The Prophet gets pumped to ride. Hopefully that thing isn't going to find its way onto his bike.
As Cyclists, we are uniquely subjected to the changing of seasons. The green canopy of forest that we ride through in Summer gives way in Fall to one of orange and yellow that mimics the fire of sunset. Just as those hues give notice to the changing from day to night, so do they now signal the change from Summer to Winter.
It is also a time of transition in our riding. The rides are first wetter, then cooler. Soon, we’ll be rooting about the kit bin for gloves and a wooly hat. Shorts become three-quarters and three-quarters become fulls. There might be a shadow of trepidation in bidding the warm months adieu, but there lurks some excitement, too. Wearing long sleeve jerseys and leg warmers signals to us that the fight for peak form is behind us and our rides now have a sense of insouciance about them; it is freeing to embrace the lack of structure to our rides. We ride, once again, simply for the pleasure of riding.
There is something else. The longer days of Summer almost afford us too much liberty in our training. The sun rises early and sets late; the possibilities to train are endless; the morning ride is skipped for the likelihood of riding in the afternoon. The afternoon schedule fills up and the ride is missed and the training takes on a more frenetic nature. The shorter days of the winter offer less choices, so the rides are fought for more vigorously. Choice can lead to indecision while restriction often feeds discipline.
I embrace the coming Winter and its accompanying discipline. Besides, after the Winter come the Spring Classics, and we loves ourselves some cobbles. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@xyxax
You are a genius making that move. Go only knows I tried back in the GW Bush years to move to Europe but the IAEA was having none of it, bastards! But one of my best friends lives near Sion, not too far from you. He is no cyclists but can hike for days. All those huts with amazing food, why so civilized, swiss?
Just came back from cycling in Italian piedmont-langhe area, just on the other side of the alps from you. Momma! Great cycling and everything else there. V-report to be files post haste.
@Ruud
Hey there Ruud! It was in the 70s here yesterday! You bet I'm still riding. Found some great new roads in Washington, Dodge and Sheboygan counties. Lumpy but virtually traffic free. Hope you and the missus are doing well.
BTW it was Dollar Tree I found the lights in. Those $ stores all look the same!
@Gianni
Great thoughts!
You know, I think that I will contact them to see if I can square away a room the night before and after as well and watch the race!
Cannot wait!
Also cannot wait to hear about your Italian pilgrimage! Was it an Andy Hampsten ride? One of those is on my future "to-do" list. He has one where, in case the Significant Other is not a cyclist, the SO learns to cook great Italian food in the morning while you ride all morning and then you all hang out together and drink wine and take in the countryside for the rest of the day following a huge lunch. Sounds so fucking perfetto!
@xyxax
xyxax!!! Any chance that you and the wonderful VMH would be able to ride a shorter version? We could have our own mini-Tour (call it the "Sleepers Tour" or "Weepers Tour" instead of Keepers Tour). @Chris is riding the 130 K, I believe. We could hit up Alex and William for a room and food for Friday and Saturday night and viewing the Pro RVV on Sunday???
Sounds farktastic to me!!!
@wiscot
Full early winter mode (Holland-style) here. On the commute in this morning: shoe covers, tights, full gloves, head band. Could have added the winter jacket. I know I'll enjoy it again in a few weeks; now, we're still just leaving the nice weather behind. Helpful at this time: just about all the fair weather commuters, let alone tourists, have vanished. The roads and bike paths are mostly my own again.
@Ruud
Haven't got into cold weather yet in Wales - rode home last night in just jersey, arm warmers and shorts.
Granted, I'm tough as shit and actually wouldn't have minded having my knee warmers on.
Supposed to be getting colder so I'd better dust off the full-finger gloves and bib tights.
@Buck Rogers
Hmm - the RVV looks interesting might well look to sign up this evening too.
@RobSandy
We've had a decent frost the last couple of mornings in Cambridgeshire.
Angus was at BC coaching session for youth roadies at the Lee Valley Velo Park last night and everyone was rugged up. He wanted to ride bare legged but was told to wear knee or leg warmers. I'm sure that if I hadn't one of the coaches would have.
On any other site one might add a hash tag about the inevitableness of seasonal change...
@chris
We've been all over the map here in WI in the past week. Shorts and long sleeved jersey on Saturday. Monday was knicks, oversocks, LS jersey, windproof gilet, cap under helmet, full gloves as it was in the low 50s. Tuesday was shorts and a thin LS jersey as it was in the low 70s.
I'd imagine # would be as welcome around here as emoticons!
Weekend weather looks decent but work will kill any chance of a ride on Saturday and the hour goes back this weekend . . . cue very sad-looking emoticon.
@Teocalli
ABSOLUTELY!!! The more the merrier! If we can get xyxax, his VMH, Chris, you and possibly Ivor (forgot his name around here but he goes every year to the pave in early April) and any other Velominati then we can make a lively fucking party out of it!!!
I will be taking that Friday and Monday off of work and will drive up on Friday, eat my weight in food that night, ride all fucking day Saturday and then eat AND drink my weight Saturday night, sleep like a stone and then get up for a big breakfast and watch the real RVV and then head home. I invited my VMH but she said that I would be useless the whole weekend and better to go with the Mates instead. Yeah, she's a saint and a genius!
I will get a hold of William and Alex and start to see if they can set me up. If anyone wants to go in on a package deal (i.e. The Weepers Tour) then we can give them a head count and see what it will cost. Even if no one goes in with me, I hope to pay them to help me set it all up.
What do you think???