Summer Breeze to Frozen Knees

With October almost gone I cannot believe how quickly we have gone from Summer time sweating to early morning shivering as the temperatures dip below 50F and the number of bikes I pass in the morning can be counted on one hand.

Where only weeks ago a pass through an early morning sprinkler brought a smile to my face and the shade on the side streets brought a cool respite from the morning sun it has now been replaced by seemingly endless stretches of Mt. Everest like cold followed by fleeting patches of warm sunlight.. come on Spring.

I have always been partial to Fall for numerous reasons; Football, Halloween, leaves turning and being able to wear long sleeved shirts under Minnesota Vikings jerseys. The smell of leaves burning and chimneys being lit for the first time all bring me back to a time when I was a kid.. bills were something I jumped out of the car and ran into the Power Company or the Water Works Board for my Mom and the motorcycle was a 50cc “Indian” mini-bike that was faster than any of my friends conventional bicycles.. ack ack ack, silly mortals.

Now the bills are something I contend with myself, the motorcycle is the “Fat Lady” and leaves are needing to be raked into a pile and burned. I still love the Fall though.. riding through a street full of leaves and seeing the 'wake' I leave behind me in the mirrors still makes me smile. The red cheeks and runny nose after a forty-five minute ride to work make me look like a larger, older version of me as a kid, coming in out of the cold after running all the gas out of my bike.. 'look at him.. how cute.' Now there's a different look people give me when I'm pulling into the parking deck when it is 40F.. like they think I'm insane, I can only agree.

Why DO we subject ourselves to the elements when we could jump in the car and ride in comfort? Why take the time to wrap yourself up every morning in layers and layers of clothing and masks, and glasses and gloves and helmets when a trip in the car just requires you sit down, crank up the heat and drive?

I cannot answer for you but as for me there is no better way to experience the world every morning. So until the Alabama snow forces me to winterize I'll see you on the road.

-spaztech