The first ride of the new year was short, but at least I got it in. Temperatures had warmed into the lower forties by the time I hit the road, but with a strong and gusty wind under a gray and cloudy sky, it felt much cooler. I did my “standard loop” of 14 miles, at a pretty good clip of around 15 MPH.

I dressed just a bit heavily, and ended up with sweaty legs and torso. Still working on that dressing-for-winter business. Seems I can’t avoid a sweaty back no matter what I try. Today it was a Champion C9 compression shirt and light pullover jacket. The combo does a good job of blocking the wind, but the jacket material is to bulky for my taste, and doesn’t breathe as well as I’d like.

It feels good to get a few miles in, particularly after my experience last January, when I was shut out for the month. I don’t want that to happen again.

The weather forecast is calling for warmer temps for the next few days, so hopefully I’ll be able to get in some longer rides before the winter chill inevitably returns.