-8°C

It is Wednesday, around 16:21, the sun is almost gone and we are leaving snowless Olomouc. The urge to go for a ride is greater than any common sense we have. The weather forecast doesn't mean anything either. Nothing can stop us. This was the stoke before the ride although I have a tiny idea how our journey will unfold, but sometimes bad decisions make good memories.

Right from the first pedal, I can feel frozen fingers and think, this is going to alright, I’m gonna make it. At the same time I'm trying to hide it from Pavel, hopefully he won't notice. Just for the record, frozen fingers are probably the worst winter affliction I can think of.

After about ten kilometres, Pavel announces a pee break. Instead of peeing, I do jumping jacks to at least get some warm blood in my hands. To my surprise, it works. I didn't even hope for that. I can literally feel the blood rushing through my veins and into my hands. What a win!

We're flying up the valley, full of smiles as we beat the cold. Smooth road, warm toes, what could possibly go wrong?

Štrasgrunt, our favourite climb, I tell myself, from the gate entrance the road won't be ploughed from the snow and we're screwed. Win again, the road is almost clear, just two ruts from the logging trucks and packed snow is almost like asphalt. As we climb up the valley the snow amount increases and the temperature drops. Degree by degree it stops at -8°C.

Once we reach the top, I am surprised by a cross-country ski track, not a good sign. Our egos won't allow us to turn back, so we continue. Luckily the road is somehow clear from a vehicle with big and wide tires. Road is rideable! Another win. It's actually quite fun to pedal along, which takes our minds and attention away from the fact that it's -8°C. I might call this one a bitter win.

We enter Jívová, the highest point of our ride and that means only one thing, it's downhill time form now on. One minute of tarmac, then some snow, zig zagging along the forest roads and the temperature doesn't change. My fingers are wilting to the point where I don't know if I have them at all. We have to stop and take another round of jumping jacks. My fingers are again flooded with warm blood, I can feel them again. Quickly get on a bike and keep going.

Ten minutes later and I don't know about my fingers. That did not last long. Plus there's a huge puddle in front of us. We have to go around it, and behind it we do a third round of warm-up.

I look at my hands and I'm not sure of the colour, I shine the light on them and they don't seem to have a healthy colour. First problem. Another round of jumping jacks.

We are not that far from home. I hop on my bike to clip into the pedals and find I can't. The water I stepped in while going around the puddle immediately froze and made my cleats icy snowballs. Second problem.

There is no turning back, we have to keep going. Just a short downhill and we are back in Olomouc.

I arrive home and I'm unable to get my keys out and unlock the door. I say, Hey Siri call Romča who opens the door for me and looks at me between the doors with horror in her eyes.

My fingers start to melt, I walk from wall to wall in the room trying to forget the pain. With all this going on, I wonder why we even went? Was it worth it?

Yes, it was! I would never have experienced this at home on the couch. Never regret an experience that arises from a bad experience.