There\’s nothing new under the sun, they say; but does that also mean that there’s nothing new under the stars?

Pre-dawn riding is a habit I\’ve had for many years; and the routine seems old and tedious sometimes. I drag myself out of bed at 4:30 am; and in this cold weather, it\’s a difficult start to my day. When I\’m cold, I feel tired; slow; and rather stiff. It doesn’t help that I really don’t get enough sleep.

My pre-ride snack has little variety: usually it’s a banana or a cupful of grapes, with peanut butter.

Next, I have to get dressed to ride; and cold weather means I need more layers. Of course all those layers mean I spend more time getting ready to ride; and somehow I tend to underestimate the amount of time I need.

Once outdoors in the cold and dark, the usual woes quickly set in. After about half a mile, my nose is already runny; and it doesn’t take long for my feet to feel cold.

We have several more cold nights store; and the trip to the salvage store on Saturday will be a frigid ride. Tomorrow morning\’s trek to the supermarket will be chilly, too.

Today I got the hybrid back from the shop, so I should be able to go; and I need to! I\’m \”out-of\”, as my mother used to say; or at least, about to run out of things: apples, carrots, etc.

Visiting the supermarket will mean I can\’t go out on the road bike; but such a trade-off is nothing new. Today I did hard efforts on the road bike, so I\’d ride easy tomorrow, anyhow. I might as well get in an errand while I\’m at it.