Amost like I'm a junior again

Originally, I'd thought to write a post with the title "Free Fairing Free" in excitement that I removed the cardboard wind deflector from my bike for the last two rides. That is exciting, but then something even better, dare I comment, remarkable, happened.

Thar's bars under that thar cardboard!

Part way through my three years of racing as a junior, once I started finishing toward the front of the field, but before I decided to start finishing further back amungst the adults, a nifty trend developed. During the week, while thinking about bikes, a lot, I'd contemplate buying some new piece of equipment. The next weekend, I'd win it. Suspension? I won a Flexstem. Repair stand? The wall mounted bike hanger I won worked pretty well. Clipless pedals? Yup, that was a good one from winning my only senior intermediate race before upgrading to being beaten by the expert level adults. I might still have the hanger and pedals somewhere.

Earlier this winter, I shared how it was finally time to give up on the mittens I bought in a Vermont thrift store decades ago. Well, it may have been well past time, but I had started using them again with another pair of thin mittens as liners because that was still warmer than the other mittens I had as a replacements. I'd even considered a little more thrift store hunting. Nope, I just needed to ride to Hadley via Route 47 after physical therapy yesterday. A mile after the access to Skinner State Park, and it's happily year round porta-potty, I saw a nicely bulky mitten on the corner of a side street.  

Ooh! Sure, it wasn't highly visible neon yellow like my old, old faithfuls, and that explains why I hadn't originally spotted its mate fifty yards back, a little further into the snow. Yes, being the experienced "roadkill" finder I am, I took the time to circle back and look. Yup, they are nice enough for that effort. No doubt, I could have used them a month ago, but it seems, like me, my uncanny luck is a little older and slower. I wonder how many graying hairs it has lost.

A better picture would've had me wearing one

 and giving a thumps up, 

but they really need a rinse first.