Must.ride.bicycle

[indysteel]

Silver, and anyone else dealing with these way-below-normal temps: I feel your pain. I road last Monday in a sleeveless top. Yesterday, I has my warmest gear on, plus feet and hand warmers--and I was still cold. I just had to get out there though. I managed only 32 miles at the CIBA ride (where only about 15 brave souls showed up) before giving into the cold. They say you should "ride the temperature" so I'm okay with it. I'm going back out there today and tomorrow though, before the rain and wind sidelines me again. Don't the weather gods know I have mileage goals to consider?

[Offthegrid]

I've been incredibly bummed out by the weather, too. The other day I got fully dressed in cycling gear and just couldn't ride. It was too cold and too windy (and if I had ridden, I would have been riding in a heavy snow because it started 20 minutes after I bagged the ride). And it's supposed to rain Thursday during my women's running/walking program -- again. UGH!!!

Let's go sunshine!

[songlady]

Heck I'd be thrilled to see temps go up to the 40's!

Amen to that! The past 4 days have been temps right around 30 with winds at 20mph gusting to 30-35! I have been absolutely miserable. As a teacher, this is my week of break and I had big cycling plans. Very disappointing so far. I hope today the winds will die down a little, I'll brave it if it's 32 and relatively calm!

[Thorn]

Yeah....a couple of weekends ago we did 100+ miles, last weekend we slugged through some sloppy wet, but outdoor riding. I thought I'd seen the last of evil Coach Troy and his Spinervals propaganda until fall. Alas, this weekend, I wimped out and slunk back to the basement...I swear that ECT had a smirk on his face Saturday as he ordered once again..."big gear, 15"

[roguedog]

Hi, my name is Marcie and I'm a weather wimp. It has been 5 days since I've riden in temperatures above 50.

I'm going to will the mercury in the thermometer to 50 today so I can at least get in 15 miles. Tomorrow is looking good. I hope to ride here at home, pack the bike and head into Louisville to join the evening club ride.

Silver, buzz on down and we can get a few miles in before the rain moves in Wednesday.

Hi Marcie. Welcome.

*group hug* *passes tissue box*

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Listen...I was truly the biggest weather wimp in the world up until a couple of years ago.
I didn't exercise at all, I was 25 pounds overweight, had no real muscles to speak of, and all fall, winter, and spring I was COLD. Cold, cold, cold.
I would pile on 3 or 4 heavy acrylic sweaters, extra cotton waffle longjohns under my jeans, triple thick crew socks, scarves, ponchos, you name it. I looked like the Michellin man, but i was.... COLD.
Then I started walking...3 miles briskly every day. That helped my circulation and heartrate a bit, and i got a few muscles and started losing the extra pounds. But I was still pretty cold. Still piled on clothes like Michelin man.

Last Fall, with the advice of my smart DH and after some additional reading and research, I realized I needed to get better clothes for what I was attempting to do. People kept telling me "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." Could they actually be right, I wondered? Me- the total weather wimp who huddled like a cat on sunny windowsills, in front of radiators and sitting on heating vents all my life....could I possible brave the elements on my bike and not be miserably frozen? Didn't seem like something **I** could do.

I set out to get properly equipped for the winter. Real wool was the foundation element to build upon.
I put heavy wool knee socks over wool hiking socks. Thinsulate hiking boots over those. Thick wool tights to wear OVER my chamois lycra cold weather tights. Underarmor sportsbra. Thin merino wool undervest. Thin merino wool longsleeve base layer. Merino LS turtleneck to wear over the base layer & vest. Heavy wool outer zipper vest for over that. Warm stretchy inner-fuzzy polyester wind-proof jacket. Nylon windbreaker/shell on the outside. Soft cashmere gloves (a gift). Smartwool glove liners over that. Heavy windproof ski gloves over that. Smartwool helmet liner. Full balaclava over that. A second balaclava in my saddlebag just in case. Oh, and a good face cream with lanolin (more wool!).

I know what you're thinking- and YES, all this stuff cost me a small fortune. But it will last me for many years because it's all well made and wool can last for decades if you take good care of it. Wool also doesn't smell at all when you get sweaty. (unlike polyester, which for me stinks after one ride).

