going up the country

eliot and i went up to our buddy's ranch this week and managed to a get a solid ride in.  after riding around the ranch grounds a bit, we took off down the country roads. it was a really solid test of our specialized crosstrail's and i'm pleased to say they held up very well. the lock-off on the shocks is a must - with the lock off on asphalt it's smooth and quick (not quite a road bike but close enough), switch it off and it handles like a mountain bike on trails. really enjoying the ride.

it was also reassuring to finally get some mud on the bikes.  we rode through water and in the rain, got to hear the chains rattle down the gravel road and even fishtailed a bit. all told, a good training weekend. the last few rides i haven't had RunKeeper going so we can't accurately total the mileage, but we'll start that up again soon.