December riding (outdoors), anyone?

[emily_in_nc]

I know most of the US is socked in with snow, ice, and bitter-cold arctic temps, and I feel for those who are experiencing it. We got away from KC just time before this latest arctic blast came through. It was 5F there this morning with -6 windchill. But now we are on the southern North Carolina coast and loving it! We did just have a cold front pass through today (it's down to 50 now with a chilly north breeze and drizzle), but the past three days were great. Highs in the upper 60s and some fine, flat road riding on almost-deserted roads since it's low season here.

Here are a few photos. So nice to wear shorts and short-sleeves in December! And to be retired so we can ride on nice days and not be limited to weekends. I'm very fortunate and thankful.

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Anyone else in either the US or other countries getting to ride outdoors in December?

[lph]

Shorts and short sleeves? Are you kidding me??

Yeah, I'm riding. Winter jacket, lobster gloves, studded tires, wool buff, winter shoes. As long as I don't get wet snow I'm ok :-)

[ny biker]

I don't know how I'll do it, but I really need to figure out a way to get a second home/retirement home in a place like NC or somewhere else where it's warmer in the winter.

I was thisclose to riding outside today. I had a route all mapped out, 29 miles long with two short cuts in case I got too cold, and was even going to post it as a club ride in the hopes of having a few companions. The forecast looked like we'd have some sun and temps in the low 40s. But then they added a 15 mph wind from the NW to the forecast, with wind chills in the 30s, so I decided not to do it. I'm still trying to figure out how to stay warm when it's above 40 with no wind.

I should have warmer tights soon, in a few weeks at the latest. That should help me get outside again.

[Crankin]

Same thing happened to me, NY Biker. I went for a good run, instead, and then felt pissed I didn't ride. But, my street was still wet, and there was salt around. I was more concerned with the probability of ice on the sides of the road, since that's what got my friend when he broke his hip.
It's colder today, but, I *have* to get outside and ride. I have all of the gear. I've just lost the will. But, it's making me cranky, even though I'm exercising. Once it snows, I focus on nordic skiing and snow shoeing and I don't feel so cranky.

[ny biker]

Crankin, what do you do to keep your face warm during cold outdoor exercise? I hate that cold clammy feeling from having any kind of fabric in front of my mouth. Have you found a way to prevent that, or at least minimize it?

[Crankin]

I just came back from an 8.5 mile ride. It's 31 degrees and cloudy. No wind, though. I am always nervous about wearing my PI Amfib gloves, as they feel like they are too bulky to shift. My go to solution is wear my wool glove liners under my regular full fingered gloves, with a chemical heater in between the layers. It didn't work today, and that's why the ride was so short. NY, today I had on my Terry fleece balaclava, which I have never worn for the entirety of a ride without having to remove it, because I get so sweaty. Not today. I don't pull it up over my mouth, as I tend to feel claustrophobic from that. Although, today, I did for the 1.2 miles down the hill when I started.
Not sure why I felt so cold. I was wearing my Ibex tights, wool x country ski socks, winter shoes with chemical heaters (my feet were fine), a Craft base layer and Craft thermal LS jersey and a heavy duty Assos jacket. I also think it's because I haven't been riding outside on a regular basis. The cold seems to be bothering me in a more general way, I think because we had a warm November and then it got freezing, not in a gradual way. I won't turn into one of those people who complain about it, though, as I am not going back to AZ! Once it snows, I am fine, because I love my winter pursuits. We brought the Kuotas in, to put on the trainers, and any outdoor riding will be done on the Gurus. I feel good now, that I was outside for 45 minutes and I am going to stretch.

[Becky]

Our forecasted "coating to an inch" of snow turned into more like 8" of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. So DH and I went for a night ride on the SS MTBs. That was the hardest 3 miles I've ever done- such wet, heavy, deep snow! When we weren't riding on snow, we were riding on icy, slushy stuff. Either way, hard work. I can, however, vouch for the fact that Shimano winter boots are absolutely awesome- just one pair of socks, no toe warmers, and no liners, and my feet were warm and dry at 30 F in the snow. (Oh, and clipless pedals suck in the snow, but y'all knew that already.)

[Donna1960]

I rode 34-1/2 miles and it was 29F...no wind though. I would have went further but my feet were cold. An ultracyclist who rides centuries November through February as well as other events told me to invest in neoprene socks and goretex socks which fit in most cycling shoes. Might be a Christmas present to myself. I will ride here in upstate NY until there is snow on the ground..

