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Spring is here!

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Old 03-10-10 | 08:31 AM
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From: La Petite Roche
Spring is here!

All the signs are here. I commuted in shirt sleeves, in daylight and got hot enough that I had to wash when I arrived at work.

The mockingbirds have started singing, and from how green the buds on the trees have become, it should be a riot of flowers within the week.
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Originally Posted by Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
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Old 03-10-10 | 09:00 AM
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jealous! :-)
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Old 03-10-10 | 09:52 AM
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Yeah, same here in NJ; the last couple days have been spectacular (and I've been at work). But isn't it always like this-- you get a week of lovely Spring weather in March, and then another five weeks of cold and rain, often with a goodish snowfall or two. You really can't count on glorious warm spring weather until May.
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Old 03-10-10 | 10:04 AM
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Except for one brief week in early December, winter didn't arrive this year.

Spring blossoms came out during the Winter Olympics, and (except for that one week) I haven't worn any cold weather gear.
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Old 03-10-10 | 10:20 AM
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From: where the mild things roam
the best thing about spring is that all the roadies come out for their maiden voyage after a full season of inactivity with their winter-wizened lungs and scrawny-white legs. after riding all winter, its the one time i'm more fit than those twenty-something racer types.

little is more satisfying than blowing right past some cat-3 dude on a madone in full kit on my 25 year-old fixed gear conversion wearing a pair of levi's 516's and a hoodie.
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Old 03-10-10 | 10:40 AM
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I'm guessing a cat-3 dude was at least on a trainer or skiing during the winter or he/she would have a tough time remaining a cat-3.

Something I observed this winter was that the ratio of road bikes to other types was actually higher than the rest of year. Not that road bikes were in the majority. Only that instead of being 25% of what I'd see during most of the year, it was more like 35%.
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Old 03-10-10 | 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
jealous! :-)

Me too. Edmonton has been seeing hints of spring recently and much of our snow has disappeared. But given that it can still snow in May (it did last year), no one around here actually believes that it's spring yet.
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Old 03-10-10 | 11:02 AM
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From: where the mild things roam
oh, just because you're going to get a "may-hem" snow dump for two days doesn't mean that it isn't spring. push the season a bit. it's worth it in the long run.
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Old 03-10-10 | 11:26 AM
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For sure! For cyclists, runners, etc., spring is here; for gardeners like my wife, springtime, with budding trees, flowers, and the return of the songbirds, spring still seems a long way off.
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Old 03-10-10 | 11:34 AM
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Around here spring is still slowly clawing it's way out of the hole it's been buried in for the last 3 months. Highs mostly in the 40s and low 50s. We're still waiting for all the snow to melt.

Still, it's warm enough I don't need my insulated jacket liner!
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Old 03-10-10 | 12:28 PM
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Spring showed up here for 2 weeks, realized it was too early, then promptly left. Winter has come back with a vengeance and treated us to sub-freezing weather with high wind all week. Oh, joy! I generally don't mind winter, but I'm getting really sick of it now. I'd love to have a few 60F days.
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Old 03-10-10 | 12:32 PM
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We had a blast of spring last week, and now it's winter again. Raining, low 30s in the morning, grey in the afternoon and drizzling low 40s.

Migratory fauna will give you the indication of season changes. It's not officially spring here until the Pale-Chested Beer-Bellied MUP Plodder returns to the Sammamish River Trail.
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Old 03-10-10 | 03:20 PM
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From: La Petite Roche
When I lived in Palm Springs, I was amazed that the Canadian Geese arrived at exactly the same time as the Canadian Snowbird.
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Originally Posted by Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
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Old 03-11-10 | 08:01 AM
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From: La Petite Roche
Well the evening commute was even more spring-like.

I saw a Redbud tree in full bloom.

And as I rode home there was a huge thunderstorm on 3 sides of me, with enormous bolts arcing across my full range of vision. And almost immediately followed by thunder. Fortunately, not much rain for all that fury.

And, for the last 1/3 of the journey, the tornado sirens were wailing at full volume. The sound echoing off of buildings and riding between one siren and then another made for a truly surreal audio journey.
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"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London

Originally Posted by Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
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Old 03-11-10 | 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Artkansas
And as I rode home there was a huge thunderstorm on 3 sides of me, with enormous bolts arcing across my full range of vision. And almost immediately followed by thunder. Fortunately, not much rain for all that fury.

And, for the last 1/3 of the journey, the tornado sirens were wailing at full volume. The sound echoing off of buildings and riding between one siren and then another made for a truly surreal audio journey.
Yeesh, I'd rather have rain than lightning considering I'm tooling around with a big metal conductor between my legs. And tornadoes? Screw that. I'd probably seriously consider just hanging out at work until things clear up a bit.
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Old 03-11-10 | 09:15 AM
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We have also had a spectacular week of great weather just south of Boston also. Light jacked weather.
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Old 03-11-10 | 09:33 AM
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Yes, much warmer. But now it rains again. I guess that's the nice thing about winter commuting ... no rain.
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Old 03-11-10 | 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by frymaster
the best thing about spring is that all the roadies come out for their maiden voyage after a full season of inactivity with their winter-wizened lungs and scrawny-white legs. after riding all winter, its the one time i'm more fit than those twenty-something racer types.

little is more satisfying than blowing right past some cat-3 dude on a madone in full kit on my 25 year-old fixed gear conversion wearing a pair of levi's 516's and a hoodie.
Originally Posted by tjspiel
I'm guessing a cat-3 dude was at least on a trainer or skiing during the winter or he/she would have a tough time remaining a cat-3.

Something I observed this winter was that the ratio of road bikes to other types was actually higher than the rest of year. Not that road bikes were in the majority. Only that instead of being 25% of what I'd see during most of the year, it was more like 35%.
I'd wager that we've got more x-c skiers up here than roadies, and that most of our roadies are x-c skiers in the winter. Why would you spin the winter away in a basement when you could get some good, clean outdoor fun and exercise?
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