Spring! Return of the after-work rides

Finally!  The after-work riding season is back!

This past winter was the toughest I’ve ever seen for hitting the trails.  I really enjoyed the crazy weather, but the trails were always either soaking wet or covered by snow.  I only had one weekend with no plans and dry trails.  Spinning classes and road biking kept me from wasting away to nothing, but I’ve been dreaming of spring.  Now the weather is perfect and daylights savings time – combined with the fact that the sun is going down later and later – has finally made it possible to ride after work.

I’ve learned that packing correctly for the evening ride is key.  Forgetting some things, such as sunglasses or a pre-ride snack, will make your ride suck.  But forgetting other things (shoes, pump, helmet) are show-stoppers.  It usually takes me a few times to get it right.  Today I’ve loaded up a gym bag with everything I think I might need so I can be out the door and on my way to the trails as early as possible.  It includes:

• Technical shirt
• Biking shorts
• Gloves
• Helmet
• Two pairs of white socks  - the extra pair is in case a buddy needs a pair
• Sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Pre and post-ride supplements – currently I’m all about L-Arginine with Ornithine and L-Glutamine
• Ibuprofen
• Bike tools – some of these I bring on the ride, others I just leave in the car
• Tube repair kit – I have a nifty little pack under my seat containing everything I should need to fix a flat
• Floor pump – I leave this in the car
• Banana – to carb-up on the drive to the trail
• T-shirt and baseball cap for the ride home – I hate stopping at the store on the way home just as the sweat on my technical shirt starts to ferment.
• Deodorant (see above)
• Camelback – if it’s warm I’ll bring the reservoir.  If it’s cool out, I’ll leave the reservoir and use my water bottle.  The backpack part of the camelback is great for carrying tools, extra layers and my cell phone.
• Headlamp – in case some kind of bike issue keeps me on the trail longer than expected.  Riding in complete darkness on technical trails is no fun.

The sunlight lasts later now that it’s spring, but it still gets dark pretty early.  It’s important to pick your trail wisely and make sure you’re able to make your way back if you’re stuck on the trail when it gets dark.  It’s also good to know exactly when the sun is setting, have a good feel for how long it’ll stay light enough after sunset to ride under the tree canopy, and have a good idea of how long you’ll be on the trail.

A good resource I’ve found for this time of the year is sunrise/sunset charts.  Here is the one I like to use:

You have to adjust the chart for daylight savings time, and know how to read military time, but it’s a great tool to use when planning your evening ride.  It’s also great to print off and have at your desk during the middle of winter when the sun sets at 4:30, so you can daydream about the day when you’ll be able to ride after work.