I recently went for a Sunday ride on the trails.
The sun was out and the trail conditions were phenomenal, but it was really cold. I’d hate to miss out on such great trail conditions this time of year, so I layered up with the right riding clothes and gloves and headed out with my buddies for an amazing three-hour ride. I was comfortable the entire time.
The next morning I looked out the door before my ride to work and found some pretty horrible conditions. Windy, rainy and sloppy. With my limited spare time, riding to work is more than a commute for me, it’s usually a great little mountain bike ride and I’d hate to miss out just because of some heavy rain. So I threw on my rain jacket, water proof boots, shorts and gloves, and added a fender into the mix before I headed for the trails. It was a shorter ride and the trails were very muddy, but it was still a blast.
Later that week, I was on a road ride and it wasn’t wet, or cold, but the wind would freeze you in no time and have you wishing you were still at home. But with the right gloves, a wind breaker and slightly longer shorts, the wind wasn’t even noticeable, and once again it was a phenomenal ride despite the conditions.
So I guess we all have a choice: Stay at home and grumble about the weather while we gain weight and miss out on what we love to do, or dress for the conditions and take full advantage of some great riding opportunities.
Hope to see you out there.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’