Biking - First climbing of the season

With record-setting temperatures and sunny skies again today, I got out for a mid-day ride before the chance of showers later on. I went to my old friend, Grant Hill Road, in Guilderland, for a short climb to test my early season legs. The climb is only a little over a mile and a few hundred feet up, but it kicks up to 13% at one point and is my normal barometer for how good the legs are doing. I climb it many times every year, adding enough miles to make a 20-30 mile loop in the Voorheesville/Guilderland area..



The climb was no problem at all, and I made it up with a few gears to spare. I'm guessing that the 6-8 pounds I've dropped since last year were also a factor, with gravity always being the enemy on the uphills. All told, I got in 27 miles and felt pretty good. With more good weather coming this week, maybe it's time to throw in a slightly longer ride.