It takes me about ten minutes to get all layered up to go out. But once I'm set, I can go biking for 2 1/2 hours at 28 degrees F and cloudy/breezy, like yesterday! I was TOTALLY COMFORTABLE. Some call me "brave" or "tough"....but I'm not brave at all, because I'm not suffering at all- it's easy to be tough when you are actually totally comfy! The worst thing is usually that my prescription glasses get too cold on the bridge of my nose- but I can take them off for a while and still see fine.

Another key factor here is that none of these items are bulky or stiff. They move with me and they breathe when I need it. I don't look bulked up. I can peel things off as I warm up and put them in my saddlebag. I'm always amazed at how much I wind up taking off once i warm up even when it's really cold. I think 25 degrees is about my lower limit with this getup. Some women here can bike colder than that, and I suspect they have even better layering clothes. I now beleive you can be biking comfortably down to 25 with the right clothes. I guess I could go colder if I used those chemical hand/foot warmers, but I'd hate to have to keep buying those and besides, Spring is here now- don't need them over 30 degrees!

Anyway, I hope that clarifies how "tough" I really am to bike in the cold weather. Perhaps it will encourage others to get a little "braver" and experiment, if they get TOO much cabin fever (and "itchy" legs?!- whoa!!) from not biking.

[mimitabby]

Lisa,
we have this weather, and it can happen anytime from November until July (I Kid you not) where it is DARK and rainy and cold. Granted, cold in January isn't the same as cold in July, but... our cold in July can be in the high 40's, low 50's.
The cloud layer is about 5 miles thick, and I don't care how much wool and
fancy bike gear you wear, it's very hard to leave your warm dry house
and go for a bike ride when the little cold water particles get you instantly wet as you go out to your car. Add a little wind to this mix and you might as well just go back to bed.

and then I do NOT want to ride.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes well that would be very much like riding in the cold rain- I won't ride in the rain if I can help it- nasty! Ridind when it's snow flurrying is pretty and fun though, as long as the road stays clear.

[cosc]

Our few days of early spring weather quickly resorted back to winter.Blahh! I tell myself I will brave the cold, layer up and up-look outside to see the wind whipping the trees, and cower back to my trainer. Midwest wind never lets up. Good news is soon I'll be complaining about the suffering heat!

[indysteel]

Listen...I was truly the biggest weather wimp in the world up until a couple of years ago.
I didn't exercise at all, I was 25 pounds overweight, had no real muscles to speak of, and all fall, winter, and spring I was COLD. Cold, cold, cold.
I would pile on 3 or 4 heavy acrylic sweaters, extra cotton waffle longjohns under my jeans, triple thick crew socks, scarves, ponchos, you name it. I looked like the Michellin man, but i was.... COLD.
Then I started walking...3 miles briskly every day. That helped my circulation and heartrate a bit, and i got a few muscles and started losing the extra pounds. But I was still pretty cold. Still piled on clothes like Michelin man.

Last Fall, with the advice of my smart DH and after some additional reading and research, I realized I needed to get better clothes for what I was attempting to do. People kept telling me "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." Could they actually be right, I wondered? Me- the total weather wimp who huddled like a cat on sunny windowsills, in front of radiators and sitting on heating vents all my life....could I possible brave the elements on my bike and not be miserably frozen? Didn't seem like something **I** could do.

I set out to get properly equipped for the winter. Real wool was the foundation element to build upon.
I put heavy wool knee socks over wool hiking socks. Thinsulate hiking boots over those. Thick wool tights to wear OVER my chamois lycra cold weather tights. Underarmor sportsbra. Thin merino wool undervest. Thin merino wool longsleeve base layer. Merino LS turtleneck to wear over the base layer & vest. Heavy wool outer zipper vest for over that. Warm stretchy inner-fuzzy polyester wind-proof jacket. Nylon windbreaker/shell on the outside. Soft cashmere gloves (a gift). Smartwool glove liners over that. Heavy windproof ski gloves over that. Smartwool helmet liner. Full balaclava over that. A second balaclava in my saddlebag just in case. Oh, and a good face cream with lanolin (more wool!).

I know what you're thinking- and YES, all this stuff cost me a small fortune. But it will last me for many years because it's all well made and wool can last for decades if you take good care of it. Wool also doesn't smell at all when you get sweaty. (unlike polyester, which for me stinks after one ride).

