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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@Jay
I agree with your former point. I think I used mine more to fend off dogs than to inflate anything back in the 80's when it wasn't considered a hidious thing. Come to think of it, I haven't been chased/harassed by any dogs on quite some time. More electric fences maybe, or perhaps they're lazier now? My best sprint training used to come from farm dogs.
The winters on the midwestern plains are cold and harsh. The day I realized I gladly drive 8 hours to strap on the sticks and fly downhill at 60K in 15 degree fahrenheit air is the day I decided I could kit up and drag my 5+ decade old butt over the saddle of my gravel ride and make turns to work in the cold dark days between fall and spring, ice notwithstanding. Not to mention that subzero weather means my deck turns into a microwave for beer.
Insouciance? Has someone been at the thesaurus again?
I for one much prefer the cooler months. I get to wear my Flandrian best on every ride! But also I feel like my engine turns over a lot better in these lower temps. Best of all about winter riding though, is those long, lonely rides in the hills on a crisp, dry morning with the sun hanging low on the horizon. Bliss.
"Choice can lead to indecision while restriction often feeds discipline."
words of wisdom indeed. Especially since the alpine ski season started yesterday!
Case in point this morning. Barely light when I got up, cold, foggy outside. Did not look inviting. Set off to meet my buddy and gradually as we rode the fog burned off and it turned into one of those beautiful, sunny, chilly, windless autumn mornings. Great to be out.
And there is of course cyclocross in winter.
Today I punctured and fell off or possibly fell off and punctured.
Mostly I hit soft stuff so I lost a lap in the race whilst I ran around looking for my wheels in the pits (top tip - one set of knobbly tyres looks very much like another when viewed en masse) and then rejopined the race and finished last in the old guys event.
It was fun and I recommend it to everyone.
@the Engine
Yes, CX in winter… here in the deep south we raced #2 of our state association series. Was cold. Yea right… was 50's and sunny, warming up fast, and super dry. Simply beautiful weather for CX racing. I couldn't imagine cold and wet and muddy CX racing.
I rode without any sunscreen on the other day. Soon I will begin to think about donning some arm warmers.
I welcome the coming of winter to separate the cyclist from the.........well whatever they fuck they are. Anyone can have a good day when its not too cold, not too hot, not too windy, and not too humid. The ones that are all hell bent for leather when the weather is just perfect, but nowhere to be found anytime it is less than ideal. I take great pleasure in riding in the worst of conditions, and draw strength from the challenge of the elements. Bring on the shit, let us see who is truly hard.
-Eddie
Just to say the turbo didn't get used last year;although to be fair it was a mild winter and January was wiped out with a full flu(not even man flu as the better half had it too).
Saturday was a great ride with two others up to that Naarfuck for a nice 130k,cold enough to give my new Isadore long sleeve a try(it was ace btw)but not so cold as to make you think twice about going out.
Only downer was a section of mud-splattered fen roads which caused a couple of moments but apart from that one of those cracking rides with great company,a little bit of 'banter' and a brisk return leg.
Bike got a bit crappy but worth it and a fine sense of satisfaction when giving it a clean after such a cracking ride.
A fine fen sunrise;
Just a bit mucky;
And the recovery beverage during yesterday's recovery ride;