Still Got The Bug

This past weekend marked my fourth and longest ride since getting the heated gerbing suit for Christmas. Sunday I geared up and headed out around noon with no real idea of where I was heading. My only obligation for the day was to return by 4:30 to attend a basketball game of Sammy's. That left me with over 4 hours to ride. It was above freezing for the first time in weeks, with temps hovering in the mid to upper 30's. This allowed me to dial my suit in at 50%, the current cut-off for sustained power draw w/out draining my battery. This was just the right amount of heat for this temperature range, and I was completely comfy and content to ride around at length wondering where I would end up.

I soon found myself heading into Maine via the large bridge on RT 95. I kept alert as I roared across the state line at highway speed, looking for hazards that could pop out at any time- ice patches and gravel being the main ones. We had just been hit the previous weekend with what will be known as the Blizzard of '05, and were dumped on with over 2 feet of snow. This was followed by over 6 more inches on Wednesday, so it had only been a few days since the last storm and the roads were far from free of obstacles. But I couldn't resist this clear blue-sky day, with its uncharacteristicly warm temps.

I got off 95 just after the bridge and followed 103 north through Eliot, then dumped on to 236 and into South Berwick. From there I took Rt 9 north into Berwick. By this time I started thinking I had enough time to make a brief appearance at my parents' house in Ossipee to see the renovation work. I began laying out a route in my head and headed toward Sanford and 109 north, that would bring me to Wakefield, which I consider to be the southern most point of what I considered 'local' when I lived in the Ossipee area. As I lazily meandered up 109 I began to encounter more and more spots on the road that required complete attention. Half of my lane would be wet from time to time. Then at point I entered a grove of trees and the road quickly become completely covered in black. Being out of the reach of the sun most of the time, this was surely a very slick, icy section. My speed quickly dropped to a crawl as I pondered whether continuing on was the best idea. I dragged a foot for a second to find no resistance as my boot slid along the moist black pavement. It was disconcerting to say the least. But I continued on keeping the bike as straight as an arrow, with my speed down to probably around 10 mph. I was easily going slow enough that a fall would only hurt the bike and my pride, but I was putting in 110% concentration because there was no way I was going to screw up my bike! After about a mile of this hazardous condition, I broke out of it and back onto dry pavement. Phew! From this point on, my main concerns were the prominent gravel patches and the large, constant frost heaves that had me continually launching out of my seat and into the air. It was amusing at first but quickly grew tiring. Soon, however, I was finished with 109 as I came into downtown Sanbornville.

Making sure I would have enough time to complete my trip, I jumped on 16 at this point for the fastest, most direct route to Ossipee. I was soon pulling into my parents' snow covered driveway. I toured the house, which is completely different in just about every room since I saw it last, and shot the shit w/ my dad for awhile.

Sooner than I would have liked, I had to get on the road to get home by my 4:30 target. I carefully rode out the driveway and back onto the pavement. Thinking I was good at this point, I turned toward the left and gave it some gas to head on home. Well, I forgot to realize the rear tire was still completely coated with snow and as soon as my hand hit the throttle, the rear tire let loose and began to spin and work its way sideways. This caught me off guard, but I reacted quickly and let off the throttle and put my feet down, catching my mistake before it was too late. Shrugging this off and filing away this quick education to remember when needed at later dates, I headed back home.

I didn't leave myself enough time to stay off of the highway and was forced to take 16 the entire way home, except the short section between Rochester and Dover where I skirted one of the tolls.

At 4:29 I rolled into the driveway, exactly 150 miles on the odometer for the day. Turns out, Sammy's game was cancelled and I didn't need to rush home. Oh well, it was getting dark anyway.

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Now, what got me inclined to post in the first place wasn't my ride itself, but the realization this morning that even with my new found winter riding, I have still been unable to alleviate the winter time cabin fever feeling I get and the constant daydreaming and longing for those long summer time rides toward the distant horizon. I pondered to myself why exactly this is. I think its a combination of things. 1) I think I'm mainly longing for my next cross-country trip. The reflection and cleansing that these trips provide is unmatched with anything else I do in life, and that is mainly what I look forward to. My next long, epic voyage. 2) Also at play I believe is the more relaxed feeling I have when I ride in warm/hot weather. My body is physically more relaxed, as I naturally find myself tensed up when I'm cold (Laura has made fun of me for sitting forward in a funny position in the car when I'm cold). But this relaxed feeling is also a mental one. The road hazards I have and will encounter in the winter forces me to keep on my guard far more than a lazy August afternoon ride.

Putting these together I have unexpectedly found that my annual craving for the warmer months and the riding that comes with that is no less now than it was, even though I am now a year round rider. Not that my winter riding isn't enjoyable. On the contrary, I enjoy it immensely. The terrain looks completely different when everything is blanketed in a deep covering of snow. And the looks I get from people have me laughing pretty hard at times. And I get continual waves and thumbs up. No, I love the rides I've taken so far this winter. They are just different, and not a replacement for the fulfillment I receive come spring...

Ride on.