Great Riding Weather

So I got up in the dark Friday morning, pulled on the riding clothes, grabbed the bike, opened the door, and --- "What the ___? The streets are wet!" It wasn't supposed to be like that. A little cool front had come through and I was fully expecting a nice cool crisp morning ride. Instead, there was a chilly clammy mist falling. I decided to wait another half hour and then go out for a quick 10 miler before work. Half an hour later there's at least some light in the sky, so I pull the old Pennine down, since it has full fenders, and as it hits the concrete I hear the "thud" of a flat tire. Crap. Now, if that wasn't a sign from the gods, I don't know what is. So I bagged it and went to Plan B, which was to ride the commuter downtown early so I could absentee vote since I'll be out of town on election day. I get all the way downtown and go to lock my bike at City Hall and realize I've forgotten the key to the lock. Crap. So I ride over to the Tidewater building and put my bike in the bike room, and walk back to City Hall. So now I'm half an hour later than I'd planned and the line is already nearly all the way down the hallway, which is about a city block long. Crap. Over TWO HOURS later, I finally log in my vote, pick up something to eat, and head back uptown to the office. Totally screwed up my day, and I don't even want to discuss the woman behind me in line (for TWO HOURS) who talked nonstop. After listening to her bragging about how she'd gotten unemployment benefits even though she'd quit her job, it was almost enough to make you want to vote for McCain. So, that was Friday.

Saturday, though, dawned clear and crisp and, surprisingly, not very windy. The Giro Ride crowd was kind of small, probably because it was dark half an hour before the start. This late change back to Standard Time has GOT to go! On the plus side, it was just spectacular great riding weather today. There were precious few horses in the pack today, so for the most part the pace never got really fast. At one point the whole group actually stopped for a red light. I should have taken a picture of that because it probably won't happen again for months, if ever.

I'll be on the road by 4:30 am tomorrow en route to Rocky Springs, MS for the LAMBRA Time Trial Championships. I won't be riding, but will be officiating. Since it's so late in the season (the race was rescheduled due to the hurricane) the turnout will be really slim. There were only 39 registered and there's no race-day registration. I expect a few of those won't show up, since some registered for the original date. Anyway, I thought we just had to have a TT championship, even if the turnout was thin. Since there's no race-day registration, I've already got the start list posted and all of the race numbers have been assigned, and the results spreadsheet is just waiting for times to be entered. Other than the fact that it will likely be freezing cold up there in the middle of nowhere on the Natchez Trace, it should be a very easy and low-key officiating gig. That's assuming, of course, that I actually get up there in time. I have to pick up a few riders here in town, and if any of them is late I'll be cutting it pretty close.