Some of my bicycling blog brothers (and sisters) have been describing the transition to winter riding. They've detailed accounts of sub-freezing rides, including photos of recent snowfall, and raving about the benefits of studded tires. These accounts are interesting to me not because they apply to my situation, but because of the stark contrast with my little patch on the prairie.
The cycling out here in Denton County, Texas (right about now) is ideal. The weather is cool, but not harsh. Winter is coming, but we are still enjoying the rapidly changing of colors. In fact, the refreshment of cooler air is, in a way, intoxicating to us Texans. I've been slipping into a kind of stupor of short, lazy rides with my mind on the surroundings. Because the weather is so nice and the sunsets so spectacular, I sit on the back porch in the cool breeze when I should be riding. My fitness has suffered and I need to slap myself awake.
I need to make a conscious decision to ride more frequently and go longer. It is time to get up out of the chair and see how far away from home I can get before the sun sets. The time has come to add a little more purpose to my ramblings in the country. I just wish the lazy lure to stop, look around, and soak it all in was a little less appealing.
It soon will be, I suppose, but for now, it's really nice out there.
"I just wish the lazy lure to stop, look around, and soak it all in was a little less appealing. It soon will be, I suppose, but for now, it's really nice out there."
ReplyDeleteI might beg to differ. To the contrary, the cold winter winds and bleak landscapes just add to the wonderment of it all. That's a change (for me) in mindful consciousness- the appreciation in the here-n-now whether it be bestowed by a most blessed maker or by the fabric that is life. It's ALL appealing on multiple levels. Even in the cold rain.
I was cruising right with you until you said, "Even in the cold rain". At that point, I had to pause. I can appreciate the cold rain in theory, say from inside my house by the fire. It's the practical application on a lonely road somewhere that still needs work.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures.
ReplyDeleteRick, thanks for commenting here and for the kind words on your site (http://www.texbiker.net/blog/) which looks like a great reference for Texas cyclists.
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