Breakthrough Cycling Weekend

I witnessed a couple real breakthroughs this weekend that were so nice to see.  Saturday was our offices Ride to Conquer Cancer team's "week before" ride which half a dozen people made it out for, and 3 of which made it home dry.  We met at Cadence, went up through the northwest, and in on TWP 262 to Cochrane.  Beauty view the whole way, only drawback was one regroup corner where we stopped there were hoards of mosquitos out.  One had turned back earlier just on a time commitment, and two other ladies turned back at the top of Cochrane hill, which ended up keeping them dry.  Dan, Val and I went down for coffee first, and saw a bunch of guys from spin classes doing their weekend rides.  We got pummelled on the way back with cold rain, but were fine as two of us had gear, and Dan just thinks differently.  Val is a machine this year!  Zippy on the climbs and flats.  It really felt like a breakthrough to see her riding so well.

Fathers day Sunday Cindy and I got out of town a bit late after some soccer store stops, but made it out to Station Flats at 1.  Rode Tom Snow as little as possible and Ridgeback as much as possible to Moosepackers, then down Special K, back up to Ridgeback and all the way back in on that.  4h round trip with a little side detouring.  Saw two CFO clients out there, which is a great place to get little office updates.  Too bad we can't schedule those for midweek.  Cindy was doing awesome on the climbs, even the steep technical parts, and did great on the downhill too.  Even when we seperated to "giver" for little bits, we'd never be more than 30 seconds apart.  Wow.  These trails are now within her grasp easily, and are fun to see the outdoors and mountains more than they are "obstacles".  That's transformational.  She had so much fun, and now mountain bikes in a way that it's super fun - terrain just disappears below and she rides, no parts other than virtually unrideable switchbacks made her dismount.  The Pivots just soak up the terrain, so we were making great time on the singletrack cruising along.  Her race season has been good, her fitness is there, and now when you can do a big 4h loop at Moose Mountain and not worry about any terrain, instead just devouring it for the fun of it, you're a real deal mountain biker.  All smiles all the way to the car after our rest stop at the bench lookout on Ridgeback.