We've been having some blustery weather here of late. The strong gusty winds, periodic rain showers and cool temperatures feel suitably dramatic. I explored the nearby conservation area and was delighted to find it quite beautiful as well as empty. Riding my little bike I was forced to abandon my usual concern for speed and distance. Rather I just cruised along dodging cars on the rural highway [I need a mirror!] and then enjoying the solitude of the dirt roads through the conservation area. I've discovered a new way to ride my bike I'm calling the Dahon Zone. I can go pretty much anywhere at a speed fast enough to be pleasing without any hope of being uber fast. I went cross country through a picnic area standing up on the pedals to keep my momentum up through the soft lumpy grass. I climbed a steep dirt road without too much trouble. I made it through some gravel - although that was challenging. Of course I also stopped to take photos several times.
The Dahon Zone is really complimentary to my mood at the moment. The next rando season is still too far away to fuss about and I don't have any winter bike tours planned. I'm without any immediate goal. I'm not motivated to train and unlike this time last year I have researched the snot out of brevet riding over the past 12 months. Lacking these ambitions I'm left with tooling around on my little bike [somewhat aimlessly] and reading bike tour journals. Contrary to how it may sound I am quite enjoying this lull in my cycling life. My fitness may decline over the next few months, but taking some time away from goal oriented cycling will ensure I'm eager to climb aboard my Fujin in the spring and crank out some serious distance.
4 comments:
Very nice picture, wet leafs at speed suck :-D
Great observations, keeping the joy in cycling is what it's all about. If it becomes only a race for fitness, we might as well all go inside and spin on trainers year round.
if you spend the next couple months tooling around at a casual pace I don't think you'll find you lose too much fitness, but rather will maintain a solid base and give the mental side a good respite. Then in the spring when its time to resume training, any minor loss of speed will quickly return and you'll be hungry to jump on your training more aggressively. All athletes need an off season to avoid becoming stale.
Looks like you are enjoying your new set of wheels...I passed someone downtown today who was riding the exact same bike- same colour too!
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