At last, after a particularly cold winter along the Pacific Coast, curtesy of La Niña, we finally got some spring-like weather last week (too bad it was short lived!).
There’s so much snow on local mountains that skiing could go on into summer, but going on the crowded parks and trails, it looks like everyone is ready for some sunbathing and vitamin D absorption.
Of course, for folks who put theirs away for winter, thoughts turn to back to bikes as well. Maybe it’s time to shine up the trusty steed. A little lather and lube (there’s a tongue-twister for you) never hurts … especially if you have been riding through the bad weather.
Speaking of which: Vik Banerjee AKA The Lazy Randonneur, recently photographed some bikes in need of a bath after Eau de Hell Week —a full randonneur brevet series (200-300-400-600km) packed into seven days. The event, a bath in itself, lived up to its apocalyptic name by unleashing a deluge of monsoon-like rain and frigid temperatures on the riders. The 600-kilometre brevet had to be re-routed at the last minute, to avoid snow. One can only marvel at the endurance—or madness—of the 11 survivors.
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age–I used to have a penchant for “braving the elements.” Like Scottish ice-climbers, who deigned to hit the Cairngorms in less than “full conditions,” I thumbed my hoary nose at rain, sleet and mud.
No more.
Perhaps the rains of Paris-Brest-Paris ’07 cured me of this strange inclination.
There’s something much more alluring about bikes and blossoms, don’t you think?
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Agreed, The nice weather was a welcomed addition to April. Bikes & blossoms sound great to me, so do the dog days of summer and bikes, cycling was meant to be done in the summer, to bad summer it is short lived in Canada.
Despite my recent aversion to extreme weather cycling, I’m not necessarily just a “fair weather cyclist.” Still, a nice calm 20℃ ride is always appreciated.
Usually, I’m more averse to anything over that temperature.
I do seem to have become rather picky! 🙂
I used to ride all winter and weather too but I find I really feel the cold as I get older and the cold snowy rides are not a challenge or as enjoyable as they once were, just an inconvenence. Yes, i’m getting old and soft. Nice bikes btw…I use to have a marinoni back in the day. tks Ray
Blanche: It seems one has to ride harder to get the circulation to the extremities … but it gets harder to ride harder 🙂
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