A little too far from home to have walked there.

Some things I did today:

I made TOPWLH move her car before she was ready to. I needed the car moved because my spring bad roads low pressure tires bike hangs in the garage during the non-riding season, in the area of the garage blocked off to foot traffic by the presence of TOPWLH's Toyota. She protested ever so briefly but when she discerned the reason why I wanted her car moved she complied with alacrity.

I went to Walgreen's. It turns out that batteries are not forever, and the one in the cycle computer on MSBRLPTs bike had given up. A new battery and re-formatting was required.

I found the clothes that I wore the last time I rode. I got dressed and went out and pumped a couple of tires. At long last I was on the road.

It was about 55 by the time I got home which is in the general area of what it was the last time I rode. I was dressed appropriately, comfortable on the into the wind leg, but perhaps trending towards overheating during those times when I felt really strong.

I didn't get really far from home, but I did get quite a bit farther than I am likely to ever walk. I explored the streets in the neighborhood for 3-4 miles or so in 3 of the 4 cardinal directions, finding where it is OK to ride and also finding some places where there is way too much snowmelt still on the roads for my style of riding.

This is the furthest extent of northern penetration, the Ramsey County Library on Hamline and County Road B, MSBRLPTs bike for scale.Some things I saw:

I saw a bicyclist dressed for last week leaving the library. He had on a parka and a scarf over his face, full mittens. He looked too warm.

I saw a unicyclist dressed for next month. A unicycle is a toy and he was appropriately riding on the sidewalk (where toys belong but not bicycles) in just a t-shirt. He didn't look to be suffering that much but I suspect he was within whistling distance of where he lives.

This is the furthest southern penetration, Hamline and Midway Parkway. This is the location of one of the entrances to Como Park. I thought I might ride a bit in the park but the roads from this point further into the park were extremely wet and sloppy. I turned and faced away from the park and took a photograph instead, State Fair Space Needle for reference.It was only 12 miles but anyone who thinks 12 miles is not hard probably has taken a bicycle ride some time in the last four and a half months. I have not taken a bicycle ride in that period of time and I found the ride, towards the end, to be hard.

Our favorite hockey team has qualified for the Frozen Four national championship tournament next weekend in Boston. We pretty strongly considered going. It is now pretty definitely out of the question though. It might be nice enough to ride and at this point in the season I certainly don't want to miss any rides.

The season has begun, I love my bikes.