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.
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DST is the beginning of the manic summer cycling season, especially for those who live to the north. Even Hell of the North becomes A Pleasant Cruise Through Cobbles.
Typo, though- "we often do with with the further risk of". with with. with with with?
Well said. I've always thought of first-lightless-ride-to-work as the Cycling Solstice. Which isn't cosmologically accurate, but it makes me smile.
Aaargh! Another couple of weeks to wait the UK..... Can't wait though, love it, feels like summer is on the way.
... Unless you are trying to ride before work...
Yes!
While everyone is whining about losing an hour of sleep, I'm practically giddy to see sunlight at 7pm. Mid-March through April is my favorite time of the year to ride, partly because the crisp air feels and tastes good, but also because after a winter spent mostly on the wind trainer and 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.
Still got a few weeks till the change in Europe (including the UK), but already enjoying not needing lights for my commuting. A much happier time of year
Yes! yes! yes! Im so done with winter in the North Woods.
The time change was a welcome surprise this year. In celebration I took a 3 hour ride down unfamiliar roads and still needed my lights to get home. It was magnificent.
@il muro di manayunk
This.
The start of British Summer Time is when our club midweek winter turbo sessions end and we get outside for a few hours after work. It's only then that we realise once again that the turbo is OK but it is no substitute for a midweek chaingang. Roll on Monday 30 March