No Festive 500 for me this year, alas. A lingering hip problem has mostly kept me off the bike since August and it’s looking like I won’t be exercising let alone cycling for at least another two months. Although cycling is generally considered a warm weather sport—who likes to ride on black ice or in the snow?—here in the Bay Area what we call ‘winter’ is really just an extended autumn. It’s actually my favorite time of the year to ride in contrast to many Spokers who protest it’s too cold to be out on the bike. Summertime in Contra Costa it’s not atypical to have daytime high in the low to mid-90s. I find it much harder to muster the will power to go out and self-desiccate than to enjoy the brisk ‘winter’ chill. Our cold weather is easily handled by dressing with more layers and anyway I love the winter sun illuminating crystaline blue sky.
Normally I’d be riding in preparation for the Resolution Ride and for the first centuries of the year. But none of that is possible on this circle of the sun. We got the Christmas tree up and decorated early and Roger’s been concocting homemade eggnog. But no Clement Moore vision for us. In lieu of pedaling we’ve been instead frequenting peddlers of consumer goods, some cycling related and some not. Santa came early this year!
Come March you may see me on a new sled…
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Happy Holidays!
The Chain Letter 