Plopped the kids in front of a DVD and stole away for a quick ride this afternoon.
The roads are really nice right now.
Spooky winter woods...
Friday, December 24, 2010
Nice day for a ride
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A Good Ride
In the summer, pretty much every commute is a good ride. The air is warm. You can speed along without having to look out for patches of ice and snow. It's never dark out. You smile a lot.
In the winter, however, you can go days on end without a good ride. It's cold, dark, and lonely, and you often wonder if it's all worth it. Oh, I know I'm supposed to say that every ride is a "good ride," and I suppose they all are to the extent that you get to breathe fresh air, exercise, save the planet from vehicular destruction and all that. But a ride that feels good on a soul level - those are few and far between this time of year.
Last night, I had my first good ride home in over a week. The arctic grip had loosened a bit. The wind had abated, and there was a faintly perceptible lightness to the air. I don't know what it is about really cold air, but it has a thickness such that you can pedal with all your might and yet you still don't seem to be going anywhere. I haven't been out of my middle chainring since November. (I'm sure my Neanderthal era mountain bike outfitted with heavy studded tires and full panniers, together weighing a click less than a loaded school bus, doesn't help matters.) It's been so frustrating lately, hopelessly spinning my wheels through this cold weather, that I've taken to riding out of the saddle a lot more than I do during the summer, just so that I can feel like I'm making some progress. But last night was different. I hammered on the pedals and I moved. My tires skipped across the pavement. I went fast. I smiled.
This morning was similarly delightful, and I saw more cyclists out than I've seen since before the snow came. I know it won't last, but the good rides last night and this morning are tiny glimpses of that ecstatic delight that a winter commuter feels when the spring finally arrives. Then I look at the calender in disbelief that it's not even winter yet!
In the winter, however, you can go days on end without a good ride. It's cold, dark, and lonely, and you often wonder if it's all worth it. Oh, I know I'm supposed to say that every ride is a "good ride," and I suppose they all are to the extent that you get to breathe fresh air, exercise, save the planet from vehicular destruction and all that. But a ride that feels good on a soul level - those are few and far between this time of year.
Last night, I had my first good ride home in over a week. The arctic grip had loosened a bit. The wind had abated, and there was a faintly perceptible lightness to the air. I don't know what it is about really cold air, but it has a thickness such that you can pedal with all your might and yet you still don't seem to be going anywhere. I haven't been out of my middle chainring since November. (I'm sure my Neanderthal era mountain bike outfitted with heavy studded tires and full panniers, together weighing a click less than a loaded school bus, doesn't help matters.) It's been so frustrating lately, hopelessly spinning my wheels through this cold weather, that I've taken to riding out of the saddle a lot more than I do during the summer, just so that I can feel like I'm making some progress. But last night was different. I hammered on the pedals and I moved. My tires skipped across the pavement. I went fast. I smiled.
This morning was similarly delightful, and I saw more cyclists out than I've seen since before the snow came. I know it won't last, but the good rides last night and this morning are tiny glimpses of that ecstatic delight that a winter commuter feels when the spring finally arrives. Then I look at the calender in disbelief that it's not even winter yet!
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