Trying to ride a lot

Today is Friday February 20 2026 and i have been riding my bike lately.

i'm not riding as consistently as i'd like but compared to winters past i'm basically Lance fricking Armstrong right now.

The weather has been pretty sweet, it's the dead of winter and i've done multiple rides in shorts!

Registration for the Little Sugar MTB race opens up soon, i think i'll sign up. 

Besides that i'm not really motivated to race. I'm sure that will change but i think i can get faster by just focusing on riding a lot. And if that works out and i do get faster then the thought of racing becomes more appealing. Because racing is a lot of work, you have to register, pack up a bunch of gear, get the bike in order, drive someplace, do the race, drive home. 

At the moment i'm thrilled at the idea of simply pedaling to and from my house and doing whatever kind of ride i want. And doing that a lot.

We'll see how it al pans out.

Sunday Ride

Today is Monday February 2 2026 and yesterday i did a nice outdoor bike ride.

It was cold, but not too cold. 

I guess dressing appropriately makes all the difference in the world because a few years ago i had convinced myself i was no longer a cold weather rider but now here i am getting excited about riding outdoors when the temps are below freezing.

Credit to the new cycling jeans, proper shoes, down mittens, and neck gaiters. Plus the amazing Chrome cycling jacket i've had for ever. It's just a shell but when paired with a few warmer layers underneath its the ultimate winter jacket. It has lots of zipper vents, options reflective spots, easy to grab zipper, huge back storage pocket. It's the best.

Yesterdays ride was great, i went where the road lead me including my new favorite spot which is the big rock bluff in Roanoke Park.

The moon was full, or almost full.

2026 is off to a good start. 

The coldest ride i've ever done?

Today is Monday January 26 2026 and yesterday i rode my bicycle outside.

It was bitter cold.

It may have been the coldest ride i've ever done.

i wouldn't have done it except there was snow on the ground and riding in the snow sounded fun. Which it was.

The night before i wrote down all the gear i would need to survive. 

• Warm socks
• Winter riding shoes
• Fleece bib tights
• Cycling jeans
• Base Layer
• Jersey
• Wool quarter zip
• Down jacked
• Wind proof balaclava
• Additional face shield thingy
• Down Mittens

i geared up and hit the road around 7:45 am.

My toes got cold and my face but it was manageable. Occasionally i had to lower the zipper on the down jacked a few inches because my torso would get hot. Pedaling in the snow can be hard work. But it was fun. We got maybe 5 inches of snow and the roads were totally covered but by Sunday morning everything had been plowed or driven over so there was always a decent path to follow. Still you had to keep your guard up, i did have to dab once. 

i made it to Crows coffee at 51st and Brookside Blvd in about 55 minutes and i stopped for a coffee and burrito. i inhaled the burrito and then i headed back home.

i took the trolly trail for a few minutes on the way home, fresh powder, very hard going. 

Upon returning home i thawed out my water bottle and drank it.

Cold Sunday Bike Ride

Today is Monday January 19 2026 and yesterday i rode my bicycle outside.

It was cold.

I also rode Saturday, about an hour and 45 minutes on the trainer while watching Dark on Netflix and then some of Casablanca. 

Saturday morning was dangerously cold for outdoor riding but the temps warmed up a bit on Sunday and i ended up doing two and a half hours outside. it was pretty great. 

i'm really enjoying these later afternoon winter rides that coincide with the sunset.

i broke out the mittens and they worked so well my hands would got hot so i alternated between mittens and bare hands. 

A friend and loyal blog reader recently asked why all the pictures of my hand... so i'll try to spice it up a bit in the picture department. 

i headed north and made it all the way to the Boulevard but not before riding some of the single-track in Roanoke Park. i've forgotten about trails for a while now but last night it was magical. In fading daylight and bare hands i threaded the needle on about 40 seconds of gnarly downhill single-track and for those 40 seconds i felt like the lord of all creation.

Then i got to the bottom and put my gloves back on, returning to reality.

After pedaling thru the crossroads i headed back home thru Crown Center and then via the Gillham bike lane.

Did i mention i saw a coyote in Mission Hills? It looked very healthy.

Are you also aware that the bathroom at Taliaferro Park is apparently open 24/7 365 and the heat is always blasting plus there is a bottle fill up right outside that's apparently also open 24/7 365. This is amazing news. A toasty oasis in the middle of Siberia, if you will.

i recommend it... especially when you're only able to carry one bottle because the second bottle cage is holding the blue tooth speaker.

Music!

Random ride on a 70 degree day in January

Today is Thursday January 8 2026 and yesterday i did a bike ride.

My car got an oil change so i used that opportunity to ride my bike while the car was at the shop.

i rode from the shop back to work and then from work to the shop to pick up the car. 

it was 70 degrees yesterday so i was in shorts and short sleeves for portions of the ride.

It's amazing much perfect weather can motivate you to ride your bike. 

Now today its pouring rain and motivation is significantly less.

Weekend Bike Rides

Today is Monday January 5 2025 and i rode my bike twice last weekend.

Totaling about 46 miles.

That's pretty good for me this time of year. 

The new cycling jeans continue to be amazing.