Lincoln Redux

Yesterday I returned to Lincoln Woods for the first time since Decemburr. Today is a blizzard. It seems my pattern is to get on the mountain bike and ride in Lincoln the day before a major snowstorm. The riding was mucky, even though most of the water in the park was frozen. Most, but not all. There were also many areas where I broke through the frozen crust to the soft goop underneath. I don't think it would be rideable if it was any warmer, and after this snowfall it's going to be out of the question for several weeks, at least. I didn't fall much yesterday, but I also didn't ride that much hard stuff, or for that long. I was having eyesight issues and glove issues. Now that I have health insurance I should go get some glasses or contacts or something. I also need to replace the 15 year old, lobster claw style gloves I have. I'm used to one-finger braking, which is impossible with these gloves, so I end up death-gripping the bars until my arms get all pumped. Not good. My last problem, other than lack of skillz, of course, was just remembering where I was going. There doesn't seem to be many other riders up there right now, so most of the trails are covered with leaves. I don't remember every part of every trail, so I spent a lot of time sliding to a stop after missing a turn. This particular problem will get fixed come springtime, along with my skill deficit. Practice makes, uh, better, or something.

For something completely different, project SST is slowly coming back to life. Thanks to the good people at the IRS, I'll be getting an infusion of cash in the near future, cash that will fund the completion of the bike. The reductions in car travel will also serve to fund ongoing operation of the rig. Nashbar now sells, for a mere $30, a singlespeed conversion kit that includes a bunch of spacers, three different size cogs, and a tensioning device. You have to wonder about the quality of the tensioner, since the whole kit costs less than half of what a Surly Singleator costs, but we'll see. I need all those parts, and if the tensioner breaks, I'll buy a better one later.