Is it actually possible..............

[KnottedYet]

have you checked out the "Ice Bike" thread at www.bikejournal.com ?

Lots of good ideas there.

[smilingcat]

yes you can train on the trainer. But you have to be willing to sit and spin for 2 to 3 hours at a time. you can take breaks too if you want. just like a regular ride. And you need to vary your cadence as if going up a hill, vary your output... If done right, I think you can get in better physical conditioning but at a cost of your bike handling skills. Oh and your tush may not be toughened enough for the real ride.

At least you can stay really fit when the weather gets nice with no ice on the road.

Smilingcat

[NoNo]

While there's no ice on the roads (well, maybe in a few spots), there's loads of sand which I hate riding on. And, as has been mentioned, it's really a pain to figure out just how many layers you need to put on and then actually do it. I've been doing a lot of cross-training since November, but like you, I eagerly await being able to just hop on the bike and go.

[Thorn]

Egads Flye, you have worse weather than I!!! Oh, wait, I just checked the forcast for this weekend....uh....are you sending it my way? 7F with strong winds. Another Coach Troy weekend.

This has not been a good winter for riding around here without studded tires. The side roads have stayed snow covered and the snow banks were high enough that short of wearing clothing covered with little blinking lights you didn't feel safe. Then, when the mid-winter melt came and the weather got "warm" (40F) it rained and rained and rained. Blah.

Like you, I'm riding the trainer trying to keep the distance strength up. Intervals to keep things interesting. I must apologize because after the melt, I did manage to get out a few times. Mid 20F, but the roads and paths were clear enough. The hardest part is the eyes, but I picked up some over-the-glasses safety glasses (dork, dork) that really help and don't fog up.

Hang in there...spring is coming. Keep the trainer spinning and keep looking for a day you can sneak out. The ice will go away and the temp will be warm enough and it *will* come before March. Have faith!

But, the best thing about spring is that when you hit the roads, you'll be able to do a long ride without discomfort. The trainer is a sad and distance second for training, but it does work.