Babler Butterflies!

BIKE: 50 miles in 3:55. 5900ft climbing according to the Garmin.

After 5 days of fatigue and feeling like a weak noodle I set off for some Babler hills--doing the 8-something mile loops in a butterfly ish pattern. I wasn't sure just how many miles I'd manage, but I was out to try for the most.

On Thursday, I had the Bird re-fit for SM. My fitter took a look at the bike profile and a look at the bike, and had a plan. Seat back, new handlebars, wider aerobar pads, new bar tape. More climbing power, wider stance for stability, and finally drops I can use. So I was excited to try this new fit!

The Bird was a whole bike bike. Seat is definitely further back, it's more like sitting with my knees out front. The drops are sweet and powerful. The wider aerobars make a great feel for cornering. And my fear in descending? Gone on this bike. Grabbing waterbottles-easy. Sitting up no hands-easy. And then I remember that this bike was how I fell in love with biking!! The easy rolling feeling of the Bird. :)

Up and down the hills, so easy and so fun. No scrubbing speed off on the down hills like I did on Frea. A nice stable ride, I could have done this all day. I tested different gears, seating positions, hand positions...all good. I could have kept going! Here I did 50 miles in Babler, a personal record, and I felt great.

But I couldn't stay all day. The plan for the day called for 1.5hrs of riding and here I was at 4hrs! My legs still felt fresh, sure I was tired but not wiped out. And I still managed to get a lot done at home--vestibule light and medallion work.