We\’re getting a prelude to Winter, it seems. The official first day of the season is a week off, but we\’re getting some cold weather; and it arrived with some strong wind! In fact, there was a wind advisory last night.

It makes me glad that Monday is off-bikes day. At 5 am, the wind was 17 mph; and gusts up to 29 mph! The chill factor was something like 44 degrees. If I were riding on top of the levee, such cold and wind would be a major headache.

The wind is dying down, but tomorrow morning it will still be barely 50 degrees. As far as I\’m concerned, that\’s cold! Time for some layering!

When the temperature drops, I\’m liable to opt for a long-sleeved blouse rather than a cycling jersey. This gives my arms an extra layer of covering. Depending on how cold it is, I might pull on a jersey over the blouse.

Then comes my vest and a windbreaker. I really need to get another cycling jacket, because the windbreaker is too long for cycling clothing. When I stop and want to dismount, the windbreaker\’s tail is too likely to snag on the rear of the saddle.

For leg warmth, I\’m experimenting with wearing an old pair of slacks over my cycling shorts. At least they won\’t slide down as my leg warmers are apt to do!

And there are gloves, extra socks, and — a filter mask? Sometimes. I don the mask; put on my helmet and fasten the strap; then pull the mask down to my chin. I can quickly pull the mask up into position if I need to.

So there it is; our prelude to Winter.