Any of you riding during the summer before 5:00 a.m.? It's been a few years since I've done early rides (starting a bit later, actually, like 5:30 a.m. at one time) but long story short, work is making me consider squeezing in a ride between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. a few days each week. I think that would be better than riding after work, in the heat of the day with rush-hour traffic. Also, late workouts mess with my sleep.

I like to be on the road heading to work around 5:45 a.m. at the latest, and I see occasional riders out at that hour. But I'm usually climbing out of bed around 4:30, not riding local roads and hills. Around here sunrise will be between 5:40-ish and 6:00 a.m. for the rest of June and July, so I'll be using my lights.

Do you have a coffee before an early ride, or some food? I usually start doing cold extracted coffee around this time of year, which is quicker in the morning.