first ride

Strictly speaking I guess this was a mild winter in the middle of the country. (I did drive back to Omaha in 2 of the handful of storms we had!) But it seems like it lasted forever! There was a nice day here and there, but more often than not it's been cold and windy for too darn long! Between my time in a hotel in Omaha and the blustery weather I haven't been outside on a bike since early last fall! That changed today.

After a few errands my wife and I enjoyed lunch with some old friends of ours. By the time I got home the temps had climbed to the upper 60s, and the winds were not too bad. I dressed warmly and pumped up my tires. Without checking wind direction I headed west and north and smiled to realize that I was riding right into the breeze. That meant it would be at my back for the return trip.

Less than half a mile from home, as I turned on to the bike lane that would get me across the interstate, I saw the first of several riders enjoying the day. A little over 25 miles later I made it home feeling pretty good. I was a little slow on the hills, but overall I was pleased with my first real effort of the season.

 My season this year may be limited to a few one or two day events as we celebrate opening the new store and get together with our families. But I'm hoping to spend a lot of days riding with friends, old and new, promoting cycling and helping folks get into it with a brand new Fuji or Scott.