Spring Is Springing If You Look Close

I had to bury these a week and a half ago to keep them from getting bitten.

Last year at this time we were buried under the biggest pile of snow I had seen in years. This year? Swinging the other way, at least that's what I see. We've had snow, but not much, and there isn't much of that "not much" left. Spring is springing, but you have to pay attention to see it.

The cardinals are singing, things are trying to poke their heads above the icy crust and frozen dirt, and the Sun is higher in the sky again. February is drawing to a close and CIRREM, the late month gravel classic, is set to kick off the gravel season with a bang next weekend.

It was warm enough, for sure, this past weekend, but I felt under the weather, so I stuck close to home. I had plenty to keep me busy though, including a trip into work (!!!) on a Saturday. That's the first Saturday I have worked in.......I can't remember. Over a decade for sure. Maybe 15 years? I'm not complaining at all. I just felt odd going to work on a Saturday. It didn't last long though and I was back home doing errands and setting up the Noble GX5 for "Slop Season" with these new Topeak D-Flash fenders. Fenders? Okay......spray deflectors. Yeah, that's probably a better description for them though.

Fitting these things was a bit of a trick due to the design of the Noble GX5. It doesn't have traditional stays but rather a mono-stay design. This makes for a closer clearance between the frame and the tire. Squeezing that D-Flash deflector in between the tire, a 40mm Vittoria Terreno dry that measures 43mm, and the mono-stay was tricky and left little clearance. But I got it in there!

Another sign of Spring's arrival- Mud guards. Or....deflectors?

Fenders are on three bikes, tires are set, and gear has been readied. It's going to be time to get out there soon. But of course, we aren't quite through with Winter just yet. Tuesday into Wednesday we're supposed to get a dump of snow and it is supposed to be colder the rest of the week. But the Sun will eventually win and we'll be out there on the gravel full-time real soon.

Spring won't be held back by this last gasp of Winter!