We rode yesterday, just two of us. The fellow I rode with is the most experienced cyclist I know, a guy who’s ridden since the early ‘70s. Today, he’s retired and logs about 4 thousand miles a year on a variety of bikes. I like riding with him – He’s personable, good-willed, knows more about cycling (and a bunch of other stuff) than I do, and we at one time worked for the same employer. Here’s a guy who’s 12 to 15 years older than me who’s still a strong rider. He gives me hope. And so it was a pleasant ride, despite the fact it was in the mid-20s and windy. At least it was sunny, and I felt what would be strong for September, which translates to freakin’ awesome on Groundhog Day.
The cold wasn’t bad for the first 15 miles. We were mostly climbing and the wind was mostly behind. But the bill for the tail wind came due when we made the turn for home down the east shore of Lake Waramaug. Cooled by its mile journey across the lake ice, the wind came from the right side and made it tough to hold a line. I regretted removing my over-gloves to cool my hands on an earlier climb. My fingers started to hurt, which soon evolved to numb and useless. I could have stopped and put the gloves back on, but our coffee stop was just a mile up the road and I knew those fingers would be stinging with life in minutes as they wrapped around a hot paper cup. Once there, we sat at a table in the sun, two gray-hairs dressed in tights and garish green. The other patrons looked and drew their conclusions.
Back outside, my sweat-soaked balaclava and gloves sucked away any heat I’d regained in the coffee shop. Without a word, both of us hit the next leg of the ride hard right from the parking lot. In warmer weather, we pace-line this 5 miles down the narrow shoulder of US 202 at 25 plus. Yesterday, the headwind dropped our average to something closer to 15 mph. I spun my cadence up around 100 rpm, and felt it drop down into the 80s more than once with gusts. Turning onto the relative shelter of Paper Mill Road with just a few miles to go, we rode companionably side by side, happy with the hard effort on 202 that had warmed us back up, glad to have laid down some winter miles.
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