[SheFly]

Indeed! I've ridden outdoors every day in December despite frigid temps, and today, snow! Of course, some of that is racing (just finished our big CX series here this weekend), but much is training. Here's a [blurry - I took it through a ziploc bag] pic of first tracks on the way to the chiropractor this morning :D

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Happy riding!

SheFly

[emily_in_nc]

You gals rock! I am a weather weenie and generally won't ride unless it's in the 50s. I don't have the gear for riding in much colder temps, and I am easily chilled. After posting photos of our rides in shorts the first three days here at the Carolina coast, it turned rainy and much cooler, so we haven't been out for a couple of days. Today is slowly warming up and fog lifting but looks like an afternoon ride will be doable. I hope so!

[ny biker]

You gals rock! I am a weather weenie and generally won't ride unless it's in the 50s. I don't have the gear for riding in much colder temps, and I am easily chilled. After posting photos of our rides in shorts the first three days here at the Carolina coast, it turned rainy and much cooler, so we haven't been out for a couple of days. Today is slowly warming up and fog lifting but looks like an afternoon ride will be doable. I hope so!

In past years my minimum temp for outdoor rides was 50. That was largely due to asthma problems with cold air -- it's no fun when it hurts to breathe. But the asthma seems better than it was some years ago, at least in terms of cold weather, so I'm trying to get comfortable with temps down to 40. If I can manage that, I'll see if I can go lower.

So far I'm finding that you can accomplish a lot by layering jerseys, regular windbreakers and vests. It's the legs and extremities that need special clothing, at least for me.

[thekarens]

I won't ride in less than 50. I just don't tolerate the cold at all.

And this is why http://yestotexas.com/10-reasons-texans-hate-cold-weather/

Just a little Texas humor :)

[marni]

I won't ride in less than 50. I just don't tolerate the cold at all.

And this is why http://yestotexas.com/10-reasons-texans-hate-cold-weather/

Just a little Texas humor :)

After living in Northern Europe for almost 20 years and being able to cope wearing only a thick wool sweater, hat and gloves, having to put on extra layers here in Texas when it gets cold gets aggravating. Yes it goes to show how thin my blood has become , how much body fat I have lost , and how many years I have added but it is still aggravating.

Fortunately I have a lot of wool under layers and a gore tech outer layer which helps, but it is still bloody cold- I refuse to let it stop me, I will do cold and wind or cold and rain but not all three, and it always a grind and miserable, but it makes the after ride beer that much sweeter and as the song goes
" that which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Molecules in motion may last longer."

[emily_in_nc]

I could ride in temps < 50; after all, I do have wool socks, nice tights, fleece outerwear, and full-fingered gloves, but truth be told, I just find it too hard to get motivated to head out when it's really cold. And so often those lower temps bring even colder winds -- not much I can do to keep my face warm. I think winter is nature's way of reminding us that life isn't all about cycling. I like hiking and walking -- and reading! -- more in the winter.

I did finally make it out today, but the ride was much shorter than I'd planned. It was so incredibly foggy I didn't dare go out until the fog lifted at around 3 pm. By then the sun was trying to peak through, and the temp had risen to 60! So I donned my bike clothes (tights and windbreaker over shorts and long-sleeve jersey) and headed out. Felt great at first, but when I turned around to head in the opposite direction of our loop here, I realized that the fog was rolling back in -- and it was getting chilly! I went as far as I felt safe, but when it got to the point that I couldn't see cars because my glasses were so fogged, I didn't want to take any chances on them not being able to see me, so I ended up with only 37 minutes of riding. Pffffft!

It's always something, I guess. Not used to dealing with the type of pea-soup fog we're getting lately at the NC coast. :(

[OakLeaf]

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[Owlie]

That looks...chilly.

In theory, I could ride outside. However, it's finals week, so I'm stuck inside bashing my head against the wall. :( I'm going to try to get a ride in this weekend, though.

[rebeccaC]

I stop doing photo ride reports on another site this time of year in empathy with those who can't ride in 60-70+ winter weather :)

[marni]

todays' ride started out at 30 degrees with winds at NNE at 12 mph and ended at two hours later at 40 degrees with winds 15 NNE with gusts to 20-25. 32 miles about did me in. This Texas resident is ready for some warmer weather. On the other hand it was finally sunny.

