Every year our long, hot summer winds down ever so slowly before abruptly terminating. The blazes that raged throughout the fire season slow to a simmer before finally snuffing out. Ashes settle from sky to Earth, starting their circle over again, waiting to one day live again. Some will merely feed the weeds. A lucky few will become one again with mighty trees.
For cyclists living in the Sacramento valley, fall can't come soon enough. It's the one season that offers perfect riding conditions, especially after the first rain. Unfortunately, our fall doesn't last long.
The summer can be great, but you have to make adjustments. Lazy mornings reading the news and sipping coffee are not on the program. You have to get out early to avoid dying in the heat. An extra water bottle and lots of sunscreen are mandatory for me.
On the mountain bike the trails are dusty and parched, often beaten and loose from a long summer parade of knobby tires. My chain rarely makes it through a whole ride before it's bone dry and begging for lube.
Then it ends. On the 19th, just four short days ago, the temperature hit 93 degrees. Yesterday the temperature plummeted to 68 degrees, and the today we received an inch of rain. Just like that, summer is over.
Tomorrow I am going to sip some morning coffee, take my time, and relish riding in cooler temperatures on damp, grippy trails.
Later.
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