i have not had a saddle sore since 2007, at least. well, it was a good run indeed. i'm currently trying to break in a new Brooks and it's having none of it. i've been treating it with a proprietary blend of Obenauf's heavy duty leather preservative and ass sweat but it's been a slow process. okay, Brooks, if it's a war of attrition you want, then it's on. but i warn you, you look too damn good so swapping you our for a comfier vinyl saddle isn't an option.
recently, i got out for a weekend ride up to massachusetts. what a treat it is to get out to do literally nothing but ride with essentially no agenda. i had a location in mind, northampton, to be exact, but it was only a vague destination. ultimately, i'd never make it there, but that wasn't the point.
i was blessed with fantastic weather all weekend. sunny, comfortable temperatures, low humidity, scattered clouds... and a few passing rain storms. it's funny how if it's raining when you want to start a ride it can completely spoil the mood and cause you to stay in but if it starts when you're already out it's just way more epic. sure, you get a bit wet but it just makes for a better story later.
it was a super casual weekend. riding at my own pace, stopping when and where i wanted to and simply exploring on my own.
on my way back my knee started to hurt and i realized my seatpost had slipped down an inch or so and i immediately put it back in place, but by that time the damage had been done. for the last 60 miles or so i limped along in sheer agony with every pedal stroke. about 15 miles from home i decided to camp for the evening and give my poor knee a rest.
i found a big open field with some tall grass and tossed my bike and bags along the treeline and called it a night. aside from the mosquitoes it wasn't a half-bad night. sure, for several hours after i laid down i could hear the sounds of 4x4's tearing up the fairgrounds nearby while someone blasted awful country music but after a while it just faded into background noise. when the morning came my knee was now stiff and sore and the remaining mikes were fueled exclusively by the knowledge that getting home meant the pain would stop. in spite of the injury the weekend was fantastic. i don't get to do trips like this often, which is a shame, but when i do they are a total blast.