[SheFly]

Here's a link (http://couchingtiger.blogspot.com/2013/12/nightime-fun-in-snow.html)to last night's ride. Temps weren't too terrible - started at 30 and was down to about 28 when we got home. Tonight's CX practice is going to be a different story - temps are only in the teens! Sounds like we will be racing in frigid temps and possibly a snowstorm this weekend...

SheFly

[pll]

Here's a link (http://couchingtiger.blogspot.com/2013/12/nightime-fun-in-snow.html)to last night's ride. Temps weren't too terrible - started at 30 and was down to about 28 when we got home. Tonight's CX practice is going to be a different story - temps are only in the teens! Sounds like we will be racing in frigid temps and possibly a snowstorm this weekend...

SheFly

Brrr. Raced CX last Saturday and the wind chills were in the teens. It's painful to breathe, and I felt clumsy the entire race. And this weekend, temperatures may be single digits (high of 16 for the day, wind at 14mph; snow flurries).

[SheFly]

Brrr. Raced CX last Saturday and the wind chills were in the teens. It's painful to breathe, and I felt clumsy the entire race. And this weekend, temperatures may be single digits (high of 16 for the day, wind at 14mph; snow flurries).

I feel your cold! We have already had some frigid racing here too. Our Regional Championship race was 18 degrees with a windchill of 6! I couldn't feel my hands or feet (good thing it was a SSCX race!). The following weekend I did a race with a starting temp of 10. The following day, temps were warmer, but the course was covered in ice...

But we LOVE it, right? :D

SheFly

[pll]

I feel your cold! We have already had some frigid racing here too. Our Regional Championship race was 18 degrees with a windchill of 6! I couldn't feel my hands or feet (good thing it was a SSCX race!). The following weekend I did a race with a starting temp of 10. The following day, temps were warmer, but the course was covered in ice...

But we LOVE it, right? :D

SheFly

Oh, yeah. It's fun, in a strange way. It took me several hours to warm up after the race - I felt my core was cold. Then I was exhausted. In a previous race with very cold weather, I crashed out, having slid on frozen mud/grass at full speed. *Ouch*. That was 3 weeks ago and I still have big bruises from that.

[Pax]

Our streets are solid ice and the temps are single digits, so no rides here.

My wife and I are researching places to retire and a longer riding season is one of the criteria!

[ridebikeme]

It's cold here as well adn about to get much colder. I may get to commute to work on the FATBIKE, but without studded tires, I will be back on the trainer as well.

Stay warm everyone!

[SheFly]

YIKES! On Weds this week we went out on the CX bikes for our regular practice. It was a bit snowy with ice underneath in places. You had to be pretty careful, and one of the women in our group did end up hitting the deck pretty hard. Still managed a full practice, and I stayed upright.

Today is another story! All of that must have had enough sun during the days to melt some, and is now a giant ice sluice. DH and I just went to do openers for our races this weekend, and it was downright scary and dangerous! We opted to go out and do spin intervals on the road instead - much safer!

So, still riding! Racing tomorrow with a storm coming in. Question on whether Sunday's race will actually happen (we're supposed to get a foot, and the race is in CT where the storm is supposed to end with freezing rain and ice - racing is fine, but getting there and back might not be). After today, I think our CX riding is done for the year - at least around here! The pending snow will be good for the fat bikes though! :D

SheFly

[ridebikeme]

Ohhh have fun this weekend Shefly!

Still riding outside here in Maine as well, although only on the Fatbike. THe trails are nothing but lots of ice, so hopefully the snow will cover all that with a good covering and it's time ot either buy/make some studded tires.

[SheFly]

Ridebikeme - see your PMs!

SheFly

[Veronica]

We rode on Sunday - shorts and a lightweight long sleeve Ibex shirt. :) 7.5 miles with 1500 feet of climbing and descending. I think it was about 55 degrees.

Thom got anew bike - a Black Friday deal on an Ibis like mine. He's thrilled. It's nice to float over all the divots made by the cows.

Veronica

[SheFly]

Sweet! So glad to hear that Thom got a nice new ride too.

