Headlights into the snow with a headwind

It was a unique ride. Cold as hell. 33 degrees. Wet, wet, wet, snow. And big flakes. Problem with riding into a headwind when it is snowing hard is, well pretty obvious. Snow is flying in your face. The snow is hitting your legs and melting seeping through the lycra, wool socks soaking up cold water spray from the puddles of almost frozen water constantly resupplying the frozen water before it could warm up. I probably would have been warmer with simple lanolin on the legs without the thermafleece bib tights.

Sure it was just a ride in the snow. But it was dark. No light. And headlights have a way of reflecting off those big wet flakes. Handle bar mounted lights aren’t that bad. Often the light bounces off the wet roads enough so you can see where you’re going.

When your headlight is on the helmet. Riding into a stiff headwing with giant wet snowflakes. Well it is pretty much blinding. Not only were the wet flakes stinging my face, soaking my legs, coating the brake levers and every other leading edge surface of the bike, I couldn’t see.

The nice thing about a fresh fallen snow is contrast. Contrast between the black wet asphalt, and the white snow sticking to the soil and grass on the sides of the path. Even with a full cloud cover there was enough contrast that I wound up turning the headlamp off as soon as I was on the path. Riding through the streets I was more focused on being seen than trying to see through the blinding flakes.

But the intensity the headwind forced, and the need to ride hard enough to generate enough heat in the legs to keep from getting frozen was a nice way to clear the head from today.

Feeling better with a touch of food, still overwhelmed a bit. But the ride was pretty awesome.

And Make em laugh, the funny business of comedy is on. Time to kick back and try and relax.

Eddie Murphy as Buh Weet… classic…

Time to chill…

Heddwch
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