The un-studly winter

I am probably not alone in developing a sort of folklore about past winters and the type of riding conditions each brought. I catch myself discussing the winter of 2009 and how bad the ice was. And, geeze, wasn't '10 beautiful with 5 feet of snow? Over time, I may fall victim to the natural tendency to exaggerate and have some memories harden over time such that I will remeber each year by just one image: the lack of a thaw, the very cold mornings,the sand-dune like drifts and the like.

I am ok with this since, after all, the great thing about biking in the winter is how incredibly different the riding conditions can be. The amount of moisture in the snow, the patterns of freeze and thaw, one week's crusty snow covered by the next's light powder all affect the riding surface and make for a new experience each time I head out.

This year may be the year of the non-winter. In fact, I have been riding for almost a month without my studded tires which have been a life saver in winter's past. There has been bare pavement for weeks and almost a monotony of decent weather. Since there is no prize for pain and suffering, I will take it gladly. But, I will know I have become delusional if I ever catch myself bragging about the winter of 2012.