Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Waiting for Spring

I told myself I would be the kind of bike commuter who rides to work during the winter months. I knew it would be cold, but I prepared with lots of gear. I went on an Amazon shopping spree for gloves and balaclavas and toe warmers and everything. I was ready. Yet I didn't anticipate just how cold it gets, just how dark it would be, just how difficult the weather would be. Snow, I could deal with. But DC hasn't gotten a lot of snow this year; instead we get cold, icy rain. There is NOTHING worse than icy rain -- not only is it super uncomfortable, it's also slippery (as my skinned arm and ripped cycling jacket can attest to). And the wind! It turns out 20 mph steady winds are doable, but those gusts of up to 35 mph are not, especially when it's 30 degrees outside.

I've barely ridden 20 miles this month.

I long for Spring. As the days slowly inch toward warmth, as the sun stays out slightly longer each day, I realize that we're just a few weeks away. Soon temperatures in the morning will be around 50 degrees, which is so comfortable for biking. Anything greater is just icing on the cake. I won't have to wear gloves anymore, and my outer layer can get ever lighter until one day, a few months from now, it will be 90 degrees and the breeze on the bike will provide sweet, sweet relief.

1 comment:

  1. Matt:
    Freezing rain is a pain in the rear.
    Spring will hopefully be there soon.
    Hang tight!

    Paz :)

    ReplyDelete


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