Spring is for biking

I am looking forward to the season of spring. Having the warm days so I can go outside to ride my bike or run five miles without wearing six layers of clothing for warmth. I also like the cool evening so I can sleep with a thick blanket on the bed and not over heat. I do not particularly care for the rain that comes with spring. The saying I heard from my mom and others is “April showers bring May flowers” just not as much rain this year as last years near record level down pours.

This past winter has been very hard on my physical and spiritual well-being.
My first mountain bike race this year was January 2 in the mountains of Dalton Georgia. It was not a good day to start due to the snow falling as I was driving from Atlanta to Dalton. I was fine with riding in snow but the temperature outside at the base of the mountain was 18 degrees Fahrenheit. Standing outside preparing my bike for the 6 hour ride in the current conditions I become colder and started shivering. I looked in the gear bag for more clothing to put on but I had everything on, I became demoralized. I decided to sit in my truck to try and warm up and think about the situation. At the registration office the staff was offering trash bags to wear over our feet and legs to stay dry while crossing the creek. The creek had 16 inches of water and was not going to be fun to walk across and there is no way to ride the bike across with the water at that depth without causing mechanical problems. This revelation about the creek played into my next decision not to ride this race. When I made the decision not to race the snow started coming down heavier. At that moment I knew the right decision was reached.

When the buses and trucks departed I tossed my bike into the back of my truck and started the trek back to Atlanta. The next day I heard from several friends about the conditions that they faced. The most prevalent issue was the water freezing cables which caused an inability to shift gears especially when starting to climb and needing an easier gear. Another problem was the cold and the inability to warm up. Jim told me about having to sit in front of a heater for an hour to warm his feet to regain feeling in them. I know I made the right decision not to race that day, but I would have liked the 6 hour ride to clear my mind of the winter doldrums. Maybe in February the race will have better conditions?

Spring brings the renewal of life and I will be outside taking advantage of the warm days as the trees start to bud and the flowers bloom.