The hills are alive with the sound of... a lumbering cyclist.

I was thinking earlier today that with the exception of a few flat fixie rides I had not ridden the road since ???? The last time I remember riding any hills of any note was the Ste Gen ride back in September. I had the day off and Mother Nature blessed the area with moderate temperatures so it was time to hit the road.

After lunch I put some road wheels on the CX bike and aimed myself toward Meramec Bottom, crossed the river on 21 and took Romaine Creek Rd to its end at Rock Creek. The CX is still set up with the 42t single ring so the hills were a little more difficult than usual. I did two loops up the pine tree lined Romaine Creek and down E. Romaine Creek. I didn't ride hard but I got up the hills okay in the 42. In fact, Romaine Creek didn't seem as bad as it normally does. Maybe because I didn't try to ride it as fast. Stomach cramps didn't speed me up at all. That's what I deserve for riding right after lunch. On the bright side, I have lots of room to improve in the hills.