It takes me about ten minutes to get all layered up to go out. But once I'm set, I can go biking for 2 1/2 hours at 28 degrees F and cloudy/breezy, like yesterday! I was TOTALLY COMFORTABLE. Some call me "brave" or "tough"....but I'm not brave at all, because I'm not suffering at all- it's easy to be tough when you are actually totally comfy! The worst thing is usually that my prescription glasses get too cold on the bridge of my nose- but I can take them off for a while and still see fine.

Another key factor here is that none of these items are bulky or stiff. They move with me and they breathe when I need it. I don't look bulked up. I can peel things off as I warm up and put them in my saddlebag. I'm always amazed at how much I wind up taking off once i warm up even when it's really cold. I think 25 degrees is about my lower limit with this getup. Some women here can bike colder than that, and I suspect they have even better layering clothes. I now beleive you can be biking comfortably down to 25 with the right clothes. I guess I could go colder if I used those chemical hand/foot warmers, but I'd hate to have to keep buying those and besides, Spring is here now- don't need them over 30 degrees!

Anyway, I hope that clarifies how "tough" I really am to bike in the cold weather. Perhaps it will encourage others to get a little "braver" and experiment, if they get TOO much cabin fever (and "itchy" legs?!- whoa!!) from not biking.

Hat's off to you for braving the cold. We had a mild late fall/early winter in Indiana (where Silver and Mr. Silver live), and I managed to ride pretty comfortably through most of it--down to about 27 degrees--so I agree that it can be done with the right clothes. The problem for me isn't the cold per se, but the wind. Once it gets over about 15 mph on a 28-degree day, it just ain't fun anymore. Of course, I feel that way to some extent on warm days too.

I think the problem for some of us in during this most recent cold snap is expectations. I expect to freeze my booty off riding in December, but in April? That's just cruel. I feel like I'm in the middle of a really long April Fool's Day joke!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

...The problem for me isn't the cold per se, but the wind. Once it gets over about 15 mph on a 28-degree day, it just ain't fun anymore. Of course, I feel that way to some extent on warm days too.

I think the problem for some of us in during this most recent cold snap is expectations. I expect to freeze my booty off riding in December, but in April? That's just cruel. I feel like I'm in the middle of a really long April Fool's Day joke!

Yes I agree the wind chill makes it colder. High wind makes cold riding impossible, but wind under 15mph isn't so bad.
I do understand about the April Fool's joke. But I try to think of it as bonus time where we don't have to cut grass or do any weeding yet! I'm pretty much ignoring my gardens because they are still semi-hibernating. That gives me more time to blow off yard chores and get on my bike!

[makbike]

Hi, my name is Marcie and I rode 21 miles today and it was only 47 F! Of course I had to put on my shorts, my leg warmers, my wind tights, my arm warmers, my winter jersey, my wind jacket, my wool hood, my ear muffs, my glover liners and my winter gloves. The sun disappeared somewhere on this ride and the wind started blowing and I was wishing I was at home but I stuck it out and finished. It is now time to crawl into warm sleeping bag, curl up with my new book and take a nap (I love spring break!).

[indysteel]

I'm off for a 30-mile ride with friends. It's usually a "recovery" ride but having ridden only 32 miles this weekend, there's not much to recover from.
It's 46 degrees right now and winds are low. How sad is it that I'm utterly thrilled with that? It's certainly better than 26 degrees with 25 mph winds. I'm easy to please apparently. That said, I'd pay a king's ransom right now for a 70-degree day.

[Mr. Bloom]

Riding when it's snow flurrying is pretty and fun though, as long as the road stays clear.

We Know...

Chatham, New York...

Where the women are strong, the men are good looking and all of the children are above average.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hi, my name is Marcie and I rode 21 miles today and it was only 47 F! Of course I had to put on my shorts, my leg warmers, my wind tights, my arm warmers, my winter jersey, my wind jacket, my wool hood, my ear muffs, my glover liners and my winter gloves. The sun disappeared somewhere on this ride and the wind started blowing and I was wishing I was at home but I stuck it out and finished. It is now time to crawl into warm sleeping bag, curl up with my new book and take a nap (I love spring break!).

YAY MARCIE!!!!