Morning Ride

Well, I got out for a short ride this morning, and it was lovely. Gorgeous blue skies, no wind to speak of... chilly, in the mid-30s, but with the promise of a wamer day ahead of us. And that certainly has come true - we're having a glorious, warm, sunny afternoon here in Northern Virginia! A real contrast to Tuesday, when it barely climbed past freezing. Yeah, I know you folks in the midwest or Rocky Mountain states are thinking "Ha! That's not winter!"... and you're right. But this is the mid-Atlantic, where we're spoiled by often having mild days mid-winter, like today.

Out there on the trail this morning, it was not very busy, despite the sunny day and forecast.  I guess it was still too chilly and folks were planning to wait til it warmed up. Honestly, that's one thing I really like about riding in winter... you get the trails largely to yourself! The only folks I saw were on foot, aside from a few riders who looked like they were on their way to work.  I was out on a Tour Easy recumbent, so it was a nice, comfortable ride. I'm more typically a "wedgie" (upright bike) rider, but this morning I was in the mood for the 'bent. A fun ride, and every time I ride the Tour Easy I'm reminded why it's been such a classic, enduring design. Since sometime in the 70s, the basic design has remained the same, and it's a smooth riding, comfortable, and fun.

One other thing I tried today was a new piece of headgear I'd never tried... it's called a "Buff", and it's meant to be a multi-use item... a neck gaiter, ear warmer, or hat, depending on exactly how you arrange it. One ride isn't really much of a test, but so far I like it, and can see where it might come in handy in "borderline" weather. The ability to re-arrange it as needed could be a nice feature.

Took a few pictures while I was out too... too pretty a day to pass it up. I am mostly drawn to natural subjects in my photos, but sometimes something man-made will really catch my eye. Today it was this combination of an electical line tower and a pair of jet contrails, against the blue sky that drew my attention. Kinda striking, no?