I now live in a part of the country where I have to contend with winter weather (Cleveland, Ohio area). Meaning the weather here limits my cycling activity to about 6 months out of the year – if we are lucky. Last year we were lucky, this year not so much. Typically my outdoor riding begins in mid-May and ends around mid-November. After that I ride in the basement on my Kickr Core. At some point I will write a post about the Kickr, but suffice it to say, I love the thing. It has completely changed my indoor training and made it much more effective and fun; and fun is not a word anyone typically associates with indoor training.

Last summer was perfect weather for cycling from about mid-May to early or mid-November. Neither rain or heat interfered with my ability to ride. Most weeks I rode between 120 and 200 miles a week. It was a blast.

I talked to people here about how much I was enjoying the storybook weather and would inquire, “so is this kind of typical for the summer”? To which I would hear, “umm, no, we are having an exceptional summer aren’t we” (sans Covid of course).

This summer I am told is more typical, to which I reply, “bummer”. Lots of rain, humidity and heat for late spring. I am not digging it and I am still waiting for what we had last year to reappear.

Come on, don’t laugh. If you are here reading this you must be a cyclist and as a cyclist I know for a fact that like me you are obsessed with the weather. We know the 10 day forecast by heart, including expected rainfall, wind speed and direction and which days are optimum for riding.

Today was one of those so-called optimum days – except for the fact that it was humid, warmer than it should be since it isn’t even officially summer, and the rain started up again not more than 15 minutes after I finished my ride. I managed to get 30 miles in so I am good.

I am not good with the next several days but further out in the 10 day forecast looks like a return to those glorious days of last summer. Here’s hoping.

See you on the road.