Riding in November!

This year's weather is for the books; this last Saturday the sky was sunny and the temperature was touching 70 around Madison... not too shabby for November 5th!

After the Badger game (way to go, Badgers!) it seemed like a great time to take a ride.

I wasn't the only one.

In a little more than an hour I saw more bicyclists than I had all year with the exception of the Ride Across Wisconsin.

We were drawn outside because one of these days (very, very soon) our warm days will be the ones that reach into the 30s.

The leaves crackled under the tires as the bike tracked east to the Military Ridge State Trail.  North and east on the Capital City Trail then south on the Badger State Trail.

All of it paved, giving a comfortable and quick ride from the city to the country and back.

If you live in the northern climes this year, I hope you are getting to enjoy the unexpected bonus days of autumn.

Windows open at home and in the office; short sleeve shirts; and bike rides in November.

It belongs in a daily journal, because next year at this time when we've already had a killing frost and March seems like a long, long time into the future, it will be nice to revisit these saffron days of summer.

Riding in the country late in the year can be bittersweet since it might be our last day cruising for fun.

There are plenty of hard-core riders who bike to work all winter. I'm not that guy, although I still hope to ride into work a day or two this month.

But that's a different kind of ride.

The weekend rides are all about looking at the world at a slower pace as the trees slowly undress for a long winter's sleep.

Unusual late summer days should be bottled and treasured; thought about and used for warmth in January.

The forecast expects today to be warmer than normal... enjoy it... you never know if this will be the last one until spring.