Spring is on its way!

This was how my commute looked like this morning. The air was chilly and there had been a frost but the sun was shining, the daffodils are nearly all out and there’s a definite feeling in the air.

Yesterday evening, when I came out of my office, it was still light. I haven’t been to work and come home in the light for what feels like six months. The clocks go back in a couple of weeks and then we can start to cycle in the light at both ns until about late September.  No more messing about with all those lights and all that gear.

Spring Cycling Wear

Over the next few weeks I’ll be starting to shed some of my layers and get into my spring cycling wardrobe….which, let’s face it, is much like my winter one but with less clothes. But before I get into 3/4 tights and just one layer, or my wool leggins become things of the past, I have to negotiate that tricky time when the mornings are still cool but the evenings are quite warm. 

Today I was wearing my wool coat but for the rest of the week I’m going to try my raincoat, without wind jacket, and see how that works.  I was too hot and I don’t want to be wearing a wool overcoat when there’s so much promise in the air.  Gloves will move on from Gore Windstopper to fleece with a grippy palm and I’ll be cycling without a woolen hat on.  Base layers will become a thing of the past and I’ll be back in my normal work wear, a shirt and a cardigan.

I was cycling in Antwerp at the weekend in a Burberry, Converse, some jeans and a couple of t-shirts.  The sun was shining and there was just that lovely feeling in the air, you know, when people start to hope again and we all become much more tolerant of each other.  People were out in the pavement cafes and families all cycling together in the sun. It really was nice to see and be a part of.  It’s such a shame that we don’t have that culture in London, but then we have lots of other things going on instead.

I was explaining to a colleague at work today about the ‘Mary Poppins effect’ that some women cyclists seem to have on other road users in England.  I think everyone benefits from that in countries where cycling is a way of life rather than a niche activity but over here it seems to be only women.  I’ll post more about that next week.  In the meantime, enjoy the beginnings of our (late) spring and lets hope it doesn’t rain too much.