Took the boys, the Burley, and this time Barney the Purple Cannondale out for a spin on the Middlebury Trolley Trail. It was the first time that I have actually rode the Cannondale and it has a really nice feel to it. Putting the 17t freewheel on it makes a big difference and the modifications to the drops allows it to pedal smoothly.There is just one drawback to the bike and that is the bars - can't get enough leverage. It probably would have been different if I weren't pulling my two sons in the Burley but I actually had to walk a few hills. Here are a list of excuses that I can come up with that explain my complete failure in climbing the hills today:
1. First time pedaling with 42:17Other than that, the bike was nice to ride. The Trolley Trail is nice but it's a lot of climbing. If you start out at Meadowview Park in Middlebury and head east towards Waterbury, it's a nice, mostly downhill ride all the way to Maggie McFlys at Exit 17 off of Rte 84. Of course, that means on the way back there is quite a bit of climbing as you can see from the profile below.
2. I think the frame is too small because I couldn't stretch out enough to get the leverage I needed to pedal up the hills.
3. The quasi bullhorns (cut and turned around drop bars) again don't allow me to get out over the front bars where you get a lot of leverage.
4. First time riding pavement in quite a long time.
There were a few complaints from the peanut gallery when we first started out. Brody wanted to control the situation by telling me to slow down every couple of minute. Elliot on the otherhand couldn't care less. 
On the way back, it was time for some juice. What a life!
When we got back to the park, the boys played on the Jungle Gyms, made new friends, and tired me out. Then we drove down to Woodbury to Dairy De-Lite for ice cream. Brody insisted on a cone and he wasn't too bad with it. He does do a mean Colonel Sanders!
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