One Less Minivan

We got our first measurable snowfall of the winter on Friday and with the frigid temperatures we’ve had over the last several days, it didn’t immediately melt into a sickening brown/gray slush. My family has been waiting months for a winter wonderland weekend so we took full advantage. 

On Sunday morning I sent the old man and big kid off to a friend’s birthday party on the tandem so the wee one and I could attend Dottie’s monthly Women Who Bike brunch. The snow was heavily packed by now but the roads were still a big old mess and the 13F temperatures had frozen the slush that was piled in the bike lanes. Thanks plow guys for only clearing the car paths and pushing all the run off into where I ride. That combined with bone chilling winds made for some seriously burning calf muscles as I pushed the Joe Bike through the muck for 4 miles on the way to brunch. 

Photo by Megan Kearney

Luckily, I had some company to bookend both sides of my journey. After taking a 6 week hiatus from riding I’ve been feeling self-conscious about my abilities and speed, which, on that beast of a bike was never above 12mph anyway, but my friends were sweet as can be and didn’t abandon my corpse on the side of the road once. 

After stuffing my piehole full of mimosas and Belgian waffles and doing some much needed catching up with the gals it was time to bid our farewells. I popped over to Comrade Cycles next door to smash my face into their display window and ogle all the shiny new bikes and accessories but we’ve been pinching our pennies lately and there’s no extra dough for impulse buys this month. I loaded the wee babe back into the bike and hit the road, now heading directly into the wind. 

The sweat on my brow when I got home put my mind at ease about the thousand calorie carb load I’d enjoyed earlier that day.