Oh, How Mother Nature Likes To Tease!!!

I was all excited...Johnny Sprockets on Bryn Mawr posted that their Sunday Morning Ride to Highland Park was going on again. Provided the roads are dry and temps are at least 20 degrees, it's on!!!

I checked the weather; mid 20s and a 30-percent chance of flurries, no accumulation.

Eager to usher in spring, I spent like an hour removing a Chicago winter's worth of crud from my bike. Once everything was shiny, lubed, and adjusted, I filled my Camelback, charged my Garmin, and set my alarm for 6am.

This morning, I get up and check the weather; Temp is 19 degrees. I peek outside; roads are clear. I layer up, I devour a Clif Bar and head to the shop.

Thanks to a brutal headwind, I arrive at Johnny Sprockets at 7:03. No-one in sight. Typically the ride leaves between 7:10-7:15...but maybe this time they left at 7 sharp, (or maybe they canceled it). Either way, I figure I'm out so I might as well do the ride. If they left at 7, I'll catch up to them.

Long story short...not one minute into my ride, the snow "flurries" begin. I change course and head south to keep close to home. The roads get covered in fresh snow, and so does my freshly de-crudded bike. Not interested in testing the snow-worthiness of 700x23c slicks inflated to 120psi, I cut my ride short and head home. End result? A whopping 13 miles and a dirty bike.

I'll admit, I'm a whiner. But I'm officially over winter now. Someone please tell me spring is coming soon!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 1, 2009 at 10:06am
yeah I'm pretty over winter now too... I kinda want to put my mountain/winter bike in the basement.
Permalink Reply by cutifly on March 1, 2009 at 10:57am
Took the green tallbike from Irving North along the lake all the way up to Winettka. Handles much better in the snow then I expected. Going balls first into the wind made me feel like a little soldier fighting for spring. Awsome Awsome Awsome. 10 degress colder and I would have actually had to suffer.
Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on March 1, 2009 at 11:31am
I got my fill of "little soldier" on the Three Floyds Brewery "blizzard" ride and by tackling "Gravity Cavity" and "Three Ravines" at Palos in 10 degree weather with an inch of snow on the trail.

I'm ready for some 50-mile rides in the sunshine!!!

cutifly said:
Took the green tallbike from Irving North along the lake all the way up to Winettka. Handles much better in the snow then I expected. Going balls first into the wind made me feel like a little soldier fighting for spring. Awsome Awsome Awsome. 10 degress colder and I would have actually had to suffer.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on March 1, 2009 at 1:56pm
I couldn't agree more Brett.

I'm sitting here reading crazyguyonabike journals because I want to be outside riding around without the brain freeze. But nooooo, March (the crappy weather month) has to start off with snow.

Anxiously waiting for the thaw,
Ryan
Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on March 1, 2009 at 4:41pm
I went to Kalamazoo Michagan and back today (in a car) and the weather was horrible anywhere close to the lake. Once we got away from the lake about ten miles it cleared up. But it was the same coming home.

Normaly cold snowy weather does not phase me much. but I too am really really ready for spring to start.
Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on March 1, 2009 at 5:27pm
yeeaahh....I biked to Millenium Park from Evanston yesterday via the North Channel to Milwaukee - - then I got up this morning and biked to work in Skokie and rode back home...in snow..... I guess I like snow..... I am looking forward to some wicked fast miles on my road bike this spring, though. The trails just flat out suck when there's a ton of fluffy white stuff on them - but they can also be fun for awhile with studs and hardpack snow.

BK said:
In like a lion, out like a lamb.
Permalink Reply by Danielle on March 1, 2009 at 6:19pm
Seriously! I'm over this too. I woke up to go to work this morning at about 6am. The sun began to rise, and broke through the clouds. It was cold, but at least it was clear! Got to work at 7, took the first dog outside, and the ground was already covered in about 1/4 inch of snow...what...the...hell.
Permalink Reply by Ray on March 2, 2009 at 3:49am
brrrr Same story - First group ride was yesterday, met a group a couple miles from the house and dealt with COLD, and sideways snowfall. Reminds me WHY I love the bike, but I could have done without the COLD LOL
Permalink Reply by cutifly on March 2, 2009 at 4:19am
ya, took the tall bike out again, slipped, wiped out got back on and Now I am the Dominck's drinking coffee and making today's selections. 9:15am mon. The more others suffer, the more I seem refreshed.
Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on March 2, 2009 at 4:47am
I hope you're okay...falling on a normal bike is one thing. Falling from that far up can't feel good.

cutifly said:
ya, took the tall bike out again, slipped, wiped out got back on and Now I am the Dominck's drinking coffee and making today's selections. 9:15am mon. The more others suffer, the more I seem refreshed.
Permalink Reply by cutifly on March 2, 2009 at 9:07am
I would prefer the 10 minute explain.
Permalink Reply by koala on March 2, 2009 at 9:13am
BK said:
In like a lion, out like a lamb.

But did you know that March behaves differently in other countries? In Norway, for example, March comes in like a polar bear and goes out like a walrus. Or, take the case of Honduras where March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a salt marsh harvest mouse.

-Belushi

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