Racer-X(c) Skiing

Finally braved my complete lack of XC ski experience and headed out on some skinny skis this fine winter day, courtesy Pete G. (thanks!). Living adjacent to a recently cleared and slowly improving rail trail makes for a perfect beginner-friendly attempt at this sort of adventure. With all the fresh snow recently I hoped there'd be some tracks to follow, and thankfully there was along a lot of the route I headed out on. Super skinny "classic" style XC skis are not the best in deep, fresh powder - but held there own just fine. Much smoother / faster than snowshoes with at least as much 'float'. Now I totally understand the desire to ski on "groomed" XC ski trails, as on my return trip (out and back style run) it took a lot less effort to move a good bit quicker and smoother. A few more runs will pack the track in nicely and make for a speedy workout.

Digital Progress

While my actual riding and training is going slowly, I've put some time in to update the Racer-X presence in the Internet(s). First, as you may have noticed, the Web site has had a few updates, notably some navigation along the top which will allow you to:

• quickly access the BikeReg page to officially update your membership

On One Mary

So I headed out for the maiden voyage on my Surly Pugsley this past weekend. For anyone who doesn't know, it is a bike with huge fat tires ridden at very low pressure. The tires are perfectly designed to ride through snow, sand, mud and pretty much anything else you can think of. For various reasons, the bike has been collecting dust in the garage for 2 winters, but I'm no less enthusiastic about it now that I've given it a proper test ride in the snow. SOOO MUCH FUN!!!
My point for this quick post is to comment on the On One Mary Bar.
It is this ridiculous looking sweeping riser handlebar that makes the bike look like a cruiser. On first glance, I planned to remove it out of sheer embarrassment. But since time did not allow me to get to the task, I rode it as is. You know what? I loved the damn bars!! The snow, I'm sure, makes a difference. I could see that the handling in snowless technical terrain might feel different, but I think I'll even set my pride aside and give them a shot when the snow melts too.

So here's to lookin' cheesy on a bike!