By Jen
First off, a reminder that we have a fantastic brrrunch coming up tomorrow. There will be waffles! And vegan pancakes!
I love riding with other people, but the bulk of my riding is done alone. (But is one really ever alone with a bicycle? Or a rubber ducky?) Me, my bike, my thoughts, listening to all the sounds of my bike interacting with the world. I love the sounds of winter riding:
-the quiet susurration of my wheels on the snow
-the buzz of studded tires as they zip over ice
-the busy hum of the same tires on pavement
-little icy crunching noises!
Some days it’s nice to see other people on the greenway, but some days it’s nice to be totally alone with the winter.
Neglected bikes are coming up out of the snowbanks like crocuses.
Image shows the handlebars and stem of a bike stuck in a snowbank. The snow is very dirty and beginning to melt away, exposing the bike. Caption: Neglected bikes are coming up out of the snowbanks like crocuses.Now my ears tell me we’re approaching spring. I hear birds chirping and water spraying as I zoom through puddles. That nasty gritty sound as I roll over sand. The gentle sound of rubber (no studs!) on pavement gives me a better opportunity to hear the pawls of my freewheel click. (Pawls: I learned this word from Lowrah during the saga of the zombie freewheel. The pawls make your freewheel travel freely.) Although I hear we don’t get spring in these parts, just pothole season, followed by construction. Whatever you call it, I’m excited for some warmer rides. I’ve been wearing short sleeves and fingerless gloves–haven’t shown this much skin in a long time!
I’m not really that tan, it was just good lighting
Picture of my disembodied left arm. I am wearing an orange short-sleeved shirt and a gray glove that exposes my fingertips and thumb. There is a small sliver of bike wheel visible in the upper right corner against a background of asphalt. Caption: I’m not really that tan, it was just good lighting.