South Prairie from home, 35 miles

This is my first ride of the season. I just got back my Element, which I’m turning into a touring bike. They installed new gears on the bike, to facilitate a better touring experience. I thought I’d give the bike a spin. It is definitely heavier than by Trionfo, and the fatter tires make for a touch more resistance, but otherwise, the bike worked well. The greatest difficulty is the last 3 miles, which has hills (Bellmonte Dr.) up to about 14% grade. The bike handled well, even though I was just a slight bit tired. I followed the Orting trail, but once I get past Orting, I get off the standard trail and onto a back road that is considerably more hilly, but also more scenic. I’m ready for more. I’ll soon have to take my Trionfo off of the trainer and get some better distance rides in.