Looking Forward

• Posted on 23 February 2025
• By KW
• 0

My wife bought herself a little notebook/sketchbook dealie for Christmas called "Things I'm Looking Forward To," and she's been jotting down, well, obviously, the things she's looking forward to.  I'm currently sitting in the shop on a Monday in February, and the outside temp has warmed up, the snow is melting fast, and there is a distinct smell of spring in the air.  I say this even though I will inevitably be disappointed when winter makes a furious return as it always does in March at some point, but for today, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING.

Spring and warmer temperatures bring with them the hope of renewal, which is usually what my riding habits are desperately in need of, and the thought of getting OUTSIDE to ride a bike again.  Indoor trainer miles are good for base building, they're good for strengthening that saddle callous, but they're horrible for morale.  "Let's go to the basement and ride to nowhere for an hour and really enjoy that time," said no one ever.  Springtime means that is coming to an end, and that is a good feeling.

We are looking forward to seeing the rush of customers that spring brings.  A warm Saturday in March gets people outside and thinking about bikes, and we love that!  Oddly enough, the Monday after that warm Saturday always means a busy repair schedule, since the bikes that have sat all winter went outside and got a little broken over the weekend.  New bikes start rolling out the door with almost alarming frequency, and things get back to "normal" around here.

I'm looking forward to more road riding this year (more riding in general, but especially that).  I am a roadie at heart, and that is something that just hasn't changed no matter how many bikes I buy.  There is nothing like the feeling of fresh asphalt beneath your tires as you pedal down the road.  Always something to see, always a new direction to go.  A good grind on gravel is close, but not quite the same.

What are you looking forward to?  We hope you'll be able to join us for some actvities this year.  We will be starting up the Thursday night rides on May 1, and of course the shop will be a presence at many races and events again this season.  We'd love to see you in the shop, at a ride, on the trail, or wherever!

Happy soon-to-be-spring!!