Spring Riding

I took the little bike out of the shed about 2 weeks ago, actually right after our little trip to Montreal.   Then it decided to get real cold again, the kind of cold that gave us another 5~10 cm so snow.  But this week the temperatures started to rise again and now about 1/2 the snow on the front lawn is gone (yes the pic shown is with 1/2 the snow gone, we can now see the neighbours house ) I once again went back out to the bike shed.

With the temps around 5c I decided I had to ride.  I hooked up the wiring for my heated vest ( a little luxury that I picked up at the motorcycle show this year ), I will be able to wear it on any of the bikes, I have wiring sets for all of them and went out for a ride.  I decided to take a quick pic before I headed out on the road.

I went down and around the Rideau river to a little town near us, about 45 kms round trip.  The roads were pretty wet around hilly areas and I was a little fearful of Black Ice which I have hit in past springs and it is not fun.  The one year I hit it was on a morning ride going to work, it is/was the only time I have had the thoughts going through my head "I'm going off this bike, when should I go to cause the least impact", yes that time I was very much thinking this thing is going to go down and I don't want to go with it.  There was also a point where it started to rain, another bad thing for spring riding, you don't want to be cold and wet.

But I have to say the heated vest did help the ride.  I had heard how the vest will keep your 'core' warm and in that way your extremities will also stay warm.  I'll admit I was a little sceptical, but about half way through my ride my fingers were cold but got no colder.  So I have to say I am now a believer and will use the vest for all my cold riding days.

It is so great to be out riding again!  Bring on the warmer weather, one bike out, 2 to go and one project  bike to get started on.

PAWS

Weekend Away

The winter may finally be going, well at least we can all hope and we should all be riding soon.  It was decided that we ALL needed a weekend away.  Of course with our busy schedules that was going to be tough but, you don't know my wife.  She picked a weekend, got the Monday off (I had already got the day off for the kids March Break), found a place for the pooch and then booked a room in Montreal.

Like all good planning my work started to get in the way.  A release started to go long, I tried staying as late into Friday as i could before dropping off the pooch but...  it didn't look good.  The look I got told me we were going no matter what.  It was the 'suck it up princess' look, we booked the room lets go.  Off we are, we had a nice time yesterday, as we came into the city my son got to check out a lego store that he has been wanting to get to Brick Republic to pick up some very specialized pieces.  Then it was off to the hotel.

We are staying downtown, at the Hilton Bonaventure and as you come in you get to see the attraction the kids are waiting for, the outside pool that is open year round.  'Yes' we tell them we will go swimming, 'No' we tell them not right now.  'Yes' we tell them before you go to bed :).

We check in and then it's off for a walk around downtown, a little shopping, dinner (with a few emails from work, but it looks to be done now) and then back to the room.  We went for the swim, it was great to be outside on a cold March night in downtown Montreal, looking at the stars and swimming outside.  Everyone got to bed and now the sun is up and I have gone for coffee, on my way I pass the pool, it looks even nicer early in the morning.

Siting here my coffee is done, people are moving, time to get exploring!  What are you doing on the laptop dad ;)....  off we go!

Where's my bike is what I'm thinking now, it is in the + degrees this morning :).

PAWS