The pools may be closed and the kids back in school but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep riding. In case you’re not convinced riding after Labor Day is a good idea I’ll share a few reasons why I keep riding through the fall and beyond.
1. The sharp air.
Walk outside early on a fall morning in Central Pennsylvania and the cool air goes right to your heart and brain. Metaphorically speaking anyway. The leaves were fringed with frost as I prepared to leave this past weekend. The temperature indicator on the Vespa displayed 31ยบ Fahrenheit. Lungs fill with the chilled air. All senses turn on. I’m awake, aware, alert, sharp and ready to go.
2. The light is magical.
For a brief time just before sunrise until an hour or so afterwards the world is painted in a unique way. The angle of illumination renders the landscape more dramatically. The color of light creates alternative versions of even the most mundane roads. Riding down the road I saw leaves falling into a pool of light and just had to stop to watch the Fall in action. Sleep in to wait for the warmer part of the day and you may miss all that.
3. Imagination runs free.
Perhaps it’s just me but venturing out in the early morning always fills me with a sense of adventure, of anticipation and the feeling that anything is possible. I want to know where every little road and path leads. What secrets may be revealed around the next turn in the road. My brain runs free with that fuel and anything seems possible.
4. A feeling of satisfaction.
Related to number four but more a sense of mental or spiritual satisfaction. For me it’s the knowledge that I have done something good for myself by having fun, detaching from any cares for a time, and allowing myself to live. Seeing things is important to me. It’s a feeling that comes when I know I pushed past a bit of discomfort or resistance by riding on a cool fall morning.
5. The joy of warming up.
You can’t ride forever and sooner or later you have to come home. Or stop at a destination. After riding near freezing, no matter how much fun I had on the ride, it’s just great to transition from the outdoor cold to indoor coziness. A physical satisfaction. Feeling my body warm is just nice not to mention the addition of caffeine, sugar, and chocolate.
You say it and show it the best. The sensations and the visions are so “right on”. Great Blog as usual.
We forgot to ask. Is nail polish part of the ritual?
Steve,
Great stuff, as usual!
Makes me wish I got up earlier for yesterday’s ride…
I should have been out there today, but reason number one kept me in. Cold mornings=good sleeping.
Your photos are beautiful – what camera do you use?
pd.
All great reasons to ride after Labor Day! Just be sure not to wear white. Hi-Viz and yellow is ok, though>
heinz n frenchie: No nail polish. Shower, shampoo, shave. That’s about it from the cosmetic perspective.
basem: I can’t begin to count all the mornings I wish I had gotten up earlier…
jonathan: I can appreciate the power of a warm bed on a cold morning. Takes some gumption to get up into the cold…
anonymous: These were taken with a Nikon D200. I normally use a Canon G9 of late but occasionally I have the SLR along.
irondad: You’re jsut so traditional!
Nikon? Canon? I thought you were a Leica snob (in a good way)!
Beautiful photos!!!
Absolutely. I’m still an all-year-round rider, and these are the days I enjoy the ride most.
It’s a pity I can’t ride the Vespa to reach my girlfriend 150 kms away from me as I usually do once every two weeks in summer, just because I don’t like riding long distances on boring roads at night, and it gets dark very early, so I just try to stay as much as I can before catching a train. After all I need also a little rest from a working week, and time to read a book.
I don’t know about your saddle, but the saddle of my Insetto Scoppiettante is a leather seat, so it’s time to grease it for winter. Check my weblog for the last post about it!
I’m wearing nice stuff to protect myself from cold and rain, which is starting to fall frequently, but oh, riding 20 kms to work beside the sea, the pine wood, the countryside, is just wonderful here in Tuscany.
I just can hardly keep myself from stopping every minute to take some pictures…!