I have so been enjoying being back on my bike this year, especially since we’ve had some unseasonably warm weather. And that unseasonably warm weather has come to an end, for now, so the question is, will I still ride my bike?

The answer to that question on Monday was sure! I could have driven the mile to the YMCA, but hey, the only way to see if you’re in the mood to ride in cold weather is to ride in cold weather. No bad weather, just bad clothing, I get it, but also, I’m not trying to prove anything at this point in my life. And here’s what’s hard about riding in the cold: the wind makes my eyes water and then I can’t see, everything tastes like road salt, and the chapped hands, my god, no lotion in the world is fixing these mitts! What’s easy, though, is how much more I like biking than driving or waiting on the bus.

Know what else makes a difference? Sunshine! Monday’s ride was perfectly fine, especially when I was in the sun. It was in the 30s, which is downright balmy, so it wasn’t a great test. Until I hit this stretch of sidewalk in the shade of the container that has been here for as long as I can remember. I get so anxious about riding on ice, because it makes braking and turning way trickier–and I’m always braking and turning when I’m on my bike. I saw the tracks of a previous bike or two on this surface, but again, nothing to prove over here. I got off, snapped this pic, walked around, and then rode to the bike racks. Same on the reverse, a reminder that my longtime rule to not ride on ice persists. Fortunately there wasn’t much ice, even though the piles of salt sometimes look like salt–and act like sand, that grabs tires and tosses riders to the side. Just gotta pay attention, which is great–I ride a bike partly because of how it helps me attend to my attention.

So, it was just two miles of riding, but the mind shift is the important part, that the bike is the default, and I have to talk myself into driving or taking the bus. Mind, shifted, and when it’s in the teens this week, I might indeed take another option, but reinforcing for myself that I enjoy riding more than I hate cold weather was a serious win. I’m willing to give it up for some real snow, though, so fingers crossed for next weekend!