How's your bicycle fitness?

So here is what happened.  As of October 10 I had ridden once with temperatures in the 60s and twice with temperatures in the 50s.  Both of the times in  the 50s were in September.  September was very warm and then early October veered completely off the rails with daily highs in the 70s.

I took a day off noted in the bike log as too windy and the very next day it says overnight rain and suddenly 58.  It rained for a few days and when that finally let up we had a series of days with highs in the 40s.  I have of course ridden a few times with a temperature in the 40s (I have the gear) but always only after having worked my way down to it with about a dozen or more rides in the 60s and an equal number in the 50s.  That last ride on October 10 featured mid-70s.  Jumping suddenly from the 70s down into the 40s was just TOO daunting.

So my own answer to the bicycle fitness question is that my walking fitness is coming along quite nicely, thank you.

Today at noon it was sunny and bright and 51.  After only 16 days off I ventured out again.

I was surprised by how much green there still is out there, the river banks down in the city have dispensed with the yellow phase but it really doesn't seem to have reached the red and orange stage yet.  It is, after all, still fall, maybe another month or so until winter.

I rode over to the Falls, it was too nice a day not to.

I was lining up the photo when another guy on a LOOK 585 rolled up, did a take, and then launched into a lengthy comparison of his 585 and mine accompanied by extravagant praise for that particular bicycle model.  The color schemes were not the same but we both are palping Mavic wheels.  He was riding Ultegra, I am, of course, riding Chorus.

A pretty good time was had by all, except maybe for the guy with him who was riding one of the lower level Treks.

It turns out that despite appearances the bicycle season is not yet actually over.  But then again maybe it is, forecasts for tomorrow point back to the lower 40s.

Brrr, but probably a nice enough day for a walk.