Winter Riding Thread (December-February) Outside and Inside

[lph]

I was also going to suggest a balaclava, Blueberry. It's usually not cold enough for me to wear mine since I generally don't ride when it's much below 40F. But there have been a few times when I really wanted something covering my neck and chin. (I have a couple of friends who start wearing their balaclavas as soon as the temperature drops below 55.) For hands, I make sure my winter gloves have room for wool glove liners inside them. Sometimes my fingertips are painfully cold at first even with the liners, but once I get going and warm up it's nice to be able to take them off.

What are pogies?

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I'm glad you asked. Here, my bike, with pogies. They're like little insulated tents for your hands

[lph]

I'm glad you asked. Here, my bike, with pogies. They're like little insulated tents for your hands

Oