Is the temperature ever perfect out here....

where you ask? Great Western Loop. So today, I,R and I meet at 8:30 (a bit later than usual due to the cold winter temperatures) to ride GWL. It was 50 degrees and chilly. Sun is out and we roll expecting the day to warm up. As we begin climbing we of course warm up and as we approach Honey Springs, we are riding counter clockwise, I am hot, so hot I am thinking about which clothes to peel off at the top. But about 10 minutes from the top the clouds being to roll in and the temperature is dropping. By the time we are on top it is not sunny and not warm. We gather up and start descending and it cold, shivering cold....I am wearing long socks,knee warmers, base layer, jersey, arm warmers, vest, shoe covers and full gloves. I am cold. We are thankful for the next climb simply to warm up. R's plan called for us to ride to Descanso so we turned right and headed out there and up. Now mind you this is the same route less than 2 months ago it was over 100 degrees and we worried about heat stroke, looked eagerly to the Descano market for a cold drink and now we are shaking and shivering. The market does us no good- not really warm inside and nothing warm to drink.

I spots the cafe across the street and we roll in there shivering and shaking with numb feet and hands. Hot chocolate comes and we cannot even speak we are too cold....we begin to thaw. Much like a cold day skiing, we take off our shoes and are warming our frozen feet but rubbing them and tucking them in warm places. Now I was frozen and there is poor R without gloves, knee warmers or toe covers. I has fingerless gloves and not knee warmers or covers. The longer we sat the more I began to worry was this going to be a day like the snow day in Ramona when E and I had to knock on a lady's door and have John come get us because it was snowing.

We realize we have to get on our bikes and get back to the car. Temperate says 40 degrees. We head out and it is cold, cold.....but soon after we begin to ride the sun comes out. Oh it feels so good. Heavenly and then we begin to descend and we freeze. So cold my mouth cannot really move and my fingers are cramping. But the good news is the sun was in and out and although descending was cold, as we got lower the temperature warmed up. So the 45 ride back was not nearly as bad as we feared. Dry clothes and heater on full and all is good.

Of course now that it is done and I am warm it was a great ride.... I was getting gas soon after the ride and was still shivering. The guy next to me says, come on, its not that cold. I tell him I just rode 55 miles and am freezing. He laughs and says, were you one of those crazies on Dehesa on a bike in this weather?....well that's Ironman training for you.