Closing the year the way that it started...

...with a bike ride, of course!

2005 was a good year for my favorite outdoors pastime - riding my bicycle! I have to say that the weather was much more pleasant on my January 1st ride (when the temperature was in the 50s, definitely an abnormal January day here in the northeast). Today was cold and gray, but dry. For the most part the roads were clean and dry, although I did slide across some wet or icy patches. Luckily they were few and far between!

Cold? It was 24 degrees at the start of my ride, with a little more warmth - 29 degrees - by the time I got home. Yes, I did say a little; 29 degrees is still cold! I have to admit I thought about not riding today, but my bike insisted! My 21-mile ride today took me to a grand total of 4101 riding miles for the year, which makes me very happy. And it took me to a new low temperature for riding.

I must have been wearing the right number of layers today because in spite of the cold temperature I was warm. I tried something new; I added my knee warmers to my biking shorts under my REI powerstretch tights. Having an extra layer on my knees made a big difference. And for the first time I stuck my Heat Treat toe warmers to the bottom of my socks instead of putting them on top of my shoes but under my shoe covers. I didn't think that my shoes would be comfortable with an extra layer on my feet; I suppose it fit comfortably because my cycling socks are really thin. It's funny, I've tried the warmers on my socks when I've been out walking, and they were too warm. But they were perfect in my cycling shoes. I wonder why.

I'd love to start 2006 on a bicycle too, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen. I can always hope that the weather forecast is wrong. If it is, then my bicycle and I will probably be wandering somewhere tomorrow. If we get the 1 to 3 inches of snow that is predicted? Well, then tomorrow may be a good walking day...