10 days since I’ve been on the mountain bike.

A week before that.

Maybe two before that.

It doesn’t even have any wheels on it right now, since the last time it was out I blew (another) brake line on my hydraulic brakes, spewing DOT4 fluid all over a neighborhood street in Sedona. This necessitated a bleed of the system, which caused me to realize that the rear pads were beyond ‘worn’ (which I haven’t bought replacements for).

And thus, the wheels are sitting next to the bike on the floor of the gear room.

Do I feel bad about it?

With 4 feet of settled snow depth out my front door, and my name not anywhere near a registration for Old Pueblo……….not really.

Two years ago, I signed up for Old Pueblo solo, and I hit it hard on the rollers all winter long. 4 mornings a week I was up at the asscrack of dawn riding in a half-awake stupor. But I kept it up, and I felt halfway decent (at least for a february bike race…)

Last year I signed up for a duo at old pueblo with Mancandy, and kept up the rollers a couple days a week, with at least once or twice a week on the mountain bike thrown in.

This year I’m headed down to old pueblo with a bike, camping gear, food, a camera, and a ton of beer. I have no intention of racing, which is the first time since I moved to arizona. But, I do have every intention of riding, taking pictures, heckling, drinking, and witnessing the deterioration of everyone in the race.

It’s gonna be great.

I’ve been hitting the rollers a couple times a week to keep the leg circles going, but (more importantly) I’ve been skiing at least 4 days a week (sometimes more) for the last month. Is it gonna help me when the biking rolls around again? I have no idea, but I guess we’re gonna find out.

So where am I going with this? Well, I mostly just wanted to say to all of you who read this blog primarily for the biking part of it: I’m sorry. I know I’ve been neglecting the two wheels lately in my updates, but the reality is that the pendulum has swung towards the skis in a big way this winter.

I started the season early for skiing with the New Zealand trip, and it gave me the bug. The biking bug is still there, it’s just in hibernation.

Although I have to say, every time I open up Chad or Scott’s blog, it makes me get the itch again, so maybe I’ll be making a little more effort in that direction……after I get some new brake pads, that is.