Stupid Winter

Timing is everything.

The weather has been unbelievably bad this winter. We have almost no snow, and what we do have is about to get poured on again by a torrential rain followed by a thaw, followed by more rain.

When winter does this to us, which seems to happen more often than not anymore, I just get the bike back out and start trudging around, building up saddle time. But the dinky storms we have gotten have hit just before my days off, coating the roads with treacherous glop. It would not just be uncomfortable. I defy discomfort. But this is unsafe. People have to drive on those roads. As much as I might like to cop a purist pose and insist that everyone ride bikes and give us the right of way, that's not at all realistic. When the roads are slick and narrowed by piles of accumulated crud, I can't justify getting out there in the way of traffic. Sharing the roads does go both ways.

When the roads are clear I will go out and take my place there, whether it's January or June. But for now I have to piece together what I can of rollers, weights, a ski here and there, just trying to keep some fitness until we get consistent conditions, wintry or not.