rholland1951

During a lunch-time walk around Fresh Pond, as we were admiring the whitecaps, my sweetie looked skeptical and asked, "Are you sure you want to ride in this?" I did, of course. Got started at 3, out to Depot Park and back, low 40s to begin, with about a 10 degree temperature drop by the end. The wind was the dominant presence, making the tree tops sing and dance, and generally getting involved with everybody's business. This seemed to discombobulate some riders: more lane confusion than usual. The outbound ride featured a headwind that was good for between one and three clicks on the rear derailleur; spent more time than usual on the drops, getting small. Mercifully, this turned into a peachy-keen tailwind on the return, and partially mitigated the falling temperature. The whole thing would have been a jolly departure from the norm if I hadn't been experimenting with some gloves (SportHill "3SP Insulated Glove with Leather Palm") that really weren't appropriate for conditions and task; my fingers got into the cold and ouchy state and stayed there, but nothing dangerous; live and learn. On the plus side, all the other gear worked well, especially the SportHill XC pants that arrived yesterday and were on their maiden voyage. And of course, saw a middle-schooler ride past in a soccer jersey with the parka his mom made him wear tied around his waist: the Endotherm of the Week; keeps ya humble.

rod