That first ride of spring
The smell of woodsmoke wafted up as I tucked into the descent. The yearly spring yard burnings started as soon as the air got dry enough to sustain a fire, and with them came the first nice riding days of the year.
I was taking full advantage.
Riding in the winter is desperate, it seems like all of the elements are against you, and getting to wherever your destination is feels like a victory over nature itself. The first ride of spring changes all of that.
It is different when the wind hits your unprotected face, and gloves are optional. Sleeves rolled up makes the ride even better, and side roads are more inviting. This is the time when riding a bike gets to be fun again.
I rode from home down a country road lined with cedar trees, stopping to look around and enjoy the smells of life coming back to the world. The hills were rolling and there was hardly any traffic. A few people waved to me as I rode by. I turned down a road I’d never been down and found a lake, a dirt trail and got a bit lost.
The first ride of the year is always the best one. It gives a glimpse of what the year will look like. This year I’m excited.