hours on the high beam, but it's been a while since I looked at the spec sheet.  Luckily, my partner had a spare that is even brighter than mine, so I attached both lights and we were off.  With the freeze of the last two mornings, we decided to just run the double track loop of Hamburg and the center road through LV rather than risk me killing myself on dark muddy single track.  Except for not getting warm until I was all the way at the top of the long climb, then immediately getting cold again going back downhill, and not having my speedometer working due to interference with the borrowed light, it was a pretty uneventful ride.  My light did stay on the whole time, so that was good, but I better charge it tomorrow.

That was a lame ending to the post, but it's after midnight, and I'm tired.  I had a better storyline in my head earlier.  I'll do better next time.  Maybe.