Cold as Ice

It was a bit chilly this morning in SD. Guessing somewhere in the 40's. I know other parts of the country think we are wimps to even talk about the weather unless it is something like 10 below, but nonetheless, it was chilly. I broke out the knee warmers and jacket this morning. Probably could have used to full-finger gloves too. I'm not a big fan of getting decked out in cycling gear, but those knee warmers are so nice! Those plus a cycling vest are probably the 2 best pieces of cycling clothing to have around here. Even in the 40's and 50's, the knees can get damaged from the cool air if you are working them hard without any protection. The vest is great to keep the wind off your chest while the back can still breathe. I wore the jacket this morning since I had on a short sleeve shirt. With a long sleeve jersey or arm warmers, the vest would have done the trick.
The cooler times of year are my favorite for riding for some strange reason. Maybe it is knowing that you are one of the few "real" cyclists when you are out there when others are taking the bus or driving. You know what they say, "the weather is never too bad, you're just not dressed appropriately."

Slow Ride, Take It Easy

It's been one of those months, or two, where normal bike commuting has been interrupted with various obligations that made driving the car more common that I wished. As soon as I get in a good groove of biking to work, I am off the bike for several days of driving. The rhythm of the commute is so different between the two. While biking, I feel more free, able to get a better grasp on the thoughts for the day. While driving, it is all about watching the road, the other drivers, lights, and more lights. Seems like it is all stop, go, stop, go. I have to admit, though, that driving is actually faster for me (at least in the actual time from home to work and back home. I know there are arguments that overall, biking is faster. At least once you factor in the time for earning the money to pay for the car, maintenance, etc.) When driving, it is easy to get into a "hurry-up" mentality. Late? Just drive faster! Late, and riding a bike? Well, too bad...you can only pedal so fast. That's one big thing I have learned about cycling. You are forced to slow down and pace yourself. You have no choice but to "take it easy" sometimes. If you're running late, well, you're gonna be late. You have to physically and mentally adjust to cycling for transportation. In an auto-centric society such as ours, it can be difficult to explain to others (boss, spouse, etc) why you need to leave or arrive several minutes early or late because you are cycling. "Why don't you just drive?" That's the expectation. If only we were all in the slow down frame of mind...