My final ride for 2008? . . . perhaps.

On a Monday afternoon that saw near-record temperatures throughout Chicagoland, I elected to take a half day off from work to ride what could be my last bicycle ride of the season. Even if I ride again in '08, it will undoubtedly be with extra layers of clothing, none of which were needed today as the mercury climbed well into the 70s, cooled somewhat by moderate breezes. Today, I rode for nearly two hours until the onset of twilight, which now comes well before 5 p.m. On my final warm weather ride, I chose to combine two of my favorite routes for a total of 25.6 miles.

On this beautiful day, as I rode through the villages of Bartlett, Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Roselle, and Bloomingdale, I reflected upon my 2008 cycling season. I recalled its start -- just days after my 50th birthday -- when I enthusiastically pedaled along the streets of Anna Maria Island on winter days that would normally be spent indoors. I also recalled the transcendent qualities of my first ever "Bike the Drive," which still puts a smile on my face as I remember the sensation of cycling along skyscraper-studded Lake Shore Drive. I also recalled my "50 at 50" ride in July, when I accomplished another personal milestone that I had planned for this special year. But most of all, I reflected on my overall accomplishment -- the sheer number of rides, the sheer number of hours, the sheer number of miles. My "end of season report" will summarize all of these statistics later this month.

One milestone that occurred on this ride was reaching the 2,000 mile mark -- the total mileage that I have accumulated since purchasing my Trek bicycle in March, 2007. When I also factor in the mileage ridden on my Florida rental bike, my two-season "One for All" mileage grows to 2,108.5.