Today winter is officially that little bit closer.

Not wanting to cast a negative tone over this blog post before I’ve even got typing, but with today being the autumn equinox, the moment in the calendar when the days and nights are of equal length, it means the summer is now over. Done and dusted.

The autumn equinox happens when the sun falls directly over the earth’s equator and days and nights are of the same duration. The exact time of this lining up of the sun and equator occurs at 3.09am on Thursday 23 September.

It means is the sun rises ever later in the mornings and the sun sets earlier each evening. Unless you’ve had your eyes closed you’ll undoubtedly have noticed the nights drawing in. Quite rapidly over the last couple of weeks, it would seem. Lights are now a necessary essential for post-work evening rides.

As well as the diminishing daylight that today marks, there’s also the dip in the temperature. The last couple of days there have been an chilly edge to the morning air when jumping on the bike for the commute to the office. Now I can no longer survive in summer clothing, and long sleeve tops, three-quarters and more have been pulled out of storage to fend off the cold.

This change of seasons is ideal for reflection. Take a moment before the winter arrives and reminisce on the long hazy summer days, and prepare for the autumn. It’s been an odd year: one of the coldest winters in decades, a patchy summer that peaked with a heat wave in June and a soggy August. But, once again, September is emerging as the silver lining, a last gasp of dry and sunny weather.

I’ve been making the most of it. Getting up before dark and heading out on the bike to take in the full magnitude of the autumn sunrises. The countryside is changing colour. A multitude of hues as the leaves change colour and gradually begin their fall to the ground. Squirrels busy themselves collecting nuts, the prickly cases of conkers litter the long grass.

There’s much to look forward to. Those rare blue sky days, riding along country lanes with the sun breaking through the trees, taking that first deep lungful of crisp cold air when stepping outside togged up in your warmest cycle clothing. Swapping the race bike for the winter bike with its mudguards, for some there’s the approaching cyclo-cross season to focus attention upon, for others a period of slowing down, enjoying the ride after a season of road races and sportives.

Autumn is a season of calm, winding down for the winter. Whatever your approach, make sure you savour every moment and make the most of it. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.