Ah...The Ephemeral Colorado Sun

My part of Colorado has been in the throws of winter for nearly 8 weeks now. I have only been here since January of 2000, but this is much colder than normal for us. We had 2 major snow storms about 1 week apart in late December, early January and the snow is still lingering. As I sit typing this entry it is in the teens with snow flying once again. As a person who enjoys riding I am getting tired of the snow. I used to like snow but I think everyone here in town is getting pretty disgruntled with this particular batch. Usually snow falls, sticks around for a day or two then we have beautiful 50 degree weather and blazing sun. We are all back in a light fleece in no time. Not this year.

However, this weekend we had 2 glorius days of typical Colorado weather. We have had just enough time for 95 percent of the snow to melt of the roads and all that is left to contend with is the occasional wet patch. Saturday morning by about 11am it felt like it was in the low 50's and the sun was only getting warmer. I freed roadie from the hook in the garage and proceeded to ride, not my typical cruiser bike ride to work, but honest to goodness wind blowing in the hair riding. It felt fantastic and there was no complaining about the usual beginning of the season saddle pains or stiff arms, I was just happy to be on roadie again.

I only road about 17 miles as I had forgetten my water bottle and my gloves, but it was great. I returned home and gave my bike a sponge bath to dislodge all of the accumulated grime from the ride. The garden house is rolled up in the shed and it did not seem worth it to drag the hose out with snow still on the ground. If I pulled it out now I would be dealing with a frozen coil of green strewn across my yard for the remainder of the winter. My wife made fun of me for giving my bike a sponge bath, but a man has to do what a man has to do.

Sunday proved another extraordinary day so I sprung roadie from the confines of the shed once again. We covered 22 miles. Now snow swirls outside my window and roadie hangs on the hook in the shed.

Luckily Mad Max, my cruiser, is not afraid of the snow!