I'll get one more ride out of my Le Champion before putting it away for the season. I live in the northern tier and we've got ice on some of the paved rec trails I use. But there's an exposed trail that I can take that, except for the first half mile, will be clear of ice.

I put my bike away after a ride on Oct 1st as temps started dropping and we started getting cold rains. I figured that would be it. We got an inch one day. Not good riding weather. I took a short ride this past Wednesday, only to be chased home by rain. But today it's sunny, albeit on the chilly side.

I have about 960 miles on my bike so far. I'll add 20-30 miles today depending on trail conditions. I do find it a bit tough to stay out long these days because the balls of my feet get so cold. By the time I get back home, they are numb.

I've had no problems with the bike and I don't expect any. It's been a great ride, but then I am a newbie so maybe it seems like a great ride because I don't know any better.

Over the course of the winter, I plan to get the bike tuned up by a nearby master mechanic. After that and after I get some true road pedals, I'm going to have him fit me to the bike. I think the only thing I need to change is the length of the front stem. If I'm right I need to add about 10mm to that. But I'm not sure about that. When I'm on the bike and seated properly and in the drops I don't see the front hub, which, from everything I've read about sizing, is how it's supposed to be. But I do have the seat back pretty far, probably about as far as it will go and so I'm guessing that by changing the stem I'll be able to move the seat forward. We'll see about that.

I'm thinking of racing next Spring. The first local race is in early April. I'm in pretty good shape now (not in a Foley kinda' way) and don't want to lose that. We should have enough snow for x-country skiing before the end of Oct. We usually do. I'm a skate skier and that's a great work-out, if you haven't tried it. I've never been interested in racing but since I now want to race my bike in the spring I'm thinking that x-country racing will help to keep me in shape. It seems to me that skate skiing uses a lot of the same muscles, though in a different way, and it is one of the best engine maintenance programs out there. By that I mean heart, lungs, etc.

No pictures to post yet. I took my camera in to get it fixed and the guy told me it wouldn't be worth it, that I could replace it for less than the cost of repairs. Now I've got to decide just how much I want to spend. I really prefer the quality of SLR cameras and can get the film digitize and put on disc at the local Costco so I'll probably go with a 35mm along those lines.

So that's it for me for the winter. The rest of you Moto heads take care and enjoy your riding weather as long as it lasts.

C'mon now! Where do you ride? Put your bike away? I've never heard of such a thing!

I live in northcentral Arkansas, and the rides are just starting to get good. Cool temps. The kids in school. What could be better?

I've got about 4500 miles on my Le Champion and love the bike as much as ever. Broke a derailleur cable the other day, but that's the first repair of any significance.

Go ahead and envy us midsoutherners as we continue to peddle away throughout the long winter days when you have to slog on a trainer.