With the days getting shorter and cooler many of the riders that I know are doing everything that they can to squeeze in rides at every opportunity. I am talking about night rides, “sick day” rides, Saturday and Sunday group rides and any other ride type that you can imagine.  This ride at any opportunity plan took a major hit this week though. In the area that I live we had 4 straight days of rain blanket us. Some of the die hards persisted, and their rides were had in the rain. But many riders weren’t feeling the love of riding in cold and wet weather, and they contacted me and asked me what to do with their weeks. I told all of them to take the opportunity in front of them to switch up their routine. I told them to take some time off of their bikes, and not to worry about riding. I told them to use the time to catch up on house projects, bike maintenance, relationship maintenance or anything else that didn’t involve pedaling. Taking time away from the bike at some point in the “offseason” will benefit everyone both physically and mentally. When an opportunity arises that makes taking the time off easy then take advantage of the opportunity. Your body and mind will appreciate the switch.