Quote Originally Posted by Crankin View Post
So, yesterday I went on a ride to celebrate my 60th birthday, which is tomorrow.
Happy birthday!!!

I went for a ride on my birthday back in June and got caught in a heavy rainstorm that totally surprised all the local meteorologists. It was as if the universe was sending me a message. But the ride was okay after the rain stopped. Sometimes we just have to focus on the okay parts.

I usually stop riding around this time of year and switch to taking walks instead, or maybe using cardio equipment at the gym. But lately I find I am only really happy when I'm riding my bike, and last spring I had decided I wanted to try to get comfortable cycling in colder temps, down to 40 degrees or so at least. So while I work on addressing the reasons for not being happy (mostly job-related stuff), I've also been indulging in some retail therapy and buying some clothes to help me stay warm on the bike. I've also been experimenting with different approaches to layering. For example it looks kinda funny, but wearing a wind vest over a windbreaker can actually be quite comfortable.

I also started to lead rides for a local club this year, and I find that it's quite fun. It takes a little bit of work, and sometimes I get tired of having to ride sweep, but everyone is so friendly and I'm having fun planning the routes, exploring some new areas and changing up familiar routes to add variety. Sometimes just riding a favorite route backwards can make it seem totally different.

So anyway, yesterday I lead a ride that was a sort of an abbreviated version of a mash-up of a couple of old club rides, done in the opposite direction that we usually go. The weather was sunny and temps were in the 50s, but there was a brisk northwest wind that brought the wind chill down into the 40s. Things started out a bit rough, with a lacrosse tournament filling up the parking lot at the school where we were meeting. Luckily we were all able to find a place to park, mostly at the far end of the lot away from the athletic fields (and also far from where we usually park for weekend rides). Along the way we had a couple of flat tires and a broken brake cable, and one of my friends had to shorten the ride because of a knee problem. But the wind turned out to be less of a problem than I had feared, and it was a really nice route, and ultimately we had a very nice day.

I've also recently bought a new, brighter headlight and a reflective vest so that I can continue doing the short hilly rides that I like to do one night a week after work. If all goes well I'll be back out again on Wednesday night.

And I'm thinking of leading another ride this weekend. I haven't decided which day yet, though.