Brown Season: Rare Air

Escape Route: Gates Park

February is a month when I would expect it to snow a lot, be not so great for cycling out in the country, and a month which would test my patience knowing Spring is just around the corner. I do not expect February to act like Spring! 

But ever since the beginning of the month we've been getting warmer and warmer until at the beginning of this past week it was evident we'd end the week with absolutely no snow on the ground at all. None. Like mid to late March, but a whole month earlier than that. 

With temperatures sneaking above 50 degrees by the end of last week, I decided I had to get out and see what was going on in the country. At the rate things are going the frost will begin to start coming out of the ground. When this happens the roads get messy and gooey. I wanted to get out while the roads were still firm. 

North of Waterloo. The roads were perfect.

Even the ditches were mostly clear of snow in many places. 

I went out on the Singular Peregrine Mk4. A bicycle relatively still new to me and one I am still getting used to. I had the Pirelli Cinturato H tires on this time set at 30psi. I think I could go lower, but during cold weather it isn't a good time for me to experiment with air pressure unless I plan on stopping to check the tire pressures a lot during the ride. I don't plan on this, so I lived with 30psi for the time being. It was okay. 

 

This was probably an impressive snow drift three weeks ago. 

I decided not to try to ride too fast or go too far on this first outing for 2026 in the country. Especially so since I am still dealing with the bruised rib from my crash two weeks ago today. So, I went slower than normal and I did just a minimal loop and went back into Waterloo. 

 

I stopped at the Big Rock. The atmosphere was calm. There was barely a breeze blowing. I could hear the mournful cry of some bird or another a long ways off in the distance. I've come out to this rock many a time before. This was different. It seemed very peaceful. 

 

For a first country ride it was good. Not too long, not over the line to the point of being trashed, and the weather was super rare. I shake my head at this when I think about it being February. You have to wonder, is March going to be awful? 

Hmm..... I don't know, but this is a rare treat and I'll enjoy what I can of it.