Winter...Stay Away

The weather is cooling off and the days are getting shorter up near Canada (so we are not that far north but still).  Days that once started at 5:15 am and ended at 9:30 pm are now becoming dark at 7:15 pm.  It feels like they are getting shorter five minutes earlier each day.  I say this because finding time to get in a meaningful ride is becoming more a challenge.  This is the time of year I start trying to figure out what winter training will look like.  I see my rollers and I dread the long dark winter.  Last winter I invested in clothing that will allow me to ride even when it is a balmy 5 degrees.  Last winter I was able to get outside four times but the rides were slow and short.  After one ride I had a six inch icicle hanging from my bottom bracket and my rear derailleur froze up.

Even with my fenders I still had to take my bike apart and clean it in my basement after almost every ride.  One hour of riding equals two hours of cleaning, argh.  That is not my idea of a good ride to work ratio.  The worst part is I am still fighting the damage done last winter.  Dealing with a long winter is part of life up here.  Well it is still a ways off and midday or low light rides might be the norm for a little while yet. Even though it seems like winter is right around the corner I need to focus on the great days that still exist this year.