It's that time of year again : (

Well it's that time of year again when I have to move my exercizing in doors and today I go to my first spinning class since March. It is now almost dark when I get home from work, and I can't stand not exercising during the week. So it's that sad time of year when I have to get my fix by going to spinning classes a few days a week. No more fresh air, sunshine and wind in my hair...now it's to the dark windowless, basement-level gym and the tiny SMELLY room with no venitilation for spinning classes. My sad bike will have to wait for the occasional free weekend to be ridden...and even then it's almost time for it to be stored in the basement for the winter. :(

I envy all of you who live in areas where you can ride year round!

Emily

hey cyclechic06

If it is any consolation I too will be moving the cycling indoors probably this weekend:( Last year we got to ride into November but this year it has been dang cold out

My bike will go to the LBS for a tune up then move into my living room on the trainer. (I live alone so I can put it anywhere I want to)

One of the cycle club guys wants to get the regulars together in his basement on Wed nite w/ bikes and trainers and do some group spinning - that would be great AND I wouldn't get DROPPED ! ! !

Hopefully the cyclists will get together to do a little x-country skiing when the snow flies

November is the worst - too cold to bike and no snow to ski :(

I am sorry. You are welcome to come visit me. Cycling can be done almost year round here.

While I agree with you that there isn't enough daylight left to ride after work (without leaving early, that is...), my bikes insist that we should still have many weekends of very rideable (and even comfortable) weather this year.

I also switch to alternate forms of week-day exercise for the our shorter days and upcoming colder weather, but I try to get in weekend bike rides through the fall and even in the winter if the roads are dry. I managed to ride in temperatures to the low 30s last winter, and I'm hoping to continue that habit this year. Here's hoping that the weather wizard gives us a reasonable number of days with dry roads through the winter!

I'm in NY state (upstate), and the riding weather is still wonderful!
Starts out about 30-40 in the morning, it's been sunny and windy and highs around 50-60 ....perfect!
We sometimes go out on our bikes early at about 35-40 degreesF and it's quite invigorating in a good way. You have to have some good layers on (we use several thin merino wool layers mostly, and good tights). They need to be easy to add or remove a bit at a time to regulate your temperature comfort zone.

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

I'm in NY state (upstate), and the riding weather is still wonderful!
Starts out about 30-40 in the morning, it's been sunny and windy and highs around 50-60 ....perfect!

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That's what we're seeing here in the Boston area too. I hope it sticks around for a while because you're right - it is good riding weather. My only complaint is the shorter days!

Denise, I agree, the weekend riding is great. Perfect weather for it. Though I'm not much a cold weather rider, I really can't imagine riding on my bike in 30 degree weather. The only reason I'd be outside for an extended period of time is if there's a snowboard strapped to my feet.

Here's to a winter of lots of snow in the mountains, and little snow anywhere else (yeah, right).

Emily

I hope to ride on the weekends through November. I did get outdoors at least once to ride every month last winter, but it was unusually warm, and there was no snow. Since I can get home early, maybe there's 2 weeks left of after work riding. However, right now I am avoiding leaving work to go to the gym to lift. It's gorgeous out. But, I need a rest from riding and lifting is on my schedule. I do much better going before work.
This is the latest in the year I've ever gone without starting spin indoors. I'm fine once it really gets nasty out, but yes, it's dark (don't know why they think having no lights on is nice), but I like the music and it's fun watching the other people cheat (like having no resistance on their bikes).

I hate the gym, so ride outdoors as long as possible...with lights. This is a depressing time of year though - driving to work in the dark and coming home in the dark - YUCK! The good thing for me is that I have great trails nearby where I can mountain bike after dark, as well as a good 'cross loop - strap light to helmet and off I go. I'll probably still be riding into the winter (hopefully)....

Of course, I do resort to the trainer in the deepest darkest part of the winter too, but I hate every minute of it...

