Chance are pretty good that this was it. The last official outdoor ride for the season. Oh, there might be a day or two in December where the weather allows for a quick jaunt outside, but this was likely the last ride of significant time/distance to really count.
I met up with my brother at his St. Paul residence and we decided to head toward the Minneapolis lakes. From his location, we have a pretty simple western route that meets up with the Midtown Greenway trail in less than five miles. …

Watching the thermometer climb this morning, I didn’t really have any specific plans to ride. This weekend is all about housework – both inside and outside – as I know there are just a few opportunities remaining to be fully prepped for winter. I have leaves to collect, a pool cover to secure, windows to clean, and a host of other things that need dry, above freezing temps to accomplish. Thus, when the temps looked like they would at least stay inside the 50’s with only gentle winds, I changed …

The radar looked clear. Of course, it was REALLY gloomy, as most of the cars on the road had their lights turned on. But the radar did not indicate it was actually raining.
So much for my faith in technology.
Within five minutes of leaving the house, a light mist started to envelop me and it eventually became heavy enough to be classified as true rain.
With yesterday’s ride in my legs and still fighting a nasty cold, it wasn’t the best of circumstances for a ride. Add the cold, wet weather to …

Nothing about today should have led me to a ride. It was:

cold (mid-40s)
a little windy
I hadn’t been on the bike in two weeks
I’ve been physically feeling ill – possibly H1N1
there is a plethora of yard work to do at my house

But, I have come to realize that riding isn’t about enjoyment. It isn’t about fitness. It isn’t about the “freedom of the road”.
It’s about suffering – but in a good way. Rides that have no obstacles are fundamentally boring. They need something to overcome. They need some event to occur …

Friday night gave those of us in Minnesota a taste of the months to come – with harshly cold temperatures and a little snow to rub it in. This was such a shock to the system – that an ash tree I have in the front yard shed all of its leaves (it is a big tree) over the course of two hours on Saturday morning. This also setup the remainder of the weekend to be much colder than it would otherwise be. Certainly not weather conducive to outdoor activities …

Before I get into the details of the ride, I have a small confession to make.
I wore underwear wrapped around my toes for today’s ride.
There, I said it – with no real sense of embarrassment. That might be due to the “old guy syndrome” that is slowly creeping into me as I near 40. It is the syndrome where men begin to care little of what others may think of their outward appearance. I see it in my 65 year old neighbor, who regularly goes out to get his mail …

I did it.
I didn’t want to do it, but I did it.
When Mother Nature deals the cards She has of recent, it’s impossible not to play the hand that is given.
Yes – if you haven’t already figured it out – tonight was the first night on the indoor trainer.
I’ve been dreading this evening for a long time. But, two weeks of bone-chilling temperatures and steady rain have meant too little time on the bike. Too little for my comfort. Too little to maintain the balance of food/beer intake …

A busy day at work and other locations is best closed out with a bike ride.
After a cold front moved through last night, today was also the first day of fall rearing its cold and blistery head. We’ve had un-seasonably warm weather throughout most of September, so it is a shock to the system when the temps move down into the 50’s. When I left the house for the ride, the thermometer indicated that the temps were hanging around 56F. Couple that with the temperature inside my house at about …

Before I get started – a brief rant:
“Hey you.
Yeah, you.
You in the Ford F-150.
I see that you have some compensation-related issues, and I’m cool with that. Sure, you drive a spotless four-wheel drive truck with a covered bed, indicating that you’ve never hauled anything more than groceries home from Cub Foods. You’ve also chosen to decorate your truck “all pretty” – with your assortment of extra lights, chrome trim, and Calvin pissing on Chevy Symbol stickers. I’m proud of your accomplishments. I really am.
But, please realize that I’m working my …

With favorable weather, it is not hard to drop “important” items (like cleaning my house) and carve out some time on the bike. Mild temps in the high 60’s and little wind presents the perfect conditions for a nice, simple ride. I would have liked to stretch it out for a good 20+ miles, but the sun was against me and forced me to find a turn-around point and head for home while the sun was still above the horizon.
For this ride, I set my computer to display the time …