When the weather and training goals coincide do not hesitate -- go for it. By it, I mean, a longer ride than scheduled on your training plan. Not only does a longer ride provide a quantitative test of your current fitness level, it also builds confidence crucial to the mental portion of your early season training regime.
Spring weather on the Northern Great Plains serves up a mixture of cool temps, wind, rain and more wind. Occasionally, high pressure enters from the west bringing with it calm wind, clear skies and temperate temperatures. Last Tuesday, the cycling friendly high pressure system smiled on us creating calm, sunny and cool conditions -- perfect riding weather.
The ride followed the new, smooth, wide-shouldered highway 1804 south from the Oahe Drag Strip, about 15 miles north of Pierre, and continued up/down Snake Butte, through Pierre, Ft. Pierre and continued southeast on Highway 1806 past the Lower Brule Buffalo Interpretive Center. The synergy of the stellar sunshine and no wind combined with the pristine prairie panorama enticed me on. After hammering the rollers, the ride dropped down off the tableland into Antleope Creek drainage and up the other side. At mile marker 161 I turned around and headed back.
Near Highway 83/1806 intersection my wife met me and back up to the LBBIC we went before turning around and following Stanley Trail back to the dam, 1804 and to my starting point near the drag strip.
Stats:
98 miles
2690 feet
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