I seem to find dirt roads quite often. For example, the mountain pass that is closed due to snow nine months out of the year. There is a gas station on the way, and a place named Pickles. Perfect, better stop there. There’s singletrack and sweeping turns on fresh pavement too. The views are best during the golden hours of dawn and dusk—and coming home to city lights is always a relief. Sunrise and sunset should not to be missed.
The visual journey I had in mind for this trip came second to the physical challenge. We have proven what our bodies and bikes are capable of these days. I knew I would fall apart on this journey, but what counts is just getting out there and riding unleashed.
My choice for this type of journey is my new TCR Advanced SL Disc. My favorite part about riding bikes is still going fast. For this, no other bike can match the road bike. Added aero features, lighter weight, and the way these CADEX wheels devour roads at speed make my TCR a rocketship for going long distances. More clearance for wider tires is nice. I am running 28mm wide tires with hookless carbon rims, so I can drop my tire pressure down to 50 psi on the new CADEX Classics tires.