Another spec’y fine ‘summer’ day, cool enough to head out for a midday ride, love this weather pattern!

I headed out for a Baco adventure, including Ken’s loop. Like yesterday I felt pretty good so pushed a little harder. Just a couple of stops along the way – one for an echidna on the trail, one for some snacks at the mine shafts approximately half way around, and a few quickies to wipe off all those cobwebs… eeewww!

Storms and controlled burns have made sections of trail tricky to follow in places, but someone had been out working hard grooming those sections of trail in the last day or so. I came across a couple of sections today that were insanely groomed, clear and clean, ripe for some fresh treadmarks. Thanks Groomer! There’s still a couple of mystery tour sections – I’ll have to head out with some tools and do my share on those.

After having seemed to plateau for a while my fitness looks to be on the move again. Climbs that a couple of months ago had me stopping at the top to recover I could motor up today and keep on truckin. Checking out the GPS data after the ride I’d completed the circuit  a bunch faster than usual, and felt pretty good at the end.

I wonder how much of it has to do with the idyllic cool weather, coming after hot weather rides over the last couple of weeks.

There’s knowing the trail too. The first time you ride a trail it can seem like an epic. You’re heading into the unknown with every climb, descent, corner, drop. The more you ride a trail, the shorter it seems to become, the more time and energy there is to enjoy it. That’s some funky equation.