I just posted this in Mimi's 'fenders are important' post...but I got out yesterday for only my second ride in 2009.

I mapped out a 20 mile loop for DH and I on some backroads near our house. We are both out of shape, so we didn't want anything too tough, so I tried to pick roads that stayed in the valley. Unfortunately, I didn't know all the roads, so I was just picking them based on distance using google maps.

Big mistake.

1/2 the ride ended up being dirt/gravel roads that were VERY muddy. And half those dirt roads were UPHILL. Yes, stupid me - we ended up doing a lovely 4 mile, 7% climb in MUD. Ugh. We were so not prepared for it! I think that if they ever pave that road, it would be a wonderful climb...but in mud it was pure hell.

I was so thankful that I'd taken my commuter bike with the bigger tires and fenders...and that my H had good fenders on his bike...or we'd both have been a mess. I had to keep banging my fenders to keep the mud from building up and rubbing, but my bike stayed quite clean. And while we were totally wiped out by the time we got home, we were at least reasonably mud free!

I'm paying for it today - stairs are a real b1tch to climb!