Morning ride

I must be recovering from the debauchery of Whistler. I managed to drag my ass out of bed by 5:30 this morning, make a couple of waffles and ride to work. Amazingly, the weather is still good for it: cloudy but dry. No need for the studs yet, but I'll be getting them out of the shed this weekend when I move the snowblower back to the garage for easier access.

I love this time of year, when co-workers who are intrigued by summer bike commuting start to think we're either crazy or tough for still doing it when the temperature has reached the 30s. As I locked up this morning, a woman came in the back door of my office building and saw me at the bike rack as she started up the stairs. "Gettin' in a last ride while ya still can, huh?"

"I certainly hope not," I replied. I'm sure she thought I meant that I hope it doesn't snow soon. As a person who thinks exercise means walking downstairs for a smoke, she couldn't have understood that I simply hope the trails pack quickly when snow comes, and conditions stay good for riding to work.