snood time on the bicycle

I decided to go for an early-ish morning spin this morning, but the elements are conspiring to provide dis-incentives.

It's not that I don't have suitable clothing, but it just takes those extra few minutes to assemble everything.

I think the technical cycling term for this delay is known as faffing.

Gloves are a case in point. I have some of those ones with cut off fingers, which are small enough to fit compactly into my jacket pockets. Today I'd hardly gone outdoors when I realised I'd need proper ones that covered my entire hands. Something about the need to actually feel that I am gripping the handlebars.

Then there was the special form of rain that I don't have a word for. It was a kind of hybrid drizzle with intermediate lumps of white heavy rain included.

It was like being gently dabbed on the face by a cheese grater.

Now the bicycle thing is supposed to be fun. I found one of my 'free gift' screwed-up stretchy cycling snoods in the same pocket as the cut-away gloves. It had pictures of cogs on it. I plonked it over my head and then pulled it up across my face.

I know, it wasn't a great look, but I did find myself grinning.

Then for some actual cycling and after a few miles I was both smiling and warm.

Now I'm back indoors I've just checked the week's mileage. Just over 100, of which maybe a third involved the snood.