The temp dipped below 50 today and the planned 25 mile ride in my mind became a "...I can work on my bike indoors.." thought.
I have become a Weather Wimp when it comes to cycling.
When I had the "9 to 5", which of course was really the " 7 to 6" job, there was very little time to cycle during the week, so I looked forward to getting in that Saturday morning ride with the club and it was ride as long as the temp was 30 or above. This was in nothern New Jersey in the mountains. Okay, so it's the Bearfort Mountain range and it in no way approximates the big brother mountains, BUT there is something about that elevation that means there would be snow in my back yard when it was raining 25 miles "down" the mountain.
Let's see that was oh about seven years ago.
Since then I've gone through a divorce which gave rise to "..I can live anywhere I want" thoughts, but those were directed by a need by my sister with helping her in her business in Miami, Florida. I swore I'd never go back to Florida.
Do you know what the temperatures are like in Miami Florida from December through oh March? NOTHING like the temperatures in New Jersey from December to March.
Then I met up with my high school sweetie and become one of "THOSE" stories. She had a home in Portland, Oregon which oddly enough was one of the places on my possible move list.
Do you know what the temperatures are like in Portland Oregon? Okay, it's cool, can be cold and wet, but we weren't living in Oregon.
Circumstances were such that she wanted to continue working overseas, so the first two years were in Qatar.
Do you know what the..sorry.....yeah Qatar is hot as blazes and doesn't cool down that much in their winter. Actually, a Qatar winter is like being in San Diego.
But the big change in the cycling equation is that I no longer have a "9 to 5" or a "7 to 5" or "my own business" now that I'm working as a consultant. THAT means I can cycle whenever I want to, not just on the week ends.
With the time spent in Florida, Oregon, Qatar and now Shanghai, I've been able to cycle WHEN "I" want to.
I don't want to cycle when it's cold. I don't have to. I have nothing to prove.
As soon as that thermometer gets to about 55, I'll be on the bike for a long ride. In the meantime, the bike is in a bunch of pieces on an old rug, I'm wearing shorts and a T shirt and working on the bike right next to the space heater.
Besides, indoor miles in a warm gym do count.
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.jpg)  Finally somebody who lives the "I do not have to prove anything to anybody, not even myself" - way to go (or rather: not go/ride), Joe
Looking forward to hopefully slowing down from that 9 to 9 job I am doing and copying your style. Might be another 10 years, though, before I can afford that life style ...
posted by bxa on
12/26/2008
at 5:58:12 PM
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