Spring Is Here Again

The good thing about biking all winter is that when spring finally comes, I don't feel like my muscles have atrophied and I need to start all over. I went for a 25-miler on Saturday, and it felt as good as it does in mid-summer. Better, perhaps. Here's why:

With the new biking season, I hereby resolve to go slower. Sit up straighter, ride slower. Enjoy the ride. I don't wear any of the racing doodads that other bikers wear, I don't fasten my feet to my pedals in order to make myself fly like the wind, I don't care that my fenders and slightly fat (32mm) tires add extra weight. Why should I feel the need to ride fast? In fact, I'm tempted to get rid of my odometer/speedometer. Why should I care how far I go? Perhaps just riding, say, 90 or 120 minutes should be enough. Or to a destination, regardless of how far it is, exactly.

So on my ride Saturday, the first of the year for the Rambouillet, I took my time. I never pushed so hard that my knees could feel it. I didn't strain. And the Ram is so easy to ride, I still went pretty fast. But I didn't really care.

Furthermore, at the end of last season I decided I should be Riv- Velo-Orange chic and put on a Nitto front rack and a nice front bag, instead of the clamp on seat post rack and rack trunk that I had been using. But when I tried it, I didn't like it. It flops around. It affects the steering. I like the clamp on seatpost rack and trunk. I can't feel it, even when loaded, it doesn't flop around, it holds a ton. There's no convenient map holder; that's a downside. But otherwise, it's nice. Ugly maybe, but nice.

By the way: I heard the first frogs of the season last week.