Four season fitness - what weather will you ride in?

[HoosierGiant]

I didn't used to like riding in the wind, but I see it as a challenge now. If it's blowing over 25 mph, I plan an out/back route that minimizes the amount of time I'll have a cross-wind -- put a light-weight weakling on a carbon fiber bike and things can get a little dicey! Road in 41+ mph winds when the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved through Indiana -- a little scary at times, but the tailwind was a blast!

I generally plan routes so I head into the wind at the beginning, but will occasionally do the opposite for a little "suck it up" practice. I like to think of a headwind as just a really long hill.

Did a 35-miler just the other day in a drizzle with the temperature at 38 degrees and the wind at 12 mph. In the Cycling Has Made Me Crazy department, I couldn't wait to get out there!

Love to ride in the rain but hate sacrificing the time to detail the bike afterwards, so I don't do it as often as I'd like. Summer rains are the best, but the hail that sometimes accompanies them is not. OUCH! I generally avoid riding directly after a rain -- one time of having to clean a bike/drivetrain that was covered in a mass of wriggling, slimey worm goo was enough for me.

DH and I ride year-round, but when the temps drop into the single digits we generally break out the trainers. It's not uncommon for winter rides to include windchills below zero. Yuck! That's just mind-numbing.

Will not ride on roads that are slush/snow-covered, but we did once ride 15 miles on ice when the temps dropped during a ride, and the rain turned to freezing rain. One of the scariest things I've ever done! Fell during that ride because my cleats were actually frozen to my pedals, and I just didn't have the strength to break them loose.

Many times the roads will be clear of snow, but there's so much sand, salt, and grit from the county highway department that we can't take the bikes out on the local roads. Luckily, we live 5 miles from U.S. 40 (the road we use for RAIN -- Ride Across INdiana). The state does an exceptional job of keeping it clear, the high-volume traffic blows the road grime away, and it's black asphalt so it retains heat and dries quickly. When we can't ride here, we load the bikes in the truck, drive into town, and take off from there.

I must admit, however, that it's a struggle to make myself get out there some days. I HATE being cold, and that means anything below 80 degrees for me. I pretty much spend most of the winter with 'bricks' for feet and am still searching for the sock/shoe cover combo that will keep my toes warm for longer than two miles on a winter ride.