cycling

My first spring ride!

Sam B

This week I got in my first ride of 2014, first on my skinny tire road bike, that is.  Dave and I  rode 35 km.

We had a brisk headwind out, and then tailwind back. Yay.

A few quick notes: The roads are in very rough shape south of London. Wow. I don’t think I’ve seen so many serious cracks and potholes.  It’s been a long tough winter. I imagine they’re like that all over. Be careful out there friends.

Cars and trucks seemed surprised to see us. We got some happy waves (“See, bikes! It must be spring!”) and some grouchy honks (“Goddamn bikes, hogging the road, grumble, whinge, grumble!”)

Oh, and to the people who are upset that we weren’t riding as far to the right as possible, please relax. There’s serious dirt in the bike lanes still and sometimes the worst ruts and ridges in the pavement are near the edge. We’re doing what we need to do to stay safe. We have the right to “own the lane” and sometimes we do.

It always feels odd riding when it’s well above freezing out, 8 degrees in fact, and the fields are all covered in snow.

My bike got wet and dirty  so after our ride it was the hot tub for me and some bike cleaning on the newly cleared back

And now it’s snowing again!

2014-03-10 14.46.39
Snowy fields!

Published by Sam B

Philosopher, feminist, parent, and cyclist! Co-founder of Fit Is a Feminist Issue, co-author of Fit at Mid-Life: A Feminist Fitness Journey, published by Greystone Books.

9 thoughts on “My first spring ride!”

  1. Same temperature as the day of our ill-fated ride in November. The one where there was a headwind the entire way (not really, but a lot of the time). You’re made of tough stuff!

  2. Aren’t you glad you got out before the crazy snow today? I felt the same running yesterday – being hot and running on dry sidewalks with huge snowbanks.

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  4. Just for my personal understanding, when you say “we have the right to “own the lane””, do you mean a legal right, a moral right, or what type of right? I mean, of course you’re not going to ride into a pothole and kill yourself! I understand that! I was just wondering what exactly, I guess, you meant by this phrase.

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