The last one was back in September. I’d been thinking about it for a couple of months but the weather was bad. Yesterday, it was near-perfect, sunny and warm but not hot.
I hadn’t ridden for more than 30 feet when I let out a sigh of pleasure, like I was getting my fix.
About 20 miles, mostly in the countryside.
Lovely.
Is your drivetrain in good condition and properly lubricated?
I can’t cycle any longer, but I did … kind of a lot.
I miss the sound of the whir of my tires and my well-maintained drivetrain on the long, empty miles of asphalt.
Be safe out there!
I will, thanks.
Yes, I checked my bike before heading out. It was just a slow, get-back-into-shape ride but it felt good to be back out there.
Yeah, nothing like the first bike ride of the season. Makes me feel like a kid again.
I just took my bike out the other day for maybe the second ride of the season. Very summer-like day. I was feeling tired and out of it when I started, and was concerned advancing age and not being in the greatest shape were taking their toll, but I got a second wind and really enjoyed the heck out of the ride. Did an area with a lot of hilly parts so got a great workout.
My first ride of the year would have been January 1st. I’m not sure why everyone is always so astounded that I ride year-round: So in the winter, I put on a coat, big deal.
That said, it is very nice to be able to go out (at least, some mornings) without a coat.
Yeah, I ride all year round; but then I don’t know where you other guys live. I’m between London and the south coast, so it doesn’t often get too cold (though we had two longish frozen stretches over this last winter, and my bones are too old to risk ice). My “First of the year” would be shorts, and that hasn’t happened yet, mostly because I’m a morning rider, and setting off in temps around 10C - nah, lightweight longs for another week or two. I’d rather be much too warm than too cold.
j
I do that too.
I don’t mind the cold, but I don’t like cycling in the rain or snow, and it’s been very rainy lately.
Around here that involves studded tires and/or fat bikes.
Here near Chicago, my sister and I try to ride at least once every month. In the winters the paths generally get ice-packed, so we stick to the streets. This winter was no problem at all as we got little snow. We’ve gone as cold as 15F if the sun is out and wind not blowing hard.
As I recall it, some time back I heard a winter Olympian from Scandinavia saying something like, “If you wait for nice weather, you spend most of the year indoors. There is no such thing as bad weather, just poor equipment.” Gore-tex layers are amazing.
I ride year round and I do put on studded tires from sometime in November until sometime in March. My work commute is only a few miles. I do walk on the days with heavy snowfall since I don’t want someone in a car to slide into me.
This weekend we went for the first long ride of the year for my wife. 36 miles of awesomeness.
The last time I tried riding my bike in the winter, 20+ years ago, the ground was mostly clear of ice and snow, but I hit a patch of ice and wiped out. I went down hard. Since I was still in my 30s I didn’t actually break anything, just bruised my ego (and non-metaphorically, many other areas). No more winter riding for me unless it’s above freezing and the ground is 100% clear.
I commuted to work via bike for nearly 50 years, but only in the summer. Our winters are brutal and there’s too much ice to ride safely.
Now that I’m in my 70’s I’m reluctant to ride at all. I don’t remember a summer that I didn’t fall over for one reason or another and things have become generally more dangerous over time. At my age a broken wrist will permanently affect my ability to play tennis, music, and other things important to me.
I’m turning 60 this year, and last year I separated my shoulder in a mountain bike fall in Sedona AZ, first day of our vacation. But I’m back riding on the trails next to our house now, something I can do at lunch time or after work, plenty of moderate trails to ride. I’ve never been a fan of really technical trails, but I do like a bit of a challenge.
I do an hour or so ride on the Los Gatos Bike Trail two or three days a week most of the year as long as the weather is decent. I used to ride the Guadalupe trail out to Alviso but the encampments on one stretch got so out of hand it just wasn’t an enjoyable ride anymore. I took one of my favorite rides last week, from Pismo Beach up to Avila Beach and the Port San Luis Pier.
I can handle ice, as long as I can see it. What keeps me off the road is when there’s fresh snow on top of ice.
But usually, when it’s that bad, school is cancelled, anyway.
I did that, and looked up to see a bus baring down on me. Since then, I avoid the sub-zero temps (ºF) and streets full of ice or slush.
Very nice. Myself, I have been out on many rides, but mostly of the milk-run variety, in the 5-10 mile range. Almost every day, but I don’t *think I’ve had a single 20-mile ride all year.
*After checking my notes, I have confirmed that my longest bike ride of the year to date was 19 miles on January 5.
I do as well. Even, on occasion, when I probably shouldn’t. Some white-knuckle short distance rides to and from school in heavy snow or rain, and some potentially body-wrecking long distance rides into headwind and at times near-horizontal rain (the most notable of which was a roughly 30-mile stretch in North Carolina along the outer banks–there’s a reason the Wright Brothers, of Ohio, went there to fly). I’m like the US postal service…
I’ll get my bike out soon. Little Rock parks & recreation maintains an amazing downtown trail called Arkansas River Trail. Wonderful ride.
Link Arkansas River Trail | City of Little Rock
The downside is the speed demons that dominate the trail. I stay as far to the right as possible. Let them pass
I often drive out into the country and park my car. Get the bike out for a quiet ride.
I went for my first long ride a couple of weekends ago. 33 miles near Lake Minnetonka. I commute to work, even in winter, so wasn’t too hard. It finally warmed up around here so it was very pleasant.
This coming weekend, I’m riding around Lake Pepin on my 3 Speed.
I used to go on bike rides a lot with my ex during Covid, up to 4 times a week when the weather was nice. 28 miles was our average range. The longest we ever did was last summer, 35 miles. We never rode really fast, though. Usually about 12 mph, and we took many breaks, but speed wasn’t the point.