My first morning back I decided to visit an old friend, the New River Loop. This was my first time doing the loop in reverse, saving the large climb(McCoy rd) for last. It took me about half the ride to warm up enough to be comfortable on the bike given the cold temperatures. My lungs ached with pain from the cold air, gasping for each breath climbing the hills. Once I had reached the Luck Run rd. section I finally had some sun on my back and had a chance to warm up. The river is always a bonus on this route, seeming somewhat memorizing as you ride past it. I'm always tempted to ride down to the river but whenever I do I seem to lose track of time and wind up letting my legs cool down too much. The climb home from the river was fun, and shorter then I had remembered. A group certainly makes this ride more enjoyable, but I've generally found thats the case for all riding I do.I'm still very pleased with the performance of the Madone, and look forward to many more miles on the bike.
