It’s been a long winter already . . . The trainer you bought in the fall 6 years ago still sits, with the warranty card still dangling from it. You spend much of your free time now on Bike Forums, or sinking deeper into the couch watching “I Love Lucy” reruns, eating and drinking heavily. Sure, you’ve packed on a few pounds, but you swear you’ll shed them when you’re back on the saddle again!

OR - You’ve been battling the frigid cold, snow, salt, and ice, rutted roads, re-freeze and road spray all winter long on your trusty winter beater, and the neighbors are convinced that you lost your driver’s license.

All the while, your beautiful steeds have been kicking at their stalls, and chomping at the bit, waiting to be sprung from your garage in the spring.

- And on those long dark winter’s evenings, you stare at them longingly, anticipating the day when you can really ride them again. . . .

( Time passes )

- Spring has sprung! – The robins are chirping, and the crocus’ are blooming. - But suddenly, you realize that you are being confronted with a terrible, weighty decision!

“Which one should I ride on the first clear day of spring?”

- So which one will it be, buckaroo?

- Make your decision now, and post it here - IF you dare!

I don't think my answer will be quite what you are looking for. For my first ride, I will surely take my 1973 Special Road Racer. I expect that there will be some slop on the roads, so I don't want to take anything too fancy.

If you are wondering which bike I will be most excited to get out, that would be this poor beast:



It won't be pretty, but I am eager to try it out.

My Design Series(see sig) has been calling out to me for a more fast paced adventure.

For now, I must to my cold and satisfy my desire to ride by rebuilding some wheelsets.

I'm just working out the route for tomorrow's ride. Assuming the freezing rain stops before then. The fields of snow are covered with a bluish crust of glossy ice. The trees sag. I'd better wear wool.

I'm hoping to meet up with Zaphod and Noglider at a brewpub about 50 miles from home, then ride back. Remind me not to drink too many beers!

I'm also working on a way to sling a bag between the bends of the handlebar to hold a dozen fig newtons so I can keep refueling as I ride. My Fothergill now has homebrew LED lights powered by a 1956 dynohub that should light my way for the first couple hours of the ride, by which time the sun should come up and keep me company for a while.

We've been riding at least a couple of times a week since the second week of December.

River bottoms, golf courses, and fire roads at the cabin.

All single speed MTBs and most of my friends have Pugsleys and Mukluks.

I've been riding my Miyata Trail Runner.

I spent the entire morning watching my son's Futsal/soccer games, and now we are riding to Mpls. in twenty minutes for lunch!

In addition, I am looking forward to a ride or three when we are down in Texas for NAHBS. Shipped down my Bruce Gordon.

So, my first clear day of spring ride here in Minnesota will be my recently rebuilt Zullo Sprint. The bike is a groove to ride and the frame is already rough, so I fear very little additional damage will ensue.

Well, the first flakes of winter started to fall as I was driving home with my new '73 Raleigh Competition in the back of the car. I probably won't take it out till the salt is off the roads. Till then it's the trusty rusty Super Course.
I'll ride if there's a shoulder to ride on.

Right now, I have been riding my modern Colnago. My other riders are in the midst of component upgrades.

I turned on the heater in the garage last night; it may be warm enough to work in there tomorrow. I believe I've got all the parts to put the Colnago together, once I get my Orbea back in running order.

My wife wants to buy another house, one with a huge heated basement AND an extra, detached two car(or twenty bicycle) garage. I'll go look at it tomorrow. She said, "I don't know what we'd do with that extra garage." heh, heh. I've got some ideas.

Arrrrrrrrgggg !!! !

Pics or it didn't happen !

Sunny central california, sunny and beautiful at 70 degrees. Sunglasses and shortsleeves

Temps are climbing back up into the 40's and the roads are dry. The only negative is the wind right now. The bike for riding since October is the Trek 510.

The first of the nicer ones that I grabbed this past week was the PX10.

+1 in SoCal. The Paramount and I did a wonderful 30 miler and knee feels good and didn't swell too badly.

I hate Ohio.

It will probably be another 60 days before I'm back on the road, if not longer. It might be mid May before the last of this snow is gone.

The '80 Super Course is leaning against my kitchen table, ready to go at the first sign of decent weather.

Today I did both.
It is hard to know which is more distasteful. At least shoveling snow gets me outdoors. Have been trying to keep up a regime of an hour on the trainer a day but it takes a lot of will power. Went cross country skiing a few days ago and that was nice. Hard to believe I was actually riding my bike outdoors last year at this time.

Will probably use the hybrid for the first few days until the roads improve.Want to test the Fuji Monterey I restored as soon as possible.

Will leave the new Trek for later in the season.

Hey all you rotten guys that are rubbing it in about the nice weather where you're at - STOP IT!
- This thread is intended to help all those poor snowbound Midwestern and North-Eastern C&V'ers through the doldrums.
- So have a heart!

I've been riding every day, but I'm so looking forward to zipping along on skinny tires, the scents of spring, and watching the tree limbs above me, wagging their verdant branches, all laden with fresh new buds!

- I'll be riding my '86 Trek 310. - An unassuming bike perhaps, but one which was overdue for a spin when winter set in.

Last in-first out

Here's the closest I got.

I've been riding my old Ross mountain bike all winter. It's slow and heavy, but works well in the snow, rain, and muck. A few times I thought it was going to be nice weather, I broke out this



Every time I took it out, the weather turned to crap and I ended up spending almost as much time cleaning as riding. When I originally put the fenders on it, I thought it was going to be my winter bike... but I couldnt bring myself to putting it through the crap that my mountain bike sees.

As soon as it warms up, I'm hoping to break this in(if it gets finished). There is a big bike swap meet coming up next week in Seattle. I'm hoping to find the few pieces I need there so I can finally finish it.

For me it'll be my Super Grand Prix, I'll pull it off the trainer, slap the front wheel back on and hit the road.

I'd love it to be the Tour de France but unless we get a good warm spell I won't have it greased and rideable.

I look forward to riding this one:



And the current Sturmey-Archer 5-speed project will likely get out earlier than the one above as it has fenders.

Neal

I'm riding tomorrow. I've been trying to get Tufo S-33 Pro tubulars to stop squirming around in my Ambrosio tubular rims.
Today, I realized they are Tufo C S-33 Pro tubular clinchers. That Tufo tape probably saved me a lot of road rash.

So, there are Vittoria tubulars on the Ambrosios, and an Ironman will get a workout.
Then, I'll turn to a Paramount, where the Tufo tubular clinchers now reside, and finish out the day.

The pressure is off for the century, but in my mind, I'll be riding with Rudi, so you never know.

Chatting with an old friend tonight, he asked if I had been out today.

I proudly announced I had done 19 miles to a rib joint in Minneapolis for lunch.

I was downright smug until he pointed out he had a 42 mile ride in the snow today.

The kicker though, was the part about riding for 119 straight months.

John has done at least 200 miles for 119 months in a row!

Cabin fever has zero power over this beast of a rider.

The first day warm enough for shorts I'll be on the '87 Trek 560 EX.

I am almost done with my '87 Panasonic DX-6000 rebuild. This is the bike I would love to ride when it warms up. Unfortunately, since we just got 4 more inches of snow today, I willl probably take the '85 DX-2000 with the rusty fork and dented frame out first.

You can get some cheap studded tires that fit 700 wheels and fit under fenders to really extend your season. Makes for some great adventure rides, below freezing you don't even need the fenders because the spray is nonexistent. I think the tires I have are kendas and were 30 bucks apiece.