Reverence: Daylight Saving Time

Daylight savings means less time riding in this

Not too many people espouse the virtues of Daylight Saving Time, much less chose to write about it every bloody year. But Daylight Saving Time is my favorite day of the year, no question. Better than Christmas, Sinterklaas, or my birthday. Combined. The reason is simple: Daylight Saving is the day of the year when it becomes feasible to once again ride after work without headlights.

To be a Cyclist is to be a student of sacrifice; everything is given for the sake of becoming better at our chosen craft. We risk life and limb when we set ourselves upon the streets to take flight amongst the motor traffic like a gazelle amongst the lions. In winter, we often do this with the further risk of darkness, limiting our range of vision and our visibility to drivers who are much more likely to be texting than I care to imagine.

While there are some liberating aspects to riding and training at night, Daylight Saving Time frees us from the grip of darkness and affords us the opportunity train once again in afternoon daylight without requiring excessive amounts of Calendar Tetris in order to sneak out of the office while the sun still hangs above the horizon. From Sunday onward, it is Open Season on training and the path towards summertime fitness opens up before us.

Most crucially, Daylight Saving Time means the days lengthen enough to once again allow the afternoon training rides to become the karmic neutralizer of the daily grind. Vive la Vie Velominatus.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Jay says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:21 pm

We should just stay on Daylight Savings Time year round... period.
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:29 pm

@PeakInTwoYears

@il muro di manayunk

after […] battling what is probably low-grade seasonal affective disorder, it feels like I am rediscovering something every time I go out for one of those long early-season rides. DST helps me shake the winter blues.

This.

We had such a great winter though - although on the OP you might have had more rain/clouds. Over here on the proper side of the sound its been amazeballs. I normally need the skiing to get me through the SAD; this year there has been no sign.
PeakInTwoYears says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:34 pm

@frank

@PeakInTwoYears

@il muro di manayunk

after […] battling what is probably low-grade seasonal affective disorder, it feels like I am rediscovering something every time I go out for one of those long early-season rides. DST helps me shake the winter blues.

This.

We had such a great winter though – although on the OP you might have had more rain/clouds. Over here on the proper side of the sound its been amazeballs. I normally need the skiing to get me through the SAD; this year there has been no sign.

No, quite true about this winter. I was only speaking generally. This year has been inconSEEVable.

Herself and I rode Hurricane Ridge on Sunday. Finished the climb in the equivalent of summer kit, jersey bulging monstrously with warmers, etc., etc. (all of which was nice for the descent).
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:34 pm

@The Pressure

First time out in two months due to uninterrupted snow-covered roads and mind-numbing sub-zero temps. How wonderful! Right up until half a km from home when I glanced down and realized I was flatting on my rear wheel. At that instant I ran into a small patch of ice and tumbled (laughing mind you) into the 6 foot high snow bank bordering the road! After dusting off the snow, and not feeling like changing the flat where there was no safe place to do so, I shouldered my whip and walked the short distance home…it was so worth it.

Funny - on the morning to commute on Monday - now again in darkness due to DST - I came across a bit of road where I assume a wife threw her husband out for presumably being a giant twat and dumped all his shit on the curb.

That's all fine, but the consequence was the black metal hard-drive that was laying in the bike lane which I hit squarely at about 40kmph. It had gone unnoticed between the headlight cone and my distraction at the mess.

Both tires flatted instantly, ruined. Walk the 5km home? Not a chance, I rode home on the flat tires. This is why I love tubulars. I mean, it wasn't a smooth ride, and it was a little sketchy on the dodgy bits of pavement, but it worked out just fine, the $300 in tires notwithstanding.
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:35 pm

@PeakInTwoYears

I'm glad that's why the jersey was bulging monstrously.
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:37 pm

@Rom

Daylight savings is rubbish. It finally starts to get light in the mornings, then they wind the clocks forward and you’re in the dark again. Plus it’s hotter for longer in the evening.

luckily we’ve (the sane people) have voted it out several times.

stuffs up the cows too.

In Seattle, its a fleeting inconvenience - Sun will be up at 5am by May and won't set until about 11 in July.

As for falling asleep, that's why Merckx gave us curtains and alcohol.
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:49 pm

@Teocalli

@Rom

Daylight savings is rubbish. It finally starts to get light in the mornings, then they wind the clocks forward and you’re in the dark again. Plus it’s hotter for longer in the evening.

luckily we’ve (the sane people) have voted it out several times.

stuffs up the cows too.

I’ve never quite understood how the clock change upsets the cows. They spend to much time looking at the village clock or something?

If anything, you'd think it would aide in their meditation on the collapse of our notions of a fixed cosmic order.
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:54 pm

@camo

here in nor-cal road squid season is in full effect.

WTF?

@1860

@Teocalli

My winter bike is a 20 yr old mountain bike cro-moly frame with conti top winter tires and mudguards… talk to me about wear…. its more resistance trainer than bike, but I still love it.

This is what I love about Seattle. This is my "winter bike"
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 5:58 pm

@Ron

Holy fack, I need a karmic equalizer this week!

While the light for training rides is awesome, I have to say that I’m even more pumped to avoid having to cyclocommute home in the dark. Not very fun. Even when I can’t leave on time, plenty of light. It’s awesome! Started my new job in October, so things seem a lot better with DST.

Yeehaw!!

There is some mental wear and tear that comes with arriving at work in the dark and leaving in the dark. By bike. In wet clothes. It also makes you feel like a truly committed disciple. But the sunlight - at least on the ride home - is a welcome companion.
frank says:

Mar 10 2015 at 6:02 pm

@DeKerr

There’s no better way (that I’ve found) to test an assertion than to try to explain it to a 5-6 year old and see if they grasp the concept or rationale behind it. DST does not hold up.

Did you find that, or did you read it from a quote by Einstein?

If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.
-Albert Einstein

@John

Spell check – Daylight Saving Time, not Savings Time.

Never knew that. Thanks.