We know a few cyclists who are “randonneurs.” According to Paul Rozelle in his 2012 Bicycle Times feature, “Randonneuring is long-distance, unsupported, noncompetitive cycling within prescribed time limits.”
What Rozelle omits from the definition are concepts like regardless of weather and day and night. Seriously, these people ride 200, 500, 700 miles plus.

And what is the opposite of a randonneur?

That would be me.

Hey, shakes are fuel, too. Don’t judge.

Anyway, we have a big bicycle-tour vacation coming up this fall, and Brent has encouraged me to train for it. Starting in, like, January.

But I stalled, partly because of the yucky weather and partly because of an unusual amount of travel coming up. Why build up my miles, only to go out of state, where I’d have no bike for two or three weeks?

He was getting worried that I would slacker my way through our entire spring and summer, then be unable to ride so much as ten miles a day on the tour.

I rode a few times when it was warm enough for me, maybe three to seven miles, just to appease him. Cloudy, windy… I won’t say how much I grumbled about it.

Ah, but then the weather turned.

Sparkling blue sky, short-sleeve temperatures… I’d set out to ride five miles and come back with eight. I’d enjoy the sight of wildflowers, feel the sun on my shoulders, and taste the satisfaction of powering up a stiff climb.

Venturing farther last week, I took my favorite steep, curvy downhill. My speed spiked at over 30 miles an hour, accompanied by the fragrance of honeysuckle.

It doesn’t get any more magical, people.

I wasn’t about to stop for honeysuckle photos, but did pause to get this scenic shot before plummeting down the escarpment…

You can sort of see the town waaaay down below.

My advice? If you get the urge to go exercise out in the sunshine, do it!

Quick–before it gets too hot.

Thanks for reading!
Tailwinds,
Jan