Running (Rail Trail) 1:10:00 [3] 12.0 km (5:50 / km)
I had to pick up my bike from its tune-up at Caledon Hills Cycling, so I decided to make it into an end-of-day brick workout. I parked at the Town Hall in Caledon East and ran to Inglewood on the rail trail, about 12 km. I kept waiting for the part where my legs would start feeling light and springy, but it never came. It might have had something to do with the unusually hot weather, or maybe it was the weight of my backpack, which contained bike computer, helmet, gloves and shoes - oh, and money.
I met one lovely dog enroute, and one dog that I felt sorry for, since his owners just don't get it. The couple saw me coming, and they turned around, which encouraged their large dog to turn around and jump into a slimy pond. So far, so good. I stayed calm when the dog emerged from the muck, stood stock-still for a moment, then charged me from 5 meters away. I'm a dog lover, so I put out my hand and said "Gooooood doggie", even though he was a mastiff who weighed at least what I do - and of course he was slime-covered. He sniffed me for a moment, then started snarling and jumping at my chest. I said, "Hey, stop that!" in my most authoritarian voice, and stepped away from his lunges. The lady said, "Don't do that!" "I said, "I'm not afraid of dogs, but I've already been bitten once while running this year." "Well, he's just a puppy who likes to jump up on people, and he thinks you want to play."
OK, I'd had enough. In my coldest voice, I said, "Look, I have two dogs at home, and you SHOULDN'T let him do that." Argggh. Every idiot dog owner like that is just hurting the good dog owners who would like to be able to take their well-behaved dogs more places. If they can't control their huge, aggressive dog, or if they just think it's amusing for slimy dogs to jump on strangers, then they ought to stay home and walk him around their yard. Harumph.
On the bright side, my speed really improved for the next kilometer.
Mountain Biking (Rail Trail) 33:09 [3] 12.0 km (21.7 kph)
Here's where the workout went a little sour. I went into the bike store, and the repair guy's face fell. "Um, no, your bike's not fixed." At this point, with my legs feeling like lead and sweat streaming down my face, all I wanted to know was whether I'd be able to ride it back 12 km to where I'd left my car. Oh yes, I could do that (phew). Then I learned various pieces of bad news, including that the new squeak from Storm the Trent is actually a crack in my frame. Some of the bad news we knew about - 'Bent was already shopping for new wheels for me, and there were some other things that had been discovered at the last tune-up.
So... nobody can say how long it will be before the frame breaks completely. It could be tomorrow, or it could be a few months from now. It has cracked in the same place where a bunch of Gary Fisher Sugar 2 bikes have cracked, and it's possible that a Fisher dealer might be able to get me a replacement part for free. But it's an old bike, and that may not be possible.
So it's looking like maybe it's time to start bike shopping. Can anyone recommend their favourite tough yet lightweight dual suspension cross-country mountain bike, suitable for adventure racing abuse? I've loved this bike, but Fisher doesn't make it anymore. The geometry is designed for awesome climbing, and it also makes it really difficult to go over the handlebars. I like both of those features!