New Year's Eve rides!!

[SouthernBelle]

The temp was about 32 F according to the TV weather, so I piled on the layers. For the bottom half, the plan was ativa tight, then shorts, then my fleece tights. Top = ativa undershirt, merino sweater, windproof jacket.

As I set out, I realized I had left out a step, no shorts! So no chamois. I decided to keep going to see how it felt.

My legs were rather dead. But the sun was shining and I wasn't cold. In fact I worked up a sweat. So it was a lovely, though short ride. I stopped by a friends' house for a chat. Drivers were polite. So I only did 15 miles, but pleasant ones.

[RoadRaven]

So Belle... how were the 15 miles sans chamois?

[SouthernBelle]

I forgot to say, didn't I. :p

OK. No pain. It felt a little odd. But it was rather nice not having the girly bits all encased in chamois. When I get my saddle back (Meg & I traded for a bit to see how we liked each other's), I think it would be OK. I think it would really work with a good fitting cut-out saddle. I plan to keep trying it.

It has me wondering what kind of shorts I could wear sans chamois in the summer.

[RoadRaven]

So thats about 25km sans chamois...

Hmmm. I don't know if I would like to go that long without one...

Whatever shorts you choose if you decide to keep riding without a chamois, I would suggest looking for ones with as little/few seams as possible in the crotch area. That is the biggest bonus of a chamois for me.

[sundial]

Southern, it's interesting that you tried a chamois-less ride. I've been riding with an unpadded tight on my mtb and I've not had any soreness. I'm wondering what it would feel like wearing it while on my road bike.

I believe Terry is going to have an unpadded short for Spring 2008.

As for my New Year's Eve ride, I went back to the state park where I had my bad endo and rode on the trails for an hour or so. It was so nice to have closure for 2007. :)

[SouthernBelle]

Sundial, I plan to keep playing with it. I was also thinking about some type of compression short, UA or similar. In the cold I often wear my tights under my shorts and have had no problem with seams.

[sundial]

Yeah, I'd like to try it too! I've heard if you find the right saddle, you could go chamois free. :)

[Melalvai]

It was SO cold, but I got a wheel with a generator hub, and a dynolight, for christmas, and I'd finally gotten it all put together on my bike. I was dying to try it out. Last time I was on the Katy trail at night, I had woefully inadequate lighting. That was my first (and only so far) century. Well, I wasn't going to do a century, but I wanted to see the light on the trail.

It was amazing!! I felt comfortable going as fast as if it were daylight. Of course, the snow & ice lingering on the trail slowed me down a bit, but if it hadn't been for that I'm sure I could have flown along.

Except for one other thing that slowed me down: drag from the generator. I don't mind it, because I'm not out to win races, just to have a good time, and the more handicaps & obstacles, the more fun I seem to have. However, that 10 mile ride left me with sore muscles, the first time I've had sore muscles since I got serious about bike commuting!

I just couldn't believe how that light lit up the trail. I kept stopping and starting again just to see it go. I'm so tired of dealing with batteries, and I feel bad about how many batteries I go through, the cost to me and to the environment. I'll still have to keep a blinkie on but...if I had this, and a downlow glow, I'd be set!

Too bad I couldn't ride in today. It was well below my personal temperature cutoff of 20F (it was 9F). But tomorrow promises to be warmer, and my evening commute will be much brighter than it has been! There are a couple streets in particular that have no street lights, and it will be awesome to see where I'm going for a change!

[SouthernBelle]

Those hubs sound so cool, but just not in the budget right now.