WINTERMUD

ok, so i thought i invented the word "wintermud", but apparently it already exists... this makes me somewhat angry. However, since i dont buy UK mags, and because i have never ridden in the UK, I, for all intents and purposes, will assume American wintermud (yes, my version is only one word) is of a different breed-especially when mixed with snow and ice.

What is wintermud? well, its the mud that is on singletrack trails in the winter. This is not any ol' summer mud though... no way Jose. this stuff is thick and slippery. it feels just at home freezing into your pedals (maybe you have crank bros like i do) as it does freezing onto the bottom of your shoes, and thus covering your cleats. it loves to get stuck in between every knobbie on your tire, effectively turning your mountain bike into a ski bike. on many occasions it has accumulated between the tire and chainstays/seatstays, making my carbon racing steed climb hills like a three-legged elephant . i dont really know how else to describe this stuff. its more dangerous than snow because you never know if its still soft and slick or if its simply frozen old tire tracks which grab your wheel and throw you off course. this stuff sucks! ive walked up many hills due to its ability to seize all my power and momentum, but today wintermud went too far.

its latest victim is the left knee of my trust leg warmers, along with a cramping left asscheek as of right now. that is a quarter in the hole, just to show how large the tear is. normally i wouldnt care about leg warmers, but these are FLEECE LINED!!! i dont have a job and bikes are taking all my money- i still need to renew my usa cycling license and pay for races.

im glad i could get this issue off my chest. i feel much better, even though my riding will probably cause the rip to grow bigger each day. now i just have to wait for the mud to thaw off my indy fab and shoes so i can clean it.