SheFly

I also live in NY and its just as Lisa SH described..It is probably my favorite time to ride. This morning, didn't get the early start that I normally do, it was 27 and frost needed to be scraped from the truck windows..I debated, so I waited and went after lunch. ..I actually prefer to ride first thing in the morning., but still enjoyed the ride just the same. I am hoping to get a few more days before looking at the 4 walls of my tiny exercise room..which the more I spend outside riding, the more I hate indoor fitness. All the more reasons to count down until next years biking season can start..I do however, ride off and on in the winter if the roads are dry and not too sandy/salty.

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Originally Posted by Robyn Maislin

it's fun watching the other people cheat (like having no resistance on their bikes).

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I have to wonder why people do that. I'm guilty of it occasionaly at the end of the work out when I'm exhausted. I mean really...who doesn't give the knob a fake turn every once in a while? But it's the people who aren't even breathing hard that I don't understand. Why on earth would you go to a spinning class if you weren't looking for a work out?

Lights & layers will keep you riding outside through the winter, so long as the road/trail conditions are safe (no ice or snow). A good headlight and taillight, and warm clothes are the key. To be honest, I hate the first few really cold rides when the temps are below freezing, but my body eventually acclimates. You might find yourself really enjoying riding after dark, too. Last year, around the Holidays, it was a treat to ride when folks had their houses decorated with lights. Plus, if you ride trails, you'll usually have it all to yourself or you'll share it with the more experienced, trail savvy folks who know and obey the rules. ;)

its the sweat that astonishes me,the amount of liquid that pours out of me when im on my indoor turbo.........i have to do it topless as i just drip,magnificant skin workout,BUT I ALWAYS PUT DO NOT DISTURB ON THE DOOR!!people hear the music and assume im in and able to open the door,not in that disgusting state:D

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Originally Posted by CycleChic06

I have to wonder why people do that. I'm guilty of it occasionaly at the end of the work out when I'm exhausted. I mean really...who doesn't give the knob a fake turn every once in a while? But it's the people who aren't even breathing hard that I don't understand. Why on earth would you go to a spinning class if you weren't looking for a work out?

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now that explains why i was sweating so much more than everyone else! i never even thought of that. then again i've taken one class before i moved here.

even on the trainer here i try to kick my butt with it so i get a good workout, unless i'm so exausted that i can barely move.

i try to ride outside as much as i can even in the winter. i just add some extra layers to help out.

I have a spare bedroom just waiting for guests. Ahhh yes, this is why I moved from rainy nor cal to sunny AZ. It can get cold in the winter, but nothing under about 26 degrees. And even then it still warms to at least the mid 50's during the day.
Of course while you are out enjoying your summer rides I'm sweating it out in 110+ degree temps feeling for sure that my tires are going to explode!! :eek:

Not to hijack this thread (I didn't go to the gym... went for a 5 mile hike in Estabrook Woods, much better), but I don't know why people go to spin and just, well spin. Some people have been doing this for like 5-6 years. Do they wonder why they don't get fitter or lose weight? I only go to classes where the instructors say "turn it up," not turn it one turn, or half a turn, etc. How much resistance you want is very individual. On the road, I tend to let the terrain do the resistance for me. I don't like to mash, and I see a lot of that in spin, also. So someone telling me a specific amount to turn it up is not going to do me any good. I'm not always riding in the same gear as the person I'm riding with outside, so why would I be inside?

I was a gym rat for sooo long. Now I am losing the will to go. I know that in about 3-4 weeks when it is gray and dark, I will not mind going there after work. But right now, my plan is to be outside as long as I can. If I'm not riding, then hiking, snow shoeing, or X country. But, I need to do some resistance work...

Yes, this time of year is PERFECT for hiking in New England. That's what I find myself doing on the weekends rather than cycling this time of year, because if there is one season that's shorter than the cycling season, it's the hiking season up here. Those black flies in the spring time keep me away from my favorite mountains in NH. My friend and I decided next year we want to hike Mount Washington (and maybe take the cog railway down).

But anyway, back to the topic...I just came from spinning class and it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The instructor has gotten better and it wasn't TOO smelly in the room. But I definitely got a much better workout that I expected to, even the instructor kept complimenting me on the amount of resistance I used and my form.

Running Mommy - thanks for the offer! You're so right, winter here might be unbearbly cold, but summer where you are is unbearably hot!

