Ride # 1, 2014 Underway

January 12, 2014, Lemonstar

January in New England can run the gamut of weather conditions. The first ten days of this new year are evidence of that. Between the 1st and the 10th we saw a nor'easter dump a foot of snow, temperatures dip below zero several nights, daytime highs in the mid teens, an inch of rain, and temperatures as high as 58 degrees F (14 C) during the proverbial January Thaw.

Yesterday it nearly hit 60 degrees. Today, Sunday, it wasn't that warm, topping out around 48 or so, and it was windy. Normally something of a curse, the wind in this instance was a blessing as, overnight and through this morning, it dried out all the roads (for the most part). Great conditions for a winter ride, so I seized the moment.

Flat Hill Orchard, January 12, 2014

Ride # 1 of the year comes three days earlier than ride # 1 last year. That means nothing in the long run, but in the short term I'm psyched. It's always good to notch the first ride of a new year. I'd say "of a new season" but I'm operating under idea that there is no "off season," that while winter presents many challenges, it's still a time for riding. Cycling is a continuum, a way of life.

During the New England winter you have to take every opportunity to ride that presents itself. Last year, I rode on the 15th of January but then winter went into overdrive with massive snows and Siberian cold and I didn't ride again until the middle of March, two months later. Of course I'm hoping that this year doesn't ape last year and that I'll manage another ride this week. The forecast is for continued mild conditions and no significant precipitation.

But that's getting ahead of the game. Back to ride # 1 of 2014. Astride the Crux Elite, I launched from Lemonstar and made for Lunenburg and Shirley. It was sunny earlier but by the time I headed out huge swathes of thick gray clouds had rolled in. I nailed the apparel today so I was warm but not too warm and didn't miss the direct sunlight, except for missing the cheery sense of being that sunshine conjures. Instead of dancing on the pedals with solar joy, I rode purposefully, carefully, ever vigilant, mindful of the danger of being unmindful.

Keep Off Dam

Traffic was light. I stuck to back roads. There were no incidents, no close calls, no drama. It was a workmanlike ride, I was just happy to be in the saddle, my legs pumping and turning the wheels, the chain gliding around and around on its cogs. The Crux performed flawlessly.

Being disciplined about something like cycling, being willing to really embrace it and make it an integral part of your life, brings many rewards not least of which is self-empowerment. When presented with choices (to ride? or not to ride?), you opt not for what's easy but for what's hard. In turn, your practice validates your passion. You go to sleep at night honestly tired, you wake up in the morning with the echo of the previous day's effort murmuring in your core. Discipline is like a smoldering fire in the belly laugh of life.

Ride Stats: First ride of the year. 25.98 miles (41k), 13.6 mph, almost 2 hours in the saddle. PBR day. Roadkill tally* - 1 squirrel, 1 nuthatch (I think). 45 degrees, overcast mostly. Pleasant. Sandy roads.

* Am going to document/record fresh roadkill for each ride. Example from today:

Dead Squirrel