Is 39 too cold for a bike ride??

     I know "old man winter" is knocking at my door, but I'm not letting him in until I get a few more bike rides in... or am I??

     The other day a few of us planned to do a morning bike ride, in spite of the bone chilling weather forecast.  A little cold weather wasn't going to stop me. Remember, I'm a Scorpio; we don't quit!  And sun rises are just as beautiful in cold weather...

     We had planned on checking out the new park in the middle of Downtown Toledo.  It was called Middlegrounds Park.  What a clever name! They must have brain stormed forever on that one...

     As you can see; I had every inch of skin covered, except my face, and there was no way I was gonna freeze.  With an under armour turtleneck, a fleece vest, knee sox, winter bike gloves and a winter bike jacket, I was set for a blizzard.

     As the first of my riding buddies, Gary, was getting out of his car I noticed a police car pulling up to me.  He rolled down his window, and I began to wonder what crime I had committed already, at only 8 o'clock in the morning.

     The first thing the police officer said as I approached his car was "I just wanted warn you about where you are".  Being a little perplexed I said "excuse me...?"  He replied "you're under the high level bridge, and you just need to be conscious of the possible shady characters roaming around."  I told him now he was scaring me... Maybe There were trolls under the bridge; I'm sure that's real...

     As Gary walked up, the officer mentioned we probably didn't have to worry because  the trouble makers were probably still sleeping.  Gary smiled and thanked the officer.  There may have been an eye roll involved...

     I asked Gary if we should rethink this ride.  He reassured me by telling me that this was a railroad police officer; they go out of their way to be the informants on possible riff-raff.  I was a little more at ease, I think...

     It wasn't long before the others arrived, and we knew we needed to get on those bikes if we ever wanted to get this ride over with.

     I will say, this was a nice little park, even if it was freezing, and filled with potential hoodlums:)

     A couple of the pics were a little blurry, but I was lucky to take my gloves off to take them at all.  My fingers felt like they would break off if you were to Karate chop them.

     Just imagine how beautiful the picture of these flowers would have looked if I wasn't in such a hurry to get my gloves back on... 

                                          

       Walking, maybe, but this wasn't my idea of a bike trail... 

                                

          It was more like ice skating with rollerblades...

                             

     But if you were careful to see it through, the view of the river was well worth the aggravation.

     I guess they never claimed this was a bike trail; it was a park, after all, so I couldn't hardly complain about the riding conditions; besides, no one would listen...

     One more look at the sunrise, and it was time to find that "real" bike trail; The green belt parkway.

     But we made it as far as International Park before we decided to call it a day.  Sure, it was only seven miles, but a bike ride is a bike ride.  And I'm still not a quitter:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)