May 2021 be kinder to our social schedules, and may your time outdoors benefit your physically, and mentally as well.
So, where did you ride OUTSIDE today?! Share your stories, photos, and accomplishments in the wild 
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Happy New Year all 
My self imposed self isolating ended three days ago. At the start of it it was exceptionally mild and dry weather as I got to the end of it, the weather reverted to norm for the time of year. Either sleet/snow and windy or clear and freezing temperatures. Today finally it was positive temperatures and braw clear skies when I got up. The winds were light too (just checked they were only 7mph 
). It was supposed to be a rest day but I couldn’t resist slotting in an outdoors workout (West Vidette) and going for an extended cool down.
Given the way it has been weatherwise, I didn’t pump up the tubeless tyres so they are probably running 25psi (the last time I did top up was 3weeks ago) and I took it very gingerly on the descents.
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As much as I wanted to ride outside today it is raining like crazy in Atlanta. Indoor it is.
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And here goes my first outdoor ride of the new year. The weather was terrible, but riding outside was a lot more fun than sitting on the trainer again. Although it was intervals, I really enjoyed myself.
Also, it was my first ever ride with winter tires, which is something I can really recommend thusfar.
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In Alabama on New Years Day, it was 73 but 14+ mph winds. Completed Dunderberg -2, 5x 11 minutes @ 95% FTP with only 30 sec recovery. Headwinds were challenging. Have to admit I paused workout to catch breath for more time. We have a 7.5 mile flat road with no traffic that perfect for interval workouts. Two round trips is perfect for a 1.5 hour workout. 31.2 mi Ride Activity on January 1, 2021 by David W. on Strava
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I road Friday, New Year’s Day, and Saturday, and now need to rest. I went out Friday thinking I’d be going out easy, just a spin. The route didn’t really agree with that plan. Though, looking at TR’s analysis of the ride, with over 30% of the time spent “coasting,” hmm… though maybe it was more of an interval workout considering nearly 50% of the time was either coasting at zero watts or, half-again that time, in active recovery. What goes up must go down in 0C for 22 miles and 3200’ of climbing… plus 2.5hrs in the cold wears on you.
I went out Saturday more committed to “taking it easy” and just enjoying being outside. I intended to vary the route more than I did but the pavement I needed for transitions from one forest to another was ice (good thing I approached it slowly and made only a very slow veer which still made the wheels slide…). So, the route was somewhat the same but on the climbs I concentrated on keeping the power down. Alas… Nearly 3hrs (over if including stops) in 0C (with a breeze and a “feels like” of -2C), less than 26 miles with 3600’ of climbing and again nearly 50% of coasting or easy. I guess it was an interval day, which helps explain why today I’m beat. I want to ride but I don’t want to expend the energy to do it.
As for pics, the weather was grey on Friday, with light snowfall during parts of the ride, and more so on Saturday. A fair amount of snow at lower elevations melted by Saturday morning.
This is from just below the “needle” seen in the elevation chart for Friday’s ride. The tire track in the snow is mine. I saw only a couple of runners and few walkers during the ride, oh and signs that horses recently passed various points.
A great thing about riding in Switzerland are these fountains. Whether in towns or in the forest, if the water pressure is decent, it’s safe to drink and it’s very tasty. That’s especially true on a hot day but just as good on a cold day, whether running or riding.
These guys aren’t normally hanging out here, they are usually in a field on the other side of the ridge. This is along a paved section during a half-mile segment of 11% average that is the start of a 1.5mi segment with an 8.7% average. The WTB Ventures gave good traction.
And from Saturday’s ride, a transition from one forest on the left, which includes some fun climbing to another on the right. This pic, and others I’ve taken from the river’s side on the other side of the bridge, often makes me think that I’m in a model train set.
The trails are generally cleared of snow except in parts.
And lower, the snow is gone. From the perspective of the bridge show, this is 2min away and facing away. The yellow diamond on the tree (and another as an attachment on a rail down the trail) denote a “wanderweg,” or trail.
With the New year, time to restart TR outdoor workouts and indoor workouts. My New Year’s Resolution…
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Nice easy ride with a buddy, with a nice steep 25% hill to make it feel like we’d done something 
Freezing cold though 
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5+ hours out in the snow today. We rolled the dice and tried a route that is normally impassible (by bike) in winter, but a snow sled had passed through and made a nice track.
My friend was riding his Alaska ITI bike. Makes everything about my fatbike look puny in comparison.
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Rode out to the river yesterday, a lot of sandhill cranes in field after field.
Average wingspan of 2m / 6’ 6" and its a lot more impressive in person than on my iPhone SE non-telephoto camera. The vocalizations are something to hear, they are LOUD. During the California Gold Rush they were called “rib eye of the sky.”
End of the road:
I turned around instead of taking River Road because a) traffic, and b) to practice pothole avoidance skills 
Seriously thought I cracked a rim at one point, is it a road or just hunks of asphalt thrown around 
That particular road is like riding to the end of the world, but hey I’m the one that wanted to avoid cars and take the road less traveled…
Spent about 20+ minutes below sea level, and got to do some beta testing and web app testing. The beta app gets the below sea level elevation correct:
Yay for the Dutch and people like me that ride below sea level 
Its not just the Sandhill Cranes enjoying our little slice of the Pacific Flyway. Out again today and took some pics of these guys:
Egrets! Unlike the cranes they hang around all year, but I never see that many in fields.
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Love that bike. I have a round tube Emonda SL and like it a lot but the new aero SLR is really what I want. Wonder how much faster the frame alone actually is
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The frame is somewhere between half way and 2/3rds the way between a round tube and a full Aero Bike (like SystemSix).
I really love riding the bike, an absolute joy.
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Out and back on a closed (to cars) Blue Ridge Parkway, and some other scenic roads classic to the area. I forgot how much of a joy a closed parkway can be, I had zero interactions with vehicles on the first two hours of this ride. Great way to start the New Year. 3 hours and around 40 miles, the first two being nothing but climbing. After spending all year on my gravel and mountain bike it was nice to reacquaint myself with my road bike and briefly relieve it of trainer duty!
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Although it had been 0-1deg C overnight and had risen to a balmy 2deg C (with an even more balmy 3deg C forecasted) with all the sleet/snow of the last few days surface’s were soaked and anything to the side or off the main roads were solid ice and treacherous. So I stuck to the coast which is usually better. However, when I stopped the hills actually looked better but I decided not to risk it.
I came back towards town on one of the main roads but it leads me to the bottom of a continuous climb up a dual carriageway or a back road with a better vista. I chose the latter deciding that ice would be clear. I stopped at the top of the hill for that vista. It looks like it was a bit gloomier over the other side of the water.
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Just before the sunset at 5:01pm, on my way back into town…
That entire area will be filled with houses in the near future 
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@bbarrera great pics.
Here, snow fell last night, more than I thought. I was going to do Antelope this morning on the rollers but I heard snow plows and as I woke up so I changed the morning’s plan. Rolling before a hint of dawn, most of the trail had perhaps an inch of fresh powder. As I ascended a bit and crossed over the ridgeline to the river valley and away from the lakeside, there was a bit more powder in spots. Most of the trails were virgin, though there was the occasional footprints, including one runner’s tracks I recognize due to his duckfoot-style (dude’s at least as old as me and with massive quads) and one bike track I crossed (I suspect he got out before me and was still out), otherwise it was animal tracks.
In some parts, the animals, most like fox but a deer here and there and possibly a badger near here, were very active, going off to the side of the trail and back, going in circles or other such activity before continuing.
Reaching my first “real” climb, a now-favorite of mine that is 12-18% with 20% bits, I realized that I needed my knobbies. When I hit the inflection point again, I just spun out. I tried again and realized I may as well be on the rollers in the basement because I’d cover the same distance. There was just too much powder for my WTB Ventures. I’ll go out again tomorrow with the knobby Sendaros, assuming there’s the same or more snow.
Dawn broke on my return. Another good start to the morning.
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A land trust needs to buy it and keep it beautiful!
Looks like a winter wonderland! Good start to the morning, indeed! Beautiful!
I didn’t realize portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway were closed. Are they in VA or NC? Is there a map? I didn’t see one on Road and Facility Closures - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service) or blueridgeparkway.org. Thanks!
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I’m in the Asheville area and it is common that they close the parkway to cars in the winter months. It makes for an amazing experience as you can imagine, they typically close the high mountain pass sections and tend to leave the locally named “commuter section” open to cars as they’re able to maintain small portions.
Here is the closure map:
To add: the extended and ramp like steady climbs of the parkway (at least around here) are an amazing place to do an outdoor TR workout. I won’t ride the parkway when it is open any longer for obvious safety concerns but when it’s closed to cars - It makes road cycling amazing (again).
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Thanks! I’m in northern Virginia so it looks like I’d have a 2+ hour drive to get to a closed section. I’ve heard great things about Asheville and it seems the BRP is right outside your door, so to speak. So cool!
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