Sunday, January 17, 2010

Winter trip...

Late on Friday evening I get a message on the phone, Tobbe wonders if I'm interested to join him on a bike trip to Grängesberg where he will visit his brother, I call him back and wonder what route he's about to take. The plan is to follow the bike lane to Blötberget and from there use the regular roads. Well, we agree I call Tobbe the next day before he plans to start and tell what I'll do.

I'm not short of bikes but I couldn't decide which one to take, the Puglsy is geared for off-road terrain and I would have to pedal like crazy to keep up, I'm not so keen to take the Reign, salt on the roads and no spike tires, I ended up using my old commuter bike, the Univega, no disc brakes and single speed but at least it's more appropriately geared for the road and frankly I don't care if it's exposed to the corrosive salt. =)

My choice for the day. The temperature was around -5C and modest wind.


We headed off to Grängesberg from Tobbes place, going under the road...


Passing past the pier and view over Väsman.


A short stop at one of the office buildings at ABB:s factory area, here the brick wall had collapsed due to the weather lately, some one has been using cheap plaster!

Here I also took the opportunity to get some more air in to my tires that almost looked flat, still more than 20km to go and I not that fit! :)


The heat plant, probably going on low heat now compared to the cold that's been earlier!


On the first part of the bike lane:


Ginormous icicles this year also at the rocks.


Gray, gray and then some more gray...


Managed to get past Tobbe and take a photo from the front.


After a while we had to abandon the bike lane due to the snow, after Blötberget they stop plowing and we headed out to the road. Slightest up hill and the speed dropped significantly!


Fortunately the time on the regular road was short since there was a "shortcut" over a forest road, unfortunately it was narrow and the traffic to the ski tracks was high.


On a crossroad we decided to take the longer route but after less than a kilometer the road wasn't plowed as well as in the beginning so we had to turn around. :(


After taking the other route Tobbe continued towards his brother and I went to pay my mother a visit.

http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/workoutdetail/index.do?id=1970149

The cul-de-sac at the end of the ride clearly visible in the lower left corner, perhaps it was for the best? :)

I phoned ahead so when I arrived at my parents place there was a hot sauna waiting for me! As if that wasn't enough I got a delicious hot meal and some dry change.

Tobbes girlfriend Anki was kind enough to give me a lift back to Ludvika, Tobbe didn't seem that disappointed to miss a bike ride back to Ludvika, even if he tried to sound a bit disappointed in the warm car. ;)

Thanks for the company!

And to compensate for all lost calories Tobbe and Anki invited me for supper later that evening, a huge home make pizza took care of that problem and to be on the safe side it was accompanied with a few excellent beers!

Started with a Brother Thelonious before the meal, a Double Bastard with the pizza, after that a 2007 Chimay and for the grand finale a Rochefort 10!

Not easy or cheap to be a beer nerd, four different beers, four different beer glasses. :)
Thanks again for the food and beer!

All photos that was usable:

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the company!

    I was not that bummed about missing the bike ride home since I still believed I was gonna go kayaking afterwards.

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  2. Pool, but one has to go outside in bare feet to get the kayak. :-O

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  3. ni får komma ner och köra oetzin nästa gång! det är ju ändå din logga harri. :)

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  4. mattel: Men ni är ju utanför-skalan-galna! =)
    Jag vill inte sluta som Oetzi!

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  5. Inga tårtbilder här heller? Vad håller ni på med däruppe i Dalarna? ;)

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  6. Nä, jag ville inte tränga mig på hos andras kalas även om jag har rätt bra track-record på att vara med på andras släktträffar mm. :)

    Själv åt jag vanlig lunch!

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