Nearing one percent of yearly goal

The month seemed certain to end with fewer "official" miles ridden in Minnesota in March than "unofficial" miles ridden in Florida in January. Yesterday's walk revealed mostly dry streets (within a mile and a half) and it felt warm enough. With the weather forecast being for evening rain turning to light snow overnight it seemed like a good time to push the warmth envelope a little and to try to get Minnesota into the mileage lead over Florida.

Lessen relearned: On a bicycle you generate your own wind chill.

But I have the gear and for the most part I was comfortable enough. I could have used mittens instead of gloves and I really needed something to cover my chin. In any case, as is almost always true, I was glad to be out there. When I finished I was happy to have been able to ride my bicycle.

With a bicycle you can get a lot farther from home than the distance you can reach on foot. With a south breeze which eventually freshened into something a bit unpleasant most of my travels were to the south. I toured the Fairgrounds. Verdict: Very poor snow removal, way too many places with the streets still covered with snow melt.

EG: 48 CB: 44 AOWG: 50

Actual temperature about 45.

I actually took this picture last but mindful of displays I see somewhere on line that feature the first image of the blog post under the blog title and post title, here is the picture that was my goal when I set out on the ride.It was a very grey day leading to grey photographs. One must deal with the conditions that one has, not with the conditions that one wishes for.

That field behind the cows makes it look like the snow is mostly gone. In flat and open fields such as that one most of the snow IS gone. But, not so fast, that is not the whole story. Here is the edge of a church parking lot in Roseville.That pile is going to be there a while and that tree is going to need some tree surgery if the snow ever does go away.

And here is what the State Fair snow removal mountain looks like as of today.Yes, that is not dirt, that is snow.

The good news is that the circus is in town.Today's milestone: longest ride of the year. This milestone was relatively easy to reach.

Today was a day with a bicycle ride, a pretty good day indeed.

Watching the snow melt

And it is producing lots of interesting patterns and shapes.Over 12 hours of daylight and no bicycling.

128 days

And the long wait is over. My last Minnesota ride was November 11, 128 days ago.

I had already walked for an hour but mostly what that did was convince me that the nearby streets were dry enough to allow enough loops near home to get in a shake down cruise. So after finding all of the gear and pumping the tires I rode my bicycle.Particularly close observation will reveal that a) there is still quite a bit of snow out there and b) I have installed the plastic rear fender just to be sure that an unexpected puddle doesn't leave one of those dirt stripes up the back of my jacket.

It was not a big ride, more really a shake down, a chance to see if I had forgotten how. My fitness was OK, but it was soon enough very evident that I haven't put much pressure on the seat contact points of my body for over four months. You have to start somewhere. I started today.

We're having some fun now.

Casualties

Some of the casualties of the giant snow event of December are only now beginning to be revealed. There was only an early season covering of snow on the ground when the December snowpocalypse struck. The new snow was heavy, as in weight, and it was heavy, as in there was lots of it. The plows had to drive fast to move the weight and volume of the snow off the streets. Objects close to the street which most often have a cushion of an already existing snow bank around them were not adequately protected against the flying plow debris.

Here are some mailboxes that until this week were still up to the boxes in snow but which are now emerging and being asked to stand on their own.

The first one is on a metal pole but even a metal pole didn't save it from being bent in the direction the plow was going.There is more to be revealed about this one but the prognosis is not good.An attempted duct tape repair to a wooden mail box pole.And, because this is a bicycling blog, here is some bicycling content. This car has traveled the same number of miles since the December storm that my bicycle has.I am thinking my bicycle may make it back onto the streets ahead of that car.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to those who celebrate that holiday. Happy high temperature of 52 (so far) to those of us who celebrate that.

Nice day for a ride

Today was a very nice day for an early spring bicycle ride. The sun emerged this afternoon and the temperatures eventually rose to 50. The breeze was light and completely non-punitive, the wind felt warm, definitely missing anything like a bite. Bicycling on a day like today would be a pleasure.

Were it not for the condition of the streets.I walked instead and every street within a mile and a half of my house featured stretches like this one with no way to ride without riding through standing water.

Because I like riding my bicycle and dislike having to clean and dry all of the metal surfaces after riding I find that conditions are still not bicycle ready.

On the other hand, 50!

It won't take many days like this, days of 50 and sunny. The season approaches.

Degree of difficulty?

DST is now only about 200 hours away but I still see no signs of spring. Instead the weather has turned persistently grey with snow predicted for Tuesday.

*sigh*

It IS a bicycling blog. Here are the bicycles to prove it.I think they look much like me, ready and poised to begin. Only the one in the front, the one with the blue tires, will be going out this year. The one in the rear is no longer in service.

How many times can you find the word "LOOK"?

Have you seen this?

No points were awarded, either for the free throw or for degree of difficulty.

Stay tuned for updates, I guess.

Bicycling blog

This is a widely reported news item, probably every one of my potential readers has seen this, but I have mentioned this before and feel it worthy of note, the last surviving US veteran of The World War has died.

Rest in peace, Frank Buckles.But I am really here today to remind myself that this is a bicycling blog and the season draws nigh. I have checked last year's log and the first ride last year occurred on March 14. My log notes that it was the first day of daylight savings time. It also notes that there was an all time high temperature that day of 64. Daylight savings time will arrive soon, 64 may still be a ways off but persistent 40s and occasional 50s will be here soon, not very long after DST, and bicycling will be close behind. Just to add a little perspective, my log also notes that the last ride of last year occurred on November 11 (a Frank Buckles tie-in). It will soon be four months off my bicycle. It seems like (and has been) a long time.