[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Mikael/2014.09.11.20.04.43/1//”/]

@Nate

@HMBSteve gorgeous.

I really like riding early in the morning. Unfortunately I also like sleeping in the early morning.

My problem too. I have succeeded minimally on waking myself up for those rides. Once I get out of the house and on the bike I don’t regret it, but its that first step of getting out of the bed that is so very hard.

Getting up is not a problem on day one. But I cant pull it off more than one or two days a week.

@HMBSteve gorgeous.

I really like riding early in the morning. Unfortunately I also like sleeping in the early morning.

My problem too. I have succeeded minimally on waking myself up for those rides. Once I get out of the house and on the bike I don’t regret it, but its that first step of getting out of the bed that is so very hard.

We don’t even have to wait for Summer down here in SA, this was the last week of winter…

Wheres that photo ?     what a great spot

We don’t even have to wait for Summer down here in SA, this was the last week of winter…

A blood orange sky may portend some #9 rides “Red sky at night, riders delight; red sky in the morning, the ride may need a warning” or something like that.

Careful there @Ccos…  you’re starting to sound like a sailor…  Next thing you know you’ll be writing cycling blog posts about apparent wind and VMG and getting pilloried…

The aspens are starting to don their fall colors here in the Rockies… there’s something especially enlivening about riding in the brisk nip of a fall morning…

Yes, good eye. It’s on the western flank of Verdi Peak, overlooking Boca Reservoir. I live in Truckee. Good luck in the race around the lake. I have club teammates in that one, but it’s too close to my departure for the Heck. Let me know whenever you’re in the area and we can’t try to meet for a ride. Cheers,

Dave

Last summer we ripened into two weeks of riding icons in Italy around the Autumnal equinox.

And came home to some great Fall gravelling.

This year I’m counting on the Heck of the North for the latter, but I sure miss preceding it with another round of the former. As always thanks to the Velominati for the inspiration.

Cheers!

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/alerts/high-alert/canada/alberta/calgary

Wasn’t there a competition a few years ago for the best shot of the year? It should be resurrected…….one entry per poster!

Better yet – at the end of each season. There are some superb photographers in this community.

David

@frank – good read; conjures up many great and memorable rides. As you know from riding the Northern California Coast it rarely gets too cold or too hot here….unless you ride to the East or South Bay in July and August – @Nate’s territory. As I live on the coast, most of my riding starts early in mist enshrouded hills and fog blanketed harbors. My absolute favorite time of day is daybreak when the sun’s rays begin to penetrate and clear the mist.

Damn, I love this picture.

Reminds me of some my rides last fall.  Here’s two of my favorite from last year….

Damn I’m looking forward to this again!

I started as the dark began to lose it’s grip yesterday. As we climbed out of Manchester, the dawn revealed nothing but mist which slowly burnt off into a beautifully hot late summer’s day. Later the shadows lengthened, the light became richer and a huge full moon rose. I finished under orange street lights, a bit colder than I’d started and wishing for a gillet.

Nice one.  Chapeau.

Then, this happened just before hitting the elevator to go for the ride – awesome

Believe it or not the thought of toe-covers momentarily popped into my head last week.

@frank – good read; conjures up many great and memorable rides. As you know from riding the Northern California Coast it rarely gets too cold or too hot here….unless you ride to the East or South Bay in July and August – @Nate’s territory. As I live on the coast, most of my riding starts early in mist enshrouded hills and fog blanketed harbors. My absolute favorite time of day is daybreak when the sun’s rays begin to penetrate and clear the mist.

That’s just beautiful, Steve.

Is it BoFax road on the way up to the Seven Sisters, Bolinas side?

Stunning..  Nicely done.

Great piece, Frank! I love riding early. The dogs wake me up at 5:30 and some days I just head right on out. Even on weekends, I like to ride early and be off the road before even the church nutters are up.

Think I’ll be starting a new job in a few weeks. First of all, the Budgetatus is going to increase by a laughable percentage. Secondly, it’s just over an hour round-trip. Even when I can’t get in a true ride, not bad to be in the saddle for an hour. Better yet, it’s mostly on a bike trail, after a short cut-through a quiet neighborhood. Stress free bike commute, a fucking dream come true. I can also take my bike inside. Oh boy, major PROs for this job.

I started as the dark began to lose it’s grip yesterday. As we climbed out of Manchester, the dawn revealed nothing but mist which slowly burnt off into a beautifully hot late summer’s day. Later the shadows lengthened, the light became richer and a huge full moon rose. I finished under orange street lights, a bit colder than I’d started and wishing for a gillet.

You’re the man for finishing. Hopefully your family bits did not go numb.

I really like riding early in the morning. Unfortunately I also like sleeping in the early morning.

This summer has been like a gentle poof along the head with a goose-down pillow encased in a pillow case made from 8,000-count Egyptian cotton swung by a dream-enhanced version of my one true love.

It has sucked not. Not at all has it sucked. I do not pretend to understand the laws of karma, but I have a suspicion that I’ve burned up a lot of good karma this summer. And yet, I’m not bummed out by the cool morning temps and the need to use a flashlight briefly last evening.

Talk to me in a few months.

I’ve been spoiled by riding in Arizona for my entire roadie experience; one might say I started out soft, although Rule #9 does specifically mention inordinately hot and I started out in Phoenix. But even up in the mountains, during the summer it’s rare to see a day below 70 degrees, let’s ballpark that to 21 C. To me, too cold to ride means below about -7 C (boy, that sounds a lot colder in C than F).

But here’s the rub: it’s all a dry heat (or cold) as they say. I’ve found myself donning the knee and arm warmers more and more during the mornings, because the days are rapidly getting colder and shorter up here. But it’s still dry, and once the sun comes up it’s nice and warm. With a potential move to Washington State, I may have to learn how to tough out cold AND wet winters. Not sure yet how much complaining I’ll do, or whether I’ll just get on with the job and enjoy some espresso upon my return home each time. Maybe I’ll have to invest in some of those DeFeet woolies and a nice pair of full fingered gloves.

I live in the southeast and there are occasions in the middle January, where we can get away with a gilet, arm/knee warmers over a quality base layer.  Occasionally.  Summers however are long, hot and humid.  The monkey gets spanked all over Rule #52.

A couple weeks ago though, I went “home” to Buffalo for a week with my parents.  The first day I rolled out for a morning ride, it was rather chilly for my southern ass, so I added arm warmers and gilet to the kit.  At the least, it has me looking forward to November here in our southern summer sauna.