Week 1

Date
January 4th, 2012

Distance
100 miles

Time
6:04:19

Route Map/Profile

This is another one of my go-to winter routes that avoids any big climbs. The basic idea is to head north out of Reno via Old 395 to Red Rock Road, a nice quiet area where the Reno Air Races are held during the summer. Red Rock Road and 395 meet up just past the California border, and from this point there are a few different options. Today I headed south towards SR 70 and followed it west to Frenchman Lake Road, which visits the Plumas National Forest and offers nice views of Little Last Chance Canyon.

Weather

The weather continues to be fantastic for January. The temperature made it up to 60 degrees and there was hardly any wind.

Picture

Little Last Chance Canyon

Ride Report
Here it is- the first full week of January. The weather may be Spring-like, but my legs are not. I wasn't able to break the 6-hour mark despite the favorable conditions out there. Nevertheless, it was a great day to be outside and I would have killed for such a nice day in January last year.

I suffered my first puncture of 2012 today, which was a rare front puncture on a downhill. Those are always scary, but I was able to slowly come to a stop without any problems. If you're like I used to be and you hate your frame pump, I highly recommend the Lezyne Road Drive. Its flexible hose means that (a) you aren't going to bend your valve stem and (b) you have more leverage and can comfortably pump up to a high PSI.

How long will the good weather last? When it ends, will it do so in dramatic fashion with a big snow storm?