The Blog Page

News, commentary and humor about bicycling and other topics of the day

 

Bittersweet Wednesday

The second Wednesday of September always is a bittersweet one for me. That's because the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society almost closes out its season of Wednesday Evening Rides on that Wednesday of the month.

It's not from a lack of desire. It's from a lack of daylight. Yesterday, the sun set at 7:12 p.m. CDT in Columbia, Ill., where we put on the ride. There's simply not enough light for people who rush from work to the get to the ride and get in good mileage.

It's sad because it's a sure sign gloomy late-fall and winter weather soon will be upon us. I've never gotten into winter cycling because of residual effects from my childhood asthma. The few times it tried it, the cold air is simply too much for my lungs to handle.

But even more sad is that fact I won't be seeing as much as my cycling friends as I have since April. The beauty of the BABES is that the group not only is made up of good cyclists, but good people. Getting together with them for a ride and a meal is a high point of my week, and I will miss that the next few months. It is a pleasure to be a ride leader and the webmaster for such a great group of people.

Fortunately, we have four more rides planned before the end of October. We have three winery rides, including one Sunday at the Hidden Lake Winery in Aviston, Ill., plus another ride that coincides with the Fall Festival in Lebanon, Ill. If you're interested in any of those rides, I invite you to visit our Ride Calendar.

Roger 0 comments 2:53 PM