This is the night before the fall. Speaking of falling, I sure wouldn\’t want to fall over that cliff! If that\’s a bike path I see, ride it very carefully; especially if the wind is blowing hard towards the sea.

At present, the temperature is 50 degrees. According to the forecast, it won\’t get much cooler overnight. But tonight there\’s an 80% chance of rain; and tomorrow the temperature will drop all day long. Tomorrow night, it\’s down to 39! That\’s quite a change. I\’ll need quite a few layers for riding in that chill; and a 10 mph wind won\’t help.

The prospect of rain doesn\’t please me at all. It means more mud! Riding in the rain is miserable in cold weather. I don\’t have enough high-tech rain-shedding cycling gear; and I quickly get soaked. Then my hands and feet get too cold; and of course my nose acts up.

Incidentally, a drawback to using a helmet-mounted headlight is this: I can\’t use a helmet cover. If I don\’t have a poncho with a hood that can go under the helmet, wet-day rides mean soaked hair; and that isn\’t fun when I have to go to work after my ride. It\’s not fun even when I don\’t have to go to work!

So when the weather is going to turn a lot colder, give some thought to how you\’ll dress for your rides before the fall. It\’s much better to have all your gear ready, than to have to frantically hunt for leg warmers, skull caps, and so on after the temperature has dropped.

And how nice it would be to enjoy a mug of hot chocolate after a freezing-cold ride!