January MTB Hill Repeats -- in Shorts!!

For a few decades, I had mentally tagged this day on the calendar as the last "warm enough" surfing

Pick your poison. Windsurf buddies from the O-Bay crew
 take a break during a January "heatwave" lull.
Temps in the low 60s courtesy of El Nino.
PHOTO BY RICH SIMONS.

day of the year. And indeed, a few of my good buddies were out surfing yesterday enjoying the semi-balmy temps. For me it was a perfect opportunity to get a quick ride in between storms on yet another record warm El Nino day on Long Island.

View from the knobby. A favorite part of the  

"Baby Brickyard" section. Today it was 

wet tree roots on goat trail. FILE PHOTO.

Typically, the temps drop into the no-go zone from Jan 10 to Feb 26, and windsurfing and surfing take a backseat. With my van in construction-headquarters mode, windsurfing took a rear pew long ago, and surfing has been ruled out for two years no because of the spasms from neck disc herniations I get when using the left arm strenuously/lying in the prone position.

However, A storm kicked in overnight with strong onshore winds, so although this was very doable temperature wise — it probably would have been a sweat machine/washing machine of a surf day in a drysuit, with a large dose of "victory at sea."

TROLL FACE

But my neck is still not ready for surf, windsurf yes, but not surf-surf. And with a lot on the menu at home, an MTB ride among the trees was the way to stay out of the wind and get some good, almost muddy climbing and general pfaffing around on two wheels done. The MTB handles nicely in swooping turns.

Ye Olde Continental Vertical Pro.  FILE PHOTO

The "Baby Brickyard" section was a little more challenging today. Did not clean the right side climb -- no traction to speak of climbing over wet tree roots on the goat trail portion, but that's not to say it wasn't fun. If anything it was more fun with the extra challenge.

A few thorns came out to grab my bare legs on the ledge of a technical section just to remind me that MTB should sting a little to feel right.

OK a selfie by the Baby Brickyard for posterity.