So..  yesterday’s morning forecast: mostly cloudy all day, then rain after 7pm.  I leave work at 5, so no need to pack rain gear for later, right?  Wrong.  It started raining at 3:30, and I got to ride home in a steady drizzle with no rain gear.  No, it wasn’t all that bad.  But, I was slightly annoyed that I didn’t follow my own long standing advice: when in doubt, pack the rain gear.

I did wear the rain gear this morning.  The storm system is moving off the coast, but it’s still plenty damp out.  I checked out the park access road, and it’s improved to the point where I shouldn’t need to detour onto US 1 any more.  It’s still not bikeable, but it’s now possible to walk the bike through without having to pick it up and drag it along.  There are even a few spots of pavement peeking through.  I also checked out the Grist Mill Trail head, and the first part of the trail looked clear.  If I’m feeling adventurous tomorrow or Friday, I may try to see how much of it is passable.

I ordered a new helmet the other day.  My old one is 7 years old and starting to show its age.  I got a good deal on a 2009 Bell Sweep, which ordinarily sells for $130.  It’s marketed as sort of a do-anything helmet, and it’s one of the only “road biking” helmets I could find that comes with a visor.  The visor is important to me because I use a visor-mounted rear view mirror.  Fit is also an issue with me, as I have a large head, and I was happy to find that the helmet fits me fine (it’s a large, of course).  I haven’t ridden with it yet, but it’ll be interesting to find out if a $130 helmet is any better than my old one, which I believe cost around $50.  Stay tuned.