Oxygen

It’s fun and fresh to Pedego in cool weather.

Thanksgiving Day in Southern California. What can I write for our readers Back East? Okay, I admit it! Our thermometer struck California gold in the 80s yet again. In late autumn. While others around the country were shivering in snow, Brian and I were concerned that it would be too hot to ride inland. But we knew a breeze from the bikes could refresh us, so we kept our plan to ride around La Cañada Flintridge for the entire day.

Oh, and what a day it was! We parked near the splendid Descanso Gardens nestled in a neighborhood where streets are lined by trees that arch to form a single verdant canopy. On each side of us, mansions overlooked their exuberant gardens. The still air infusing this place embraced us — replacing any residual stress with serenity — while we pedaled up and down the undulating foothills that cradle this city. I’m truly thankful for our Thanksgiving.

But even in the Great SoCal the weather does eventually fluctuate. Today, the clouds arrived and we felt the moisture of a few meager raindrops. The temperature plummeted to 68 degrees. This, I think, made everyone run inside, throw on parkas and cuddle up by a roaring fire. Or maybe a TV.

My friends who couldn’t do that were stuck at work. I worry about them. All week they bustle about in cramped cubicles and offices. What’s worse, every day they breathe recycled air — a stagnant draft sharing the viruses their office-mates bring in from the region’s schools. I know about this because I used to be one of them. I enjoyed the work, but I wasn’t so happy with the cubicle farm that held us captive alongside three people coughing up their lungs. Now, I think about my friends I left behind. How can they put some fresh, healthy oxygen into their blood? All I can do is wish this for my friends:

Fresh air.

So, to my friends and to everyone stuck indoors this winter, please take my advice. Find a path and ride it. Hop on your Pedego if you have one. Or stop by our shop and rent a bike for the afternoon. Sure, it’s good for my shop. But it’s even better for you — for your health, your sanity, your relationships and your simple enjoyment of life. The grand outdoors doesn’t cease to exist because the weather turns cool. Rather, the paths open up with fewer crowds, the beaches present dramatic, pristine vistas, and the fresh breeze renews and invigorates your body. Put on a comfortable coat and join me.  We’ll enjoy the sights and sounds of the season together.

See you on the bike path…