Emily

<ramble>I think this is my favorite time of year - it's warm but not too warm, dry, mostly sunny, no bugs, and everywhere you look around here outstanding scenery. I agree, there are still many potential daytime rides/hikes/kayaks on the weekends left, but during the week I've already moved indoors. I had a great kayak this weekend that featured a bit of everything - open water & wind, calmer times to just enjoy the fall colors, and the water almost to ourselves.

Tonight the spin class was full for the first time since I've been going (since mid August when I was on and off depending on local riding options). I may be one of those people who doesn't look like I'm working hard (who knows, I can't see myself), because I don't sweat profusely and I haven't been huffing and puffing as much lately. But my HR monitor says otherwise - spent a good amt of time today in the upper reaches of my hr. I do turn it up when the instructor tells us to, and I usually push myself pretty well. Some of the others emerge dripping and red faced, but I rarely do. I was new to the Monday group/instructor today and he asked if I've been spinning for a while at the end of class. The question kind of took me aback at first, didn't know if he was just trying to make conversation or what. But I answered I just started in September. I like to think that he meant I looked like I was riding a decent workout. I try to have good technique, keeping my upper body relaxed and loose, rather than the death grip it seems like some of the others have. And since I've been doing bricks these last few weeks, as the rest of the class is leaving, I'm heading to the treadmill for a run - maybe they think I am crazy anyway. I run in my bike shorts after class and that does make me feel a little strange in the gym context. They are actually pretty comfortable to run in tho...</ramble>

Hey you're more than welcome to come & visit us ladies down here in Australia...

We have some very nice bike paths here in Perth...We have a couple of spare bedrooms too...


I love reading the wintery posts...All the summer posts are def helping too!

c

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Originally Posted by Robyn Maislin

But, I need to do some resistance work...

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I don't like to ride when it's cold, so I really hit the weights during the winter. In the Spring, my aerobic capacity needs a few weeks to build up, but I'm climbing hills like crazy.

I'm one of those people in Spinning who are sweating buckets. I, too, watch people who spin 7 days/week and never sweat. And their body composition never changes either. But, they never have to recover during the workout either. I tend to make spinning more of an interval workout. My knees/back/etc cannot handle a constant pound-pound-pound of an ill fitting bike. So, I hit it hard, recover, hit it hard, recover, rinse & repeat!

It always feels so icky in the gym.

I tend to ride outside even during the coldest months. Certainly below freezing, maybe as low as 25. But I am fortunate that my schedule allows me to ride during the warmest and lightest part of the day. I look like a marshmallow all bundled up. Of course, this einter could be different...

I do more running and yoga during the winter. and skiing of course. Luckily, on the Front Range of Colorado we have some bright 50degree days in the middle of winter. Everybody gets out.

Spinning sounds like fun and a good workout, but those dark smelly rooms have got to go.

sarah

This time of year is wonderful in Tennessee. Beautiful fall colors and cool temps makes the perfect ride. Once winter approaches, however, all it does is rain, rain, rain, and rain. Personally, I would rather have the snow. Two years ago I bought a bicycle trainer to avoid the gym, which allows me to workout right when I got home from work or take my bike to the office. It has helped me avoid a spin class, and it helps my bike get a year round workout.

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Originally Posted by Running Mommy

I have a spare bedroom just waiting for guests.

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i'll be down next month for a couple days. though i need to be on the opposite side of town working on my storage in gilbert. i maybe staying smack in the middle of phoenix with a friend, but if i get kicked out i'll be sure to look you up!

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Originally Posted by crazycanuck

Hey you're more than welcome to come & visit us ladies down here in Australia...

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i'm trying to get there, but can only make it to PI this december. i'll wave to you though. :)

i forgot till last night how hard it is to change out my back tire on my mtb to put it on the trainer. i almost forgot how to do it! :eek: its been that long. also, last night BF decided i needed my own trainer instead of sharing the one.... guess what i'm shopping for today.