We went out on the fat bikes on Monday night after our 9 inches of snow on the weekend. Temps were in the teens starting out, but falling quickly (into the single digits - it was 0 here Tuesday morning). We mostly rode on the plowed bike path, but did find some trail that had been packed enough by walkers that was totally rideable. We got another 6 or more inches of snow last night, so I think it will be x-coutry skiing tonight! Looking to try to get in some fat biking up in ME over the holiday break, though!

SheFly

[marni]

I could call today's ride a strip tease ride. It started out at 30 degrees so I was in Texas mode cold weather with wool under layer, short sleeved jersey, long sleeved jersey, wind vest, shorts, tights ,glove liners and regular gloves and wool socks. The ride was two hours and ended in 70 degree sun. I ended riding in my short sleeved jersey, unzipped and flapping, my tights rolled up above my shorts, glove liners, wind vest, glove liners and wool socks stuffed into my back pockets. I looked like a humped back troll but it was a beautiful day otherwise.

[Crankin]

It warmed up to a balmy 33 yesterday. I went x country skiing.

[shootingstar]

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=53024 See that photo in this link? That was Sunday when I last rode.

I didn't trust the freezing.
Then yesterday we got sacked with another snowstorm the whole day. However during gently drifting snow, dearie tried out his new studded tires for a grand total of 18 km. of slow riding.

It's -30 degrees C with wind chill this morning. I walked..with my snowshoeing gear to work onto LRT. We going to the mountains for a few days..

[ny biker]

It's 60 here right now and probably nearing 70 this weekend. Of course I have to work today and this weekend I am busy with holiday/family events. No fair!!!

[Sky King]

With the cold, inversion (yucky) and my Dad passing last week a unanimous decision was reached last night. We are driving to Death Valley on Monday and hope that Christmas finds
us in a beautiful desert spot under the stars. Temp in the 60's so not toasty but better than 15!

[Pax]

Sounds wonderful Sky King, safe travels.

[Catrin]

Have fun Sky King, what a great idea! It is supposed to actually be in the 50's here tomorrow (57 today). But, of course, temps like that in Indiana this time of the year also normally means rain. A lot of it, they say at least.

[Crankin]

Same here. I saw a lot of cyclists today, but, with melting snow and no fenders, it held no desire for me. I went snow shoeing. The snow was heavy and it was quite a workout.

[Catrin]

Same here. I saw a lot of cyclists today, but, with melting snow and no fenders, it held no desire for me. I went snow shoeing. The snow was heavy and it was quite a workout.

It was certainly warm enough here to ride yesterday - just under 60!!!! That, of course, meant lots of snow melt, and it was almost dark when I was free. It was good to see all of the riders though - I've been seeing more and more riding on very high speed local corridors however. I wouldn't consider those in the BEST of weather, but with snow and ice on the pavement?

[emily_in_nc]

We've been continuing to ride here at Ocean Isle Beach (NC), but all of our rides recently had been in tights and jackets until yesterday. It warmed into the upper 60s, and though it was cloudy, it was great to get out in shorts in December once again! Looks like two more days of warmth and then back to typical December temps for here (40s and 50s with a good number of clouds and some showers). I certainly can't complain considering the weather so many are facing right now.

[Veronica]

Another beautiful day here.

http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Bicycles/Ibis-Mojo-SLR/i-LZbLgM4/0/L/P1060695-L.jpg

http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Bicycles/Ibis-Mojo-SLR/i-G3HfktX/0/L/P1060699-L.jpg

Thom's new bike.


Veronica

[thekarens]

Gorgeous, both the weather and bike!

[marni]

how windy wa it today? 12.5 mph going into the wind, 23 mph going with the wind. 42 miles in 3:30. At least the temperature was moderate and the sun was shining.

[rebeccaC]

nice images Veronica….luv the landscape up there!! its been two weeks since a weekend ride for me. thought i was just meeting a friend for breakfast at the sunday farmers market this morning and it turned into a 52 mile ride south on the beach path to some climbing in Palos Verdas and back with her. Nice peaceful day of good companionship, exercise and a good lunch with a friend….

[Becky]

I finished 2013 with a bang: 126 miles in 3 days of riding (spread over 4 days), 2 of which were 35 degrees or less. The New Year's Eve ride happened at 7am, starting in the near-dark, with temps in the low 20s and not warming up much over the course of 44 miles. But I made my goal for the year :D

[ridebikeme]

Just finished a short ride for my first ride IN 2014. We're starting to receive the snow that many of you are already receiving, but it was WONDERFUL to be out!!