More fun with numbers

As I note from another blogger, this is the time of year when it is pretty hard to not note annual accomplishments.

Today I reached more miles in October than I had in October of last year.  This is six months in a row this year when I have exceeded the level for the same month last year.  Of course, last year I had one ride in October after the 10th (and in fact then only one ride in November, two rides after October 10).

If any riding at all occurs in November (most years it does) I can make seven months in a row with plus mileage.

Which pretty much explains why I have more miles this year than last.

Yesterday was beyond expectations nice.  Today was pretty normal for what is now fairly obviously the last half of October.  The temperatures descended to about average for this time of year and the wind came out a'howlin'.

Too cold.  Way too windy.

I have the gear.

If this was a day with the sun shining this would probably have made for a pretty nice photo.  The colors are good on the trees, if only the sky were blue and the sun shining.

The truth is that if the sun were shining I would not have been anywhere near that spot.  That's along the Hamline Avenue corridor that most years I ride many times on my way out to the northern lakes.  If the sun had been out today I probably would have tried for the northern lakes which would have meant there was no way I would have taken this route.  This route is a dead end into the south side of Shoreview, all oil and tiny pieces of gravel, just completely not what I want.

I rode out into this dead end against the border of Shoreview and was just about to turn back when I decided that a turn back was going to lead to some unpleasant riding later when I was going to have to be trying to make up some miles.  I decided to see if it was at all possible to ride in Shoreview.

And?

Well, there are still lots of places where there are just too many pebbles in the road.  On the other hand at 52F the oil is not in the slightest bit sticky.

So you can ride in Shoreview in these conditions.

I got all the way to the Shoreview Water Tower.

I checked the archives and I think April is the last time I had a photo out there.

At that time I wasn't certain if the new building on the site of the former strip mall was condos or business suites.  The appearance of all of those balconies on the lake side of the building convinces me:  condos.

I turned back from there but I admit it was a tiny bit exhilarating to revisit those very familiar streets and to discover that if the weather cooperates and if I want to that I can take a ride this fall along the very familiar route and discover myself at Lake Vadnais from the north, the more visually pleasing end.

Ten percent chance of rain and at about 4:30 it did in fact drizzle.

Too cold, way too windy.

Nice day for a ride.