Autumn in the air......
 

Early morning rides are crisp cool-- even here in the Devil's Anvil, Central CA. And I picked up my first goathead flat, a sure harbinger of late summer. Soon the mantises will make their lurking backyard appearance. I'll be riding home in the twilight of ever earlier darkening evenings through pockets of cool air. The wind will shift a bit. And I'll only be able to find one arm warmer from last March.

Early darkness will mean no afterwork rides of any length. Should I buy that CycleOps this year...that damned Nashbar clunker trainer I bought when kids' college tuition had eaten available discretionary money...the darned thing just won't die and justify it's replacement.

Still, autumn is a great time to ride. Long, relaxed and relaxing distances often turn into a reverie.

Cool zipped mornings,
Me riding home in the dark--
Garage trainer....wait.

7:23pm and already lots more shadows. The light is definitely different no matter how hot it might get around noon. Northern CA is not much different CC.

Nice post, Dave. And oh I hate the trainer, lol.
~David

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!:cry: :cry: :cry:

MAN, I'm looking forward to the next few days - a "cold front" is coming through and the temps will drop to the LOW 90's instead of the mid to high 90's. Also, the humidity will drop, which always makes riding more fun! I put in about an hour and a half today, and am looking forward to a couple of hours tomorrow! Come on WINTER!!!

+1, I can't wait for a ride when I don't feel like I came out of a swimming pool when finished. I lived in Chicago for 30 years so I know fall/winter but I want to keep it as a distant memory. The only trade off I make is changing over from evening to morning rides to stay in the daylight. Of course we get those cold days when it gets all the way down to 40F for a couple of hours in the morning. I feel for you northerners, not being able to ride in the winter or working out on a trainer would not make me a happy camper.

It doesn't feel like fall here, still 90 + when I go out for my Tuesday & Thursday rides at 4:30 pm. Suppose to get warmer too, that may kill my ride around here on Saturday. :( Maybe I can talk my friends into riding around San Diego Bay or somewhere else on the coast instead. Even riding up to Oceanside would be a nice chance, hilly but nice.

+1 I really could live with an endless summer. The thought of dark, cold, and grey all leave me longing for those rides where I come home soaked, hot, and feeling great!

CC:
I have got my trainer in front of a big open picture window overlooking a golf course. Yes, the bike does not move, but the sensations are not so much worse than going in circles around a park. Agree, it does not compare with CA. I have been there. But what I describe is not all bad. Trainer exercise is very disciplined. You really can focus on cadence, speed, interval, HR, nutrition and hydration. I also found it very applicable to what I do in season on the road.
I will go 4 weeks to FL just to get variety. But I do not dislike my trainer. You know, much of what we like or not like is created in our minds.

I'm in denial already:( .

Will, actually I agree. I am reluctant to give up riding come winter/early darkness, but I use my trainer even in summer for some recovery rides-- I can control my level of effort much more on the trainer. Besides, I would hate to stop spinning the legs because of rain, early darkness, fog, etc....so would my body! I didn't start considering paying more for a Cycle-Ops until I read your experiences with it. Although I sometimes long to be outside, I am thankful for trainers.

You made my day.:) We are all trying to contribute to life any way we can.

Low was 33 last night here in the Big Sky Country. Some reports say a chance of mountain snow flurries friday night. Planning a practice "PIE RIDE" this Saturday. I think a 70 mile wit a pie stop dead in middle of the ride.

It was 105 the last time I rode. I've only ridden twice since mid June when I had shoulder surgery. The second surgery was last week and I probably won't ride again until late October . It has been a long hot summer and my arm is still semi-immobilized in a sling.

It was in the 60's this morning here in north Texas, which means fall is in the air for us.

Sometimes when I'm resting or napping I like to daydream about loading a small kit, putting on my cool weather gear, getting on one of the bikes, and heading off for breakfast in the next town.

I really like that daydream. It keeps me going everytime I see the bikes gathering dust in the garage.

I will not miss the heat of the summer but I will miss the sun. Something about riding along when the sky is blue and the rays are coming down to warm the body. (As opposed to walking down to the bike shed and finding that I am sweating already).

Winter riding is not a problem to me but some of those cold mornings- before the sun gets up- are just a bit too cold. Means I have to carry an extra layer that has to be stowed somewhere. Mind you- if it starts cold and stays cold, then I find I have to find a bigger hill to get warm, and the downhills are done fully zipped up.

Then there is the other problem that I found last night- Last weeks evening ride was started 30 minutes early to accomodate a friend that wanted to ride. Had to rush home- get changed quickly and rush out on the bike. Last night and I left at my usual 6.30pm for a 90 minute ride and a coffee break in the middle. When I got to the break- I realised that it was going to be dark before I got home. Now where did I put that crap pair of lights from last year for next weeks road ride?

Before I get any comments about needing good lights on a bike- My crap ones are good but crap for offroading.

We're working our way through the seasonal Tropical Storms.......Hurricanes-stay away!!!