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!