After removing the old hoods and swapping handlebars, installing the replacement hoods turned out to be a bigger job than I expected.\u00a0 But with good weather I wasn’t going to miss a chance to get out and ride, even if that meant riding without hoods or bar tape.\u00a0 My riding buddy also happens to be my mailman.\u00a0 He noticed the packages coming from bike shops, and we got to talking about riding.\u00a0 We met up for a ride at the Muscatatuck park in North Vernon on a really nice Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
We headed south out of town and came to an intersection where continuing south was a gravel road.\u00a0 Riding a gravel bike, going straight seemed the appropriate choice.\u00a0 The bike rode fine, I didn’t fall off, and I got some mud on the bike (and on me as well).\u00a0 So the Focus Mares is officially a gravel bike now.<\/p>\n
We worked our way east and south to the Commiskey Corner Store, but they were closed.\u00a0 Oh, well.\u00a0 We went west on 850S for a ways and then headed back north towards Vernon.\u00a0 Greg met his wife in Vernon, and I continued up IN-3\/7 to the east side of the park.\u00a0 Riding through the park had some unexpectedly steep climbs, almost 18%, and then I was back to the truck.<\/p>\n
A good ride, no bike issues – except for the unwrapped bars and shifters with no hoods.\u00a0 Made my hands a little achy, but I’ll get the hoods on and the bars wrapped and that should take care of it.\u00a0 That’s my task to work on next.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After removing the old hoods and swapping handlebars, installing the replacement hoods turned out to be a bigger job than I expected.\u00a0 But with good weather I wasn’t going to miss a chance to get out and ride, even if that meant riding without hoods or bar tape.\u00a0 My riding buddy also happens to be … <\/p>\n