It was drizzling rain all day today. But that didn't stop us from going on a great little ride around the area.
We basically went straight west, taking what are called the "sugar roads" into Norway. Years ago, there was a big price difference in the price of sugar between Sweden and Norway, and these roads were not very controlled so people smuggled sugar across them.
The roads were mostly dirt, and in the drizzling rain, mud. At first, I was a bit nervous and my bike wasn't handling the road very well, with the front end dancing over the surface. Then I remembered my dirt bike training from last year, lifted my elbows to be in line with my forks, and put as much weight as I could on the front wheel, giving the front more "bite".
I immediately felt the balance improve tremendously. While the back end wasn't tracking straight over the ruts and mud, the front was fine and I felt very comfortable.
I know that most of my problem is a considerably bad suspension setup on the bike. My front is too stiff, and the rear is wallowing. I need a long bar to snap more preload into the rear, and I've just been too forgetful to lower the preload in the front. What I really need is an expert to set it up properly. Someday!
The mud ride was definitely necessary. I haven't ridden in mud much this year, and I was out of practice and avoiding it as a result. After that nice reminder, I'm all for riding on it again.
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