In Jan I made myself aware of what my bike needed in the way of new parts for the coming season. I made a list, checked it twice, and measured chain wear. I also went to the bike shop and got the parts I needed.

Then in Feb, with all the parts and lube at hand, I did a complete recon of my bike, not that I have ever had to walk home during the season.


Now it's March. What do I do with the entire month?

Around here, we shovel snow in March.

Buy another bike on Craigslist and do it all over again?

If you live far enough south, you go ride your bike! If not, maybe it's time to move.

Southerners race gravel in March.

If I ever move to the south I will move to somewhere like the south of Spain.

You are a couple of months ahead of me. It's still January where I live.

A thousand miles!

Go online and sanctimoniously lecture folks about bents. Duh.

I'd love to retire to a small town on the southern facing slopes of the Seirra Nevada in Andalucia - not too touristy like Trevelez but something quiet like Bayarcal.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19949790


-Tim-

Las Alpujarras. Back in '00 I spent seven weeks touring in Andalucía. Flew over in mid-March. Big, clockwise loop from/to Sevilla. Headed first into the Sierra Morena then east to Cordoba. Didn't go into the Alpujarras. It was an unusually cold, wet winter/spring and was actually snowing some days up that way. Hit the coast and Mojacar then rode through the Tabernas Desert (where many Spaghetti Westerns were filmed). Hit the coast again at Cabo del Gata and stayed along the coast until Torre del Mar, where I head inland again, eventually passing through Antequera, Ronda (spent four nights there because travelling during Semana Santa is difficult), Grazalema, El Bosque and Arcos del la Frontera. Great trip. Lots of ex-pat Brits living in the south.

Not Sierra Nevada, but I did a week in the town of Cazorla in mountains a bit further north in Andalucia. I could easily retire to such a locale.

I remember discussing that with you. That was one of the coldest nights of the trip, and there was still some snow on the hills surrounding the town. Glad I slept inside that night. Had a wonderful lunch of rabbit.

Now that your bike of choice is in perfect working order hope for a day warm enough to suit you and ride.

I hear March is a good month for parody threads.

Since you seem to be talking about last year, I assume you'd know what you did last March.

If you're speaking about a hypothetical future, then your bike is good to go, and you let the weather be your guide. Or take a bus to points south for a few days if you have the time.

Or custom made high $ bicycles.

Aww man, you mean we have to wait two more months?

In March, we complain about the ice because it's finally warm enough for the snow to melt during the day and then freeze at night.

We also start digging around to find our shorts because, y'know, 40 degrees bare your knees.

Now we know what to do in March.

Sounds wonderful. I'll look those places up.

I've relatives in Valladolid further north. My mom has been there several times.

Actually now that I think about it, I was there in March, and the lowlands were a nice 60-70s and sunny. Might be a great place to go in March on a bike

I believe it's spelled doo-doo.

Is it March already where you are?

Did I pass the course I'm taking in January?

You get an A-.

That's what is was supposed to be most of the places when I was there in mid-March through the end of April, but they were having an unusually cold, wet winter/spring. When I got to Cordoba relatively early on in the trip I ended up staying there for four days instead of the planned two because of the pleasant weather.