Common Sense

 

Winter riding is always about trade offs. Even if have good warm cloths you are never completely comfortable. It's hard to dress correctly for cold weather you are either too warm and sweating or a little cold. It takes some common sense and planning to enjoy a ride in the cold weather. 

When, where and the direction you ride have a lot to do with not trying fighting against the elements for a miserable  ride. A couple of weeks ago with temperatures barely above freezing and a nasty north wind I took to the canal path to be sheltered from the wind and did a ride from Washington Crossing to Trenton and back. Riding my mountain bike on the canal path takes more energy which keeps me warmer so it good for rides when the temperatures are below 35 degrees.

Last weekend we had weather in the mid 40s with a south wind so I lead a ride from MCP to Bordentown. There was rain overnight that hung a little longer than expected on Saturday morning so we post pone the start time of the ride until the roads were a little dryer.

Laura and Pete joined me on the ride. It was one of those rides that I was a little over dressed and was sweating by mile10 but I didn't shed any layers because of the wind and the occasional clouds which kept the temperature more or less constant. In fact I think it got colder towards the end of the ride. 

In Bordentown we swung by the river and visited Tom Paine again. As the picture up top shows he didn't have a mask like he did last time we were there.

So either he got the vaccine or realized he was a statue and didn't really need a mask. 

It has been about a year since the first case of Covid was discovered in the US and its got a lot worse since then. We are probably close to the peak in terms of daily cases and deaths as the holiday surges are in full effect now. I know a couple people who were a little lack during the holidays and have gotten Covid although most of them have mild symptoms. 

I do think things will be getting slowly better with the vaccines rolling out and a new more fact base administration in Washington. So hopefully with a little common sense we can all make it through this winter and to a spring that should be better than last years.