Winter Commute

Monday brought a few new inches of snow. Luckily for me, I had to go out and about on my bike. I am currently running some skinny tires but that did not stop me from having fun. In fact it lead to a couple of loose corners which I rather enjoy.

Work with what you have right?

J

Is this really January in Michigan?

Bare fields all around.

This downtube should have ice caked on it, not sticky mud...

Why am I able to cruise down these backroads without spinning out and sliding all over the place...

Something was way wrong in these pictures. January in Michigan, come on Mitten, hit me with some snow.

J

Sloppy Dirt Road Ride

Last weekend I took to the dirt roads around my apartment complex to get some fresh air and burn some calories. It was my first time taking the Novara on nasty roads. However, I felt the need to give it a go as I recently picked up a set of fenders from the garage sale at REI.

Seeing as the fenders ended up with mud on both the inside and out I am glad that I chose to wait until the bike had fenders before taking it on a muddy road. That being said, the fenders kept me, the bike and my panniers clean and dry. I was quite surprised by the amount of mud that the tires picked up as they are very mild with little to no tread.

One of the best things about dirt roads is the lack of traffic. Even if you are only a few miles out of Ann Arbor you can feel like you are worlds away.

-J