At Godspeed Bicycles, we respect precision—whether it’s in bike geometry, gear ratios, or historical nerdery. And few things in history have been as awkwardly adjusted, shuffled, and misunderstood as February.
The Month With a Past as Twisty as a Mountain Descent
First off, February wasn’t always second. When Numa Pompilius added it to the Roman calendar in 700 B.C., it was actually the last month of the year. Yep—February was the weird little caboose of the calendar train, lingering at the back, probably getting dropped in group rides. It only moved up nearly 200 years later when the Romans decided it deserved a more “serious” placement—like a cyclist suddenly jumping into the A-group despite not being able to hold his line.
And why is it so short? Well, the Romans hated even numbers (superstitions, you know), so Numa made every month 29 days long… except for poor February, which got stuck with 28. (That’s like designing a high-end race bike and then giving it one low-budget component just for the drama.)
Then came Julius Caesar, rolling in like a race organizer trying to fix a broken results system. He introduced the Julian Calendar and tried to line things up with the solar seasons. Nice try, Julius. But it still wasn’t perfect, so later we got the Gregorian Calendar, which brought us leap years—aka the “bonus mileage” rule for the month of February.
Imbolc: February’s Best-Kept Secret
But wait—February isn’t just about chaotic calendar math. It also holds Imbolc, celebrated on February 1, marking the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In other words, it’s the “Hold tight, we’re almost there” moment of the seasons. Ancient Celts lit fires, welcomed renewal, and basically threw a mid-winter pregame for spring.
And honestly? We get it. February is that deep-winter grind where you start dreaming about dry roads, tailwinds, and sunshine. It’s the base miles of the calendar year—necessary, not always fun, but absolutely crucial for what’s ahead.
February and Godspeed: A Shared Spirit of Adaptation
Just like February, Godspeed Bicycles loves breaking tradition and rewriting the rules. The second month of the year refused to settle for mediocrity, got shuffled around, made exceptions, and ended up defining its own space. Sound familiar? That’s exactly how we approach design, branding, and the pursuit of performance.
So whether you’re counting down the days until spring riding, celebrating Imbolc with fire and renewal, or just trying to figure out how time works, remember—February has been reinventing itself for over 2,000 years. And at Godspeed, we like to think we’re doing the same.
#GodspeedApproved #FebruaryTheRebel #ShortMonthBigEnergy #SpringIsComing