It just started snowing outside about 30 minutes ago. :) :( :) :(

I like the snow, but I'm already so sad about what the change in seasons is doing to my riding. Its not really even the weather yet, today is the first cold day, but the lack of daylight. Its just getting light when I leave for work, and by the time I get home its starting to get dark. By the middle of December its pitch dark when I leave work at 5 pm. My plan is to try and ride one day a week at lunch. The problem is a shower after riding is mandatory, which then means hair drying and makeup re-application, unless I'm having a day where I just don't care what I look like . . .

Usually in the winter I hit the gym a lot, I used to do aerobics 3 x a week plus one or two days of weights. But lately my knees have been protesting even aerobics, which is likely due to my feeble attempts at running. I'm determined to run my first 5K in a couple weeks, then I can ditch the running. I've never been to a spin class, but I'm thinking I'm going to try it soon. I've always been intimidated by the spin crowd at the gym, they seem to have this superior attitude. But hey, I'm a real cyclist now, so there's no reason for me to be intimidated. Then there's just the whole cold factor. I have asthma, and I don't know if that makes my lungs extra sensitive to cold or what, but any form of exercise outside in the winter just burns. Yet I seem to deal with it for snowshoeing, because I love it so much I guess it distracts me from the freezing air, so why should cycling be different? I went for my first chilly ride this weekend, it was about 55 out, no sun, a little windy, and even then I could feel the cool air tormenting my lungs. I figure this is good practice because it will likely be cold that morning I go out to run my 5K. I just hope that my lungs will get used to it and stop protesting.

For today I'm happy that I rode on Sat. and ran yesterday because there's already about an inch of snow on the grass.
(Lucky for me snow melts fast here, I'll be out on my bike this weekend).

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Originally Posted by HappyAnika

I've never been to a spin class, but I'm thinking I'm going to try it soon. I've always been intimidated by the spin crowd at the gym, they seem to have this superior attitude. (Lucky for me snow melts fast here, I'll be out on my bike this weekend).

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Just go in there, get on a bike & start to complain loudly about the weather at Tour de France this year.:D

Seriously, I think people are too wrapped up in themselves to notice newbies. Other than a couple of regular people, I couldn't tell you who comes & goes in the morning spin classes. During the class, I'm too busy listening to the committee inside of my head to notice other people.

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

Just go in there, get on a bike & start to complain loudly about the weather at Tour de France this year.:D

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LOL! The sad thing is I know people at the gym who would do something like that. My gym is weird, the classes are very clique-y. When I was in grad school I tried yoga in the mornings, there was a group of women who were just downright rude to newbies. I belong to the step-class clique, but I always make a point to talk to newbies and encourage them to keep coming to class. Anyway, I'll be making a spinning appearance soon, likely next week. I hope its something I like to help get me through the winter. Its so funny here, everyone else can't wait for winter for skiing and snowboarding, but I love the summers best for hiking and cycling.

I'm way more intimidated by the cycling crowd then the spinning crowd. The spinning crowd at my gym is kinda sad, so they don't really scare me much. Occasionaly you see someone in there wearing bike shoes and spandex, but it's pretty rare. Besides, once your in there and on your bike, then turn off the lights and turn up the music and no one is talking anyway. And if they ARE talking they obviously aren't working hard enough!

This is a funny thread. Instructors have names for all of those cliques and it's been the same at every gym i have belonged to or worked at. The only group that intimidates me now is the Pilates clique. At my gym, it's a good mix between outdoor cyclists and people who just do spin. If you go at night or early AM, you avoid the talky non-roadies. Most are nice, but we have our names for a few.
I ran on the treadmill today. I don't know how you guys do it. I want to seriously improve, but I can barely manage 9 minutes at 6mph. I did a total of 26 minutes, though, at a very slow speed... I hate feeling unfit.

Night and Day. Morning classes = people who want to work out & get out. Nobody is picking up anybody. Talking is allowed, but just casual stuff - no heavy time-wasting conversation.

Evenings = rabid. One guy grabs paper towels and "saves" the good spin bikes for his friends, even though it is against the rules. You have to get there 30 minutes early to get a good bike. People are rude. Women come in with gobs of makeup, dangling earrings, gobs of perfume.