First ride of the season is usually brutal for me. As far as I can tell it's because I'm tensed up and it takes a little while to find that groove. Once I can relax and not have that death-grip on the bars I can go for hours.
Stretching seems to help, but I usually don't remember until the cramps set in.
(worst case scenario: severe hand cramps, full bladder, stuck zipper. That's when you find out who your REAL friends are!)
