I don’t know if you’ve noticed - if you’re in the northern hemisphere, anyway - but it’s getting a bit nippy. There are still warm days, of course, but we are very much in autumn territory now.
What a summer it was for bike riding. After the seemingly endless rain of the winter and spring came those perfect days where you could just wear a jersey and shorts for hours, and not feel a chill. Those bike rides where the time stretches, there is no rush to get back home before it gets cold or gets dark, when you can embark on adventures big or small. I love a week where you accidentally do a lot of riding, without really realising - you agree to a ride here and there, and all of a sudden, you’ve been 200km in seven days.
My favourite ride of the summer actually came quite a while ago, in early June, when I joined a group of friends to ride to Cheltenham from Bristol, in the south west of England. It’s not a particularly hard or long route, but everything about it was perfect. The temperature was just right, we stopped off at a dream pub en route - The Woolpack, in case you’re wondering, but I’ll leave the pub chat to another column - and it was the perfect mix of speed and chill. My only regret is that I spent most of the time on the front, and not enough time chatting to my friends, but that is simply how I insist on riding. Until I get dropped.
That all seems like quite a distant memory now, though, as the days grow shorter, the wind carries more of a bite on it, and you start thinking of getting your heavier layers out from under your bed, or down from your attic, or wherever it is you keep them.
This is not meant to sound too melancholy, not really, even if I have that disposition. The summer days were great, but I’m here to impress upon you that cycling is far from over for this year. There is no need to give up and take it all indoors, really. With the right base layer, with the right gilet, with the right gloves ready, the best riding of the year is upon us. It’s farewell to proper heat for now, but it will come back around.
It’s not dark and freezing just yet, and there is no risk of ice, and you can feel as virtuous as ever for having gone on a bike ride. Sure, there are added problems, like just what do you wear when it’s 10 degrees when you leave but could hit 16 degrees by the time you return, or do you wear toe covers, thick socks, or both? Autumn is very confusing.
Now is the time of year to make the most of the good days and not to stress if the weather turns inclement, or if you can’t face getting out of bed in the chill. You don’t have to ride every day, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for missing that ride if it’s raining, but there are still great days to get out on two wheels.
My colleague pointed out earlier that now might be the time for running over cycling; running is great , it’s fun, I do it quite a bit, but I find the idea that cycling should take the back seat now defeatist. There are still many great days this year to cycle, and we live in the age of layering and fabrics that do actually keep you warm. Let’s not give in to the weather just yet.
As for that dream ride earlier this year, those times will come round again faster than we think. Maybe even in October. Autumn is here, and let’s celebrate it. The sunsets are beautiful, the weather is still pretty good, and cycling is the best thing you can do.
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If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.
