Noise Pollution

Ride #22
Tuesday, December 14th. almost 8 miles in rainy Folsom.

Cool and rainy: 53 degrees with enough rain to run the windshield wipers on the way in on the fastest intermittent setting. Breezy. Totally overcast/foggy/misty. Lots of water puddles to test fenders with. Most of the ride was just damp and breezy, but there was one moment of rain showers.

I was a little tired from physical therapy yesterday, so I poodled along averaging 7 - 8 mph. I saw one intrepid (desperate?) runner and two dog walkers: one set with both dog and walker bundled up in bright colors. The other dog was happily trying to catch an egret. No luck, the egret was airborne long before the dog was in range. I saw a handful of California Quail, heard a toad, and saw a flock of geese overhead.

 My favorite curvy section beckoned, but I took it slow today. If you get moving moderately fast over the bridge, then the curves are a swooping bucket o' fun!

Another reason for going slow were all the leaves knocked onto the trail from the recent wind and rain. I love riding on a carpet of fall color, but I do wonder just what might be hiding under those leaves ...




My old Brooks high-viz windbreaker cut the wind just fine, but did get wet through at the zipper, shoulders, and upper arm areas. The midweight Ibex wool shirt underneath, however, kept me toasty warm. Someday I'm going to ride in really nasty weather. I'm thinking 35 - 40 and raining and windy. Then I'll have a reason to break out my lightweight kayak jacket (no front zipper to leak all over me). If I had worn that jacket today, I'd have overheated in no time.
I wore my old Terry cool weather tights (with the pad ripped out) and my legs were OK, although I think my knees were a little stiff from the cold. I think I would have been more comfortable in wool tights and some kind of windbreaking thing over them.
My hands and feet were toasty in wool hiking socks and some Ibex wool gloves and I really like the wool Buff used as a cap under my helmet: just enough to keep me warm.

My trike is parked in the garage right now (instead of in the car in the garage) since I need to move the chain along every once in a while to help get the water out of the chain tubes. Or so I've been told. There was also a mysterious noise on the front left side: I think it might have to do with the brake, so I'll check that out as well.

Oh yeah, the noise pollution came from my outrageously-noisy-when-wet disk brakes. I suppose that was another reason to go slow: less squalling and squealing.

Almost forgot!