Fresh air!

Chapter 167

Last year was an epic year. I logged the most bicycle miles outside that I have ever logged in one year. It was a 6,551 mile year which exceeds my outside mileage even from the year I rode my bike across the USA in 2016. 

This year was the most mileage I ever rode in one year, but 2016 was the most varied terrain that I saw while riding simply because I cross the entire continent and 15 states to log those miles that year. But the beauty and the terrain is only part of the charm of riding outside.

The fresh air is the best part regardless of the terrain. But you also get to do battle the weather. I like it hot hot hot, but after a few hours in the saddle, I will admit that your bike shorts can be a lot like what I imagine wearing an adult diaper will be like. But to me that is a small trade off for being warm.

Cold weather is the bane of my existence on the bike. Since most of my riding takes place in mountainous places, the cold is not a problem going up, its a problem when you are going downhill. You have to carry extra clothes with you to compensate for that coming cold downhill ride. You need extra warm and extra dry clothes in order to arrive at home without damaging frostbite. Of course winter riding seems normal to people living in Holland, or the Scandinavian countries or Iceland or Greenland. 

But in spite of the cold, I got in a great year of riding outside. Now to figure out to accurately measure the efforts of all those indoor rides when it is pouring rain or snowing, etc etc.