I had tried for a 9 o’clock start but failed. 10 o’clock and I underestimated the humidity. Still it was a fine day out there.

I really wanted a double today but toils urged other.

Had strong visible peaks till the end; listening to the Debt Ceiling news broke my concentration.

My general riding-gear has 16 teeth which before I upgraded to 48 teeth in the front constituted my Climbing Gear. Now I specifically climb on 18 teeth and bop around the bike-paths on 16. I planned on a mix of climbing & sprinting but the wind dissuaded any Airport laps.

I fought-off some insistent cramps at mile 19; I haven’t cramped on a ride in 8 years or longer. It means I need to pedal much more often.

I missed the final sprint of the Giro so never saw the Manx Missile acquire the target one last time. So I rode Aurora for a few higher intensity plateaus than normal. Still a short ride but I had plans for a Halfbike ride too.

I didn’t expect the wind to be so strong but the Halfbike still handles hills very well. My legs never complain anymore and if you hold back on Stamping your way up a hill and instead just consistently push the front wheel up the hill the rear wheels lose the urge to sway hugely.

So it was my third crash too & this time I did some damage to Arachne. Bike Shop repaired it but it’s still depressing. I’ll need to come up with a plan for marauding canines.

Cut my proposed 10 miler into 2 rides.

Even though with the Gold Wheels for sprinting on the Light Bike both bikes are equally heavy the one with the Red PurFix wheels will always be called the Heavy Bike. Up there near 30 pounds is heavy.

Heavy [named Amabo] has 43 teeth up front & 15 in the rear and since I’ve had her longest is my most comfortable when pedaling. I feel more at home in that ratio than any other.

With 2 rides yesterday I feared I’d get about 20 or so today but managed the full 31.

I’ve made the pattern for this year at the back-loop of the park to be uphill past the High School & the back down to the Airport for 3/4ths of a lap.

Back when I first started Halfbiking I used to ride Aurora first almost as a warm-up and then take Arachne out for 2 or 3 flat miles, still working on balance and turns. I found it valuable yet exhausting.

Today I did it just to see if my strength was improving. Legs never complained & I had more than the 11 miles I rode in me.

I held some Oomph back because I had Arachne planned.

It went better than I hoped

In a bit of heat I took the Halfbike up to the Golf Course parking lot and then out on the roads I use to make the Big Loop. There was almost no traffic so I got to use 3rd for the flats & downhills and even gave my legs a break with 1st uphill.

A fine day.

I kept Mr Tib in the sprinting gear & got in a good 32 miles in Shelby. Despite having to dodge a few unruly kids & having to slam the brakes into a complete stop because a group of adults thought the bike path was a good place for an extended chat, I had a good ride.

I have to avoid my regular entry to Shelby because 14th is still a Tube Killer with the construction.

I had a good walk with 3 languages but the wind was too much for the Halfbike so I stayed inside.