Saturday was the first 70° day in West Bend since November 5. We topped 70° again on Sunday and I did my fastest ride of the year. Then on Monday we hit 80° for the first time since September 17 and I went even faster and farther. Warm weather brings out the best in me, and it made plenty of others happy too. Roadies posted pictures on Facebook to show off their sunburned skin. Mountain bikers returned to New Fane—which opened for the season on Friday—and to other nearby trail systems. Just two weeks ago, almost every trail was a muddy mess with patches of snow hiding in the shade. But even perpetually soggy Pleasant Valley is partially open now.
The last few days were uncommonly nice for April, but now we’re back to normal. If you were outside yesterday shortly before sunset, then you experienced a 15° temperature drop in just 20 minutes! For the remainder of the week we will struggle to reach 60° and rain is almost assured. Too much rain could flood Jay Road and force a detour at Cheesehead Roubaix on Sunday, and rain on Sunday itself would really thin out the crowd. With fair weather I could have more than 300 riders; wet and 40° at the start probably means less than 100. I will rue missing an 80° Cheesehead Roubaix by only a few days, but I suspect many of the riders will be glad to have the crappy conditions that contribute to the romantic image of the Spring Classics … if that is what we get. Right now the forecast is bleak, but it still could swing back toward my kind of weather.
Don’t expect leaves on the trees, though. Full foliage is still a month away. Spring in Wisconsin.
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