First snowfall

Posted on November 11, 2008

Little frozen water drops getting caught in my mitts

Ah, the season has finally arrived. We ought to get used to waking up in the dark, crawling out of the cold sheets, and somehow, somehow, manage to get to work by the usual means. For the committed cyclist, does this spell the end of the cycling season?

After putting on the usual cycling shorts, a polyester shirt, two T-shirts, long pants, thick socks with the pants stuck inside, the usual cycling shoes, a headband, sunglasses, helmet, and mitts, I headed off to the first snowy ride.

My lungs breathed in the cold winter air, my sunglasses fogged up, snowflakes pelting my face. The chill hardened the tires, making the ride a little precarious with the loss of grip. It wasn’t long before I started to sweat, forcing me to roll up my sleeves and open up my jacket. It was a strange sensation of cold skin warmed by the hot muscles under it.

I probably should get my exercise in the gym, drive the car to work. After all, it’s safer and more comfortable.

But sometimes, the sun shines through and paints something worth photographing. Unconfined by a metal box, the photographs embody the experience in its purest form.

I guess the cycling season just got extended another day.