October Rides

[lph]

However it's the opposite for my legs and feet -- last winter I wore my AmFib tights often and rarely had warm feet when I rode. I bought some Gore booties toward the end of the season and am hoping they help this year.

NY, my experience is that my feet need more layering before my legs do. Not as much as my dh, who has skinny feet and uses his winter bike boots year-round on cool days, but still. So I'll start using booties and even switch to winter boots before changing from regular long tights to AmFib winter tights.

Ditto with hands and upper body, but not quite as obvious, there the wind chill on my chest is more of a factor.

[Crankin]

I have different layers of thermal jerseys, as well as some long sleeved jerseys that are just jerseys. Three kinds of base layers, too (LS,SS, sleeveless), to give me lots of choices. In a couple of weeks, when I am more used to temperatures in the 40s, I might have chosen a different jersey weight, or even a ss jersey with arm warmers and a base layer, which works at times. My issue is the first almost 2 miles of my commute is downhill, and even if I go slowly, it is freezing. I absolutely have to have warm hands and feet! I didn't wear my winter boots Tuesday, because I knew I'd be wearing capris on the way home and that would be weird, so I wore my warmest wool socks, chemical heaters, and booties. I would have worn my heated gloves, if I knew where DH put them, so I wore my Mavic thermals, with a very thin wool liner. I still can't wear my Amphib gloves, without fear of getting them caught in the shifter, which happened once, and that was enough. In retrospect, since I had bought my work clothes to work the day before, I should have brought a lighter jersey. I have not been riding my Guru with the pannier, so my little napsack can only hold so much. I need to start riding that bike again... it is lonely. Riding it up the hill, with a packed pannier just kills my back. When I move to the condo, it will be a totally flat 3 mile ride.

[Crankin]

Did 36 miles today, most of it as part of a club ride. I rode to the start (same place as the last ride) and this time, it was the same temperature, but windy, and it did not get as warm. All I did was take my glove liners off when I got to the start. I alternated between taking off and putting on my head cover, too. Part of the ride was shady and I felt chilled, but as I peeled off from the group to go home, I did stop and put on my regular gloves and took the head cover off (again).
It's a beautiful fall day. The colors are just starting, a bit late because of the drought and hot weather this summer. Typical AMC group, but I stayed behind the leader, who I helped train and who is now the chair of the bike committee. She rides pretty much like I do. I ignored the usual weirdos and talked with others I know, so it was nice. But, I was getting hungry, so instead of going back to the start, and then going home, I peeled off earlier. It was about 4 miles shorter than the alternative, but much hillier.

[azfiddle]

No need for tights and thermal jerseys here! It was 65 to start this morning and over 90 (yes, the heat came back) by noon. My husband and one friend from my women's cycling group went to meet some folks planning to ride the first 2/3 of El Tour de Tucson route- and no one else showed up! So the three of us went anyway and even altering the route somewhat to follow the El Tour route more closely, we ended up with 74 miles. If we had followed the directions for the ride it would have been over 85. This was my longest ride since the spring... I'll miss at least one of the pre-El Tour century rides here.

I enjoyed it but was definitely feeling the heat by the last 10-12 miles.

[rebeccaC]

No need for tights and thermal jerseys here! .

no need here either…..we’ve had a couple of days in the 90’s lately which is highly unusual for this time of year, actually anytime of the year. Other than commutes I rode today for the first time in a few weeks. A friend wanted to go into the santa monica mountains so I kept her company. I shouldn’t have. It was 102 at the fire station we stopped to get water at and stayed that way until we came back down to the ocean which was still in the 90’s, 98 when i got home. Lots of salted nuts/dried apricots, water both drinking and poured over us and sweat. Got home and took a shower, had an almond milk, blueberry, frozen banana, homemade protein powder and flax seed drink and haven’t moved much since. i want my normal 70 degree weather back!!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Did our usual 21-mile urban and bike path ride this morning. Sunny, hot, not much wind. My lower back was barking at me a bit, but overall, it was a good ride.

[Crankin]

Forecast was much warmer today, although it's still windy. I am having a bad issue with watering eyes when riding in temperatures less than 60. First this was only when I skied. Then it has crept in to riding at increasingly higher temperatures. A couple of weeks ago, I had a really bad allergy attack and my left eye started tearing spontaneously, not while outside. I've been wearing my glasses more, but it doesn't seem to help. I cannot wear my glasses while doing sports. A friend had this issue and was told to stop wearing contacts or wear those old lady goggle things while she rides. Ah, no thank you. My eyes were fine in June, when I mentioned this, but I think I might have to see an ophthalmologist. It's annoying. Anyway, I went out with no particular agenda. Thought I might do the hilly ride I've been wanting to do for weeks, but my legs told me no right away. Not that any ride around here is flat. I ended up doing 27 miles into Boxborough and Stow. I knew I should avoid areas around apple farms, but I was not prepared for the the cars parked along side of the road near Shelburne Farm. It turns out the orchard is down the road from the farm, so when I thought I was avoiding the crowds, I was not. There were cars about a mile on either side of the orchard, and tons of clueless people walking along the narrow country road . Who goes apple picking in a dress and heels? OY. I was being very careful when a Stow cop who was there for crowd control started pulling out in front of me! He saw me (geez, with a flashing front light) and stopped, I said "thanks," in kind of a sarcastic way, and he started going again. This was intentional. I feel like reporting him, but it's not worth it. I knew he wouldn't hit me, but I sped up and he turned in the other direction.
I stopped at the café 3.5 miles from home and had lunch outside. Listening to some of the conversations amused me. This place is a mecca for cyclists, but today, it was only dressed up families and people on dates. As I was leaving 2 other women pulled up on bikes, and I knew one of them, so I gave them my table. A nice ride, the leaves are getting more colorful, but I am glad DH is coming home from Japan in a couple of hours.