riding as a Michelin girl-vent

Okay, I know that us Houston Texas gals are hot house flowers and shouldn't complain, but in all honesty it is not that it is cold around here, but that last week I was riding in the 80's and yesterday I was riding in the 50's and next week it will be up in the 70's again so it's mostly that my body doesn't have time to ease into the changes but on my ride today I felt like the Michelin girl. I had on a sleevless wool underlayer, a thick long sleeved jersey, armwarmers, bike shorts and long thermal tights, a wind vest, medium duty cold weather gloves, wool socks, a buff around my neck and up over my head, a wool head band, and regular bike shoes rather than sandals. We started out in the mid 40 's and ended in the upper 50's and I was still feeling cool, not warm. My other plaint is that all that extra stuff makes my already less than graceful getting off the bike a downright clown act.

I love the cold weather, really I do, but I do wish that it would ease down in temps over a couple of weeks and then stay low for awhile so that I could get used to it rather than this stupid roller coaster temps.

ust another of lifes challenges I guess. thaks for listening,now return to your normal progeramming.

Pfff...you call that rollercoastering? For weeks it's been up and down from the 30s - 50s here in MI. On Sunday it was in the low-70s here (I forgot about sunscreen and actually got some pink spots during our CX race. Shouldn't have to think about sunblock in mid-Nov., but I loved it). On Monday we had snow, I sh!t you not. Of course, everyone is sick. This kind of weather seems to get viruses going nuts...and allergens.

I did a mountain bike race a few years ago where the temps started at 20 degrees and finished in 50+ degrees. It's always challenging dealing with the changing weather conditions. One of the things I do to help cut down on bulky layers is that I put toe warmers in my bra. It makes a huge difference. I would imagine you could also put some in your sleeves too. I also put toe warmers in my shoes. I'm kind of a toe-warmer freak.

Tis the season for drastic temperature changes!

Your post reminds me of when I lived in New Orleans. People thought 40 degrees was cold. It cracked me up to see how they bundled up for what I considered jacket weather. I will say that the humidity made it feel colder than it was.

I don't know how you even get on the bike wearing all of those clothes. Maybe if the weather settles down, you will get used to the cooler temps. I do wonder if you are wearing too many clothes and making yourself sweat, which then makes you cold. For example, a couple weeks ago I went riding in the high 30s. After about 25 miles, I stopped at a cafe and got some hot chai. That allowed my sweat to cool, but not dry. When I got back on the bike and the wind hit me, I was freezing.

Limewave, toe warmers in the bra? I never would have thought of that.

Since moving to Texas in 99 I've become a complete wimp. It gets below 60 and I think I'm freezing. I hate cold weather.


We took the road safety class last Sunday and I thought that wind was going to blow us right off the bikes. I figured it made it more entertaining for the instructor while we practiced emergency stops etc.