Yesterday I took my last ride in New York City. Sad times, exciting times. Riding here has been an incredible way to explore the city. As I tell my friends, I've seen parts of the city that I otherwise would never have seen using the subway and walking. Most of the time however I found myself leaving the city in the attempt to find some solitude. I enjoy the sounds of the city, but sometimes it's nice to be in a place where my breathing is the dominant sound around me. Riding along dirt and gravel trails in the woods (or what feels like the woods) has this mesmerizing effect on me. I found myself taking 60 mile rides up the West side of the Hudson just so I could get on that 5 mile stretch of gravel trail that starts south of Piermont and goes right into downtown Nyack. The sound of my Kenda Happy Medium tires rolling against unpaved surfaces is wonderful companion as I fly up and down these trails. Unlike riding road riding, the interface between the bike and the ground is not something you take for granted. One can lose traction while turning on road tires, but its pretty damn hard compared to on gravel. Road tires are also in constant stealth mode; once one throws knobs and bumps on one's tires, they get loud! People can always hear me passing them just by the crunching sound of my tires.
By the way, those tires are awesome. If I know that I'm taking rides that are going to be mostly off road, I keep 35 psi in the back and about 30 in the front and I get insane traction and great mush factor. New York City potholes have nothing against 35 psi in a 40c tire! Sometimes I end up skidding around tight corners, but these tires are pretty easy to control. Unfortunately I've pretty much worn all the tread off the back tire. What blows me away is that my bike came stock with these tires. Usually tires are the first thing manufacturers skimp on when putting together a bike. I'll probably throw on something a little more road specific before I head out across the country.
I don't have any pictures of places that I've been, but I've got one of this super dirty ride I took a couple of days ago. It wasn't raining, but it was super humid, so I was sweating like a pig. Every particle of dust and dirt stuck to my legs. I wasn't cross-racer muddy, but I was happily covered in a layer of dirt and grime. There's nothing quite as satisfying as getting dirty.
By the way, those tires are awesome. If I know that I'm taking rides that are going to be mostly off road, I keep 35 psi in the back and about 30 in the front and I get insane traction and great mush factor. New York City potholes have nothing against 35 psi in a 40c tire! Sometimes I end up skidding around tight corners, but these tires are pretty easy to control. Unfortunately I've pretty much worn all the tread off the back tire. What blows me away is that my bike came stock with these tires. Usually tires are the first thing manufacturers skimp on when putting together a bike. I'll probably throw on something a little more road specific before I head out across the country.
I don't have any pictures of places that I've been, but I've got one of this super dirty ride I took a couple of days ago. It wasn't raining, but it was super humid, so I was sweating like a pig. Every particle of dust and dirt stuck to my legs. I wasn't cross-racer muddy, but I was happily covered in a layer of dirt and grime. There's nothing quite as satisfying as getting dirty.
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| Yes, I mostly wear white cotton socks when I go riding. As if my foot wasn't enough, this photo actually contains a bonus foot/shoe combo. |
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