Winter Riding

[Stellar1]

Hi Out There:
Does anyone ride in the winter?

I just spent three weeks in the TX Hill Country (what they call hills) and rented a bike. The riding is good, yes there are hills, and pleanty of back roads. I think it's pretty in the spring or fall, but now, pretty gray.

I rode here yesterday, 44 degrees when I got home. I don't see very many other riders and no women. Do we all go to the gym or are any of you riding? My Sunday ride was out Lake Francis to 244th and back to Renton. Cold, but good and a beautiful clear day.

Stellar1

[lauraelmore1033]

I do! I do!
Lots of rainy and cold miles because we're training for a couple of pretty challenging tours this spring and summer. I've put in about 350 miles for the year so far, but I'm sure there are others with much more.

[redrhodie]

Lots of us ride all winter. I kicked it up a notch this year by getting studded tires, which have been a godsend on all the ice we've had. I love riding at this time of year. It's so much more peaceful than summer, when the tourists arrive.

[kfergos]

Yep, lots of us are out there in the wintertime! You're not alone!

[jelee1311]

I'm currently trying to convince myself it would be a good idea to go out and ride again today because we are going to get snow this afternoon and I don't have spiky snow tires. I'm being a wimp cause its cccccold and my toes and knees didn't like the ride last night.I ride all winter except in snow(cause I'm not that tough)I love it !

[AppleTree]

We did the Chilly Hilly last Sunday...and that definitely counts as a "winter ride" even though we weren't expecting it to SNOW halfway through... wow, were we ever cold at the end, waiting for the ferry to take us back to Seattle. I was happy with my layers though, two base layers, one sleeveless and one long sleeve. A thermal jersey...a Canari windbreaker jacket, a balaclava AND earwarmers. Plus I had gone the day before and bought some really heavy duty winter gloves, I was so glad I did. I did bring along a few of those air activated hand and feet warmers, just in case though!

I was really quite comfortable most of the ride. Was really an experience though. One of those fine and pleasant miserys you don't totally enjoy at the time but are glad to say you did it afterwards!

[Eden]

I ride all winter long... out there on team rides pretty much every weekend barring ice on the roads.

Around here you'll see a drop in the number of riders out on weekends about now because racing season has begun and a good number of us are off to them... (of course last weeks season opener was snowed out!)

[kfergos]

Around here you'll see a drop in the number of riders out on weekends about now because racing season has begun and a good number of us are off to them... (of course last weeks season opener was snowed out!)I was wondering about last week's race, with the weather. Frostbite, indeed. Today as so different it's hard to believe it's only been a week.

[Eden]

I was wondering about last week's race, with the weather. Frostbite, indeed. Today as so different it's hard to believe it's only been a week.

It was interesting.... it was *fine* in Seattle, but the race was up in Snohomish..... About 3/4 of the way there it started to snow..... by the time we got there it was starting to stick on the ground... After someone fell and bloodied his face in the parking lot the whole thing was called. By the time we got to Woodinville - no more snow...

Today was much, much nicer :)

[Stellar1]

I'm off again this afternoon to ride as far as I can, probably Lake Francis Road and out to Issaquah-Hobart and back to Renton.

Glad to see I'm not alone. I ski also so try to ride when it isn't raining and ski when the conditions are good at Stevens, i.e recently when it's not snowing too hard. Glad to be able to do two sports I love.

See you on the trail/road/slopes.

Stellar 1

[radacrider]

I've been commuting all winter (since Jan 1, when work office moved), for a current 600 miles (Portland, OR). Lot's of rain, some cold, some cold wind, a few nice sunny days, some hail, some hint of wet snow. I guess a little of everything. Don't do much other than commuting, at the moment, though our Sunday Parkways will be coming up and a co-worker wants to start doing some midday rides.