Woman in the mirror, Crash aftermath!

Top 5 reasons why autumn is something 
to celebrate not dread. 

1. Wardrobe - if you're anything like me when it rained a tiny bit during summer you decided you couldn't possibly stand getting wet and it was too warm to wear anything other than some new waterproof shorts you would buy. The new  shorts haven't seen the light of day since the first wear as the rain vanished again. Now is the time to crack out that worthwhile investment, you may even discover like me that you're doing well with your weight loss and that the half a stone you lost is now noticeable! Autumn also means a decline in temperature, no more short sleeve jerseys and super light shorts, you need to rotate your wardrobe again so the base layers are at the top, your nice DH shorts can be worn again without passing out from heat and the one piece lycra tights are almost wearable again!

2. Tyres - after struggling for a lot of last winter using high roller 2's with indecision about which tyres to get for my Bronson and regular trails, i ignored advice and my OH treated me to a pair of magic marys for my birthday in January. They're the single best autumn/winter tyre I've ever tried! They're nice and wide with a beefy tread so no loss of grip on bends or drier patches of trails and in thick mud they're phenomenal. When and if they lose grip, instead of snaking like the high rollers would, they hold their line and just spin out in such a controlled manner that you're left in no doubt about whether you'll stay upright. The return of autumn means it's time to crack open the tyre shed and fit them again, I can now cackle my way down trails again!

3. No more being mistaken for a self harmer - despite buying a battery powered trimmer and doing at least four trips round our local trail to keep the brambles and nettles at bay we still inevitably got cut to shreds. It's okay for all those hairy legged blokes who have natural camouflage but we women have no option, correction no socially acceptable option! I lost count of the amount of times this year when I wore shorts or crops to work and heard someone exclaim 'look at the state of your legs!' Tip for you, when retorting with 'look at the state of your face' make sure you select your audience carefully, it's not acceptable to do this when someone paid three times more than you is the audience!

4. Rain - yes the return of autumn inevitably means it's going to rain. You might as well resign yourself to that conclusion as let's face it if you're like me and live in England you've slowly come to the realisation that rain is a part of life. Alternatively do what 50% of bikers do and hide indoors meaning those committed amongst us can now enjoy nice quiet trails with nobody to bother us. I ride mostly local trails for 70% of the year and through autumn and winter most of that percentage is achieved. The rain on our local trails almost acts like a reset button, what were once passable lines are now washed away or covered in slop, any skid ruts created over summer now take on a whole new life and the forest and my usual route takes on a whole new life which you have to spend time discovering to get the best out of your ride. 

5. Winter is coming - you can start charging those lights as winter means the inevitable night rides are approaching, don't worry if when you're riding along you hear a strange jangling behind you. It's not some ghoul set to attack you from the under growth, it's merely Ziva equipped her night riding bell so I can pin point her position. Ground that has been reset by the rain will now freeze and you can make the monumental decision of whether that frozen puddle is really frozen enough to sustain your weight or whether that sloppy line is really firm enough for you to make it. Surviving will be a huge achievement and the alternative will simply be hilarious. 

I could easily list 15 reasons why I hate autumn and why it's a terrible shame that summer has finally vanished but the one thing that is inevitable is time, it flows past us as at uncontrollable rate. I can't change what's happened in the past and I can't change the fact that summer has gone but I can change the future and I can change my attitude about the future. If you can't find any positive reasons for autumn coming and the fact that you can go biking in it then hang up your biking shoes for another 6 months. It won't affect those of us who to continue to enjoy riding and stay those of us who stay positive, we'll just enjoy it more!!