With the arrival of a cold snap, we saw the first snow of the winter here in Nagoya over the weekend. It was on Saturday that the announcement was made to cancel the Tokai Cyclocross race, which had been scheduled for yesterday. Since it rarely snows in this region, there was no ginger. While I respected the organizers for prioritizing safety and making a prompt announcement, in my heart, I also felt that since we had snow, I didn't want to miss this chance. Without any particular plans, we all gathered at Owari-Seto Station on Sunday morning.
The area around Seto, which we are used to riding in, was completely white. Everyone, who originally intended to race, hopped on their CX bikes and steered toward the gravel covered in fresh snow. There were only animal tracks, suggesting we were the first ones there, and the fluffy powder snow was waiting for us.
While the thermometer on the side of the road showed -1°, by the time we were pedaling hard into the mountains, it was like the cold we felt when we left our homes was a lie; our whole bodies had warmed up, and we found ourselves enjoying the ride, forgetting all about the cold.
Focusing all our senses on the sound of the snow beneath our tires, the whistling wind, and the crisp, freezing air, we traced the lines we believed in. We must have looked like a marching party in the snow as we carried our bikes when we couldn't ride through.
The organizer of this ride, who had kindly sent us photos of the snow accumulation the day before, was fully protected against the cold in the Café du Cycliste Heidi Winter Jacket, a winter staple, layered with the Search and State S1-J Riding Jacket. For his feet, he mixed Quoc Pham Urbanite Mid boots with Gore-Tex socks.
And then there was the person who was easily hooked by his invitation. Inside the same Heidi Winter Jacket, he wore a Patagonia Thermal Speedwork Zip-Neck as a base layer. The vest thrown over it was insurance for the descent, but two layers were plenty. Winter really comes down to the base layer. And by coincidence, both of them were wearing Deeper's Wear Fast-Pass Baker pants over their bib tights.
It was a ride that lasted less than two hours, but this snow ride was even more enjoyable than the race. Yesterday's ride reaffirmed why I ride a cyclocross bike: because it allows me to enjoy winter riding like this. If you can summon the courage to leap out from under your covers, there is a world out there just as fun as any race.
Whether for daily rides in the city or adventure rides like this one, we have a variety of "plus-alpha" items in stock to help you enjoyably get through this cold winter.