Getting The Show On The Road

A huge chunk of road has fallen away on the highway connecting Úholičky to Velké Přílepy, forcing the closure of the road to cars. Whoo-hoo!

I survived my first ride of the spring season.

Sure, I went out in early January for a ride, but that was more ice-cycling that bi-cycling.

I couldn't find any partners last Saturday, so I went out solo, but not before pulling my sorry-ass bike out of the garage and giving the chain and gears as thorough a cleaning as I could.

I pulled out long blades of grass, wrapped tightly around the derailers from rides dating to last fall. I carved out giant chunks of black, greasy putty that were also clogging the derailers. It took about an hour to get it all out of there, and to re-grease the chain.


An Únětice still-life.

I went on a short run from my home in Černý Vůl to Únětice to Roztoky, down to the wonderful paved trail that heads north along the west side of the Vlatava River, and up to Podmoran, where the trail ends. From there, it was up the long, steep hill to Úholičky, and from there along the road to Velké Přílepy.

It turns out the road from Úholičky to Velké Přílepy was closed to cars because a large slab of the road had fallen away, so it was a real pleasure to ride that section without worry. From Velke Prilepy, it was up the long hill and then down again home to Černý Vůl.

Not a lengthy run, but it had its share of climbs, and was a perfect introduction to the new season.

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 19 km
Pivo Index: 0
Distance ridden so far in 2011: 36 kilometers


Whenever I pass half-frozen ponds like this one, I feel a little shiver run down my spine. Why? Check out this post from my other blog, Gusto.


It was so lovely to pass some snowdrops poking their way up through the ground. Spring is here.


A half-frozen waterfall in Podmoran.


Coming in for a landing.


Industrial patterns.