It was right around freezing when I left work. Wore the same clothes as the morning, minus the PolarTec top and plus arm warmers. This was pretty comfortable. The helmet liner by itself (no ear band) is enough to keep my head warm down to at least freezing, it seems. Might see if I can go a little colder without the ear band.
I extended tonight’s ride to around 12 miles by riding a loop through Patapsco State Park (Glen Artney Rd to Grist Mill Trail to Swinging Bridge to River Rd). Providing the trail is in good shape, this is a lot of fun after dark. It’s quite the thing if you enjoy the feeling of solitude. Quiet, dark, no one around and no lights except the bike headlight. If I’m going to do this ride, I always try to ride it in the morning first to check the condition of the trail, so I know what to expect after dark.
The repair I made to my cheap rear blinker failed today. The blinker fell off the bike twice, and the second time it pretty much fell apart. I stopped and messed with it on the trail for a few minutes, but wasn’t able to get it to stay together. Turns out one of the tabs that holds it together broke off. Moral of the story: Don’t buy cheap blinkers. And always carry at least 2 when riding after dark. I still had my rack-mounted Planet Bike taillight, so I was good to go.
Tomorrow is my last ride before my long Christmas break, and there’s a big snowstorm predicted for the weekend. If I can get moving early enough, I’m going to try to sneak in a longer ride in the morning, because it might be awhile before my next ride. Will I be desperate enough to resort to the trainer? Time will tell.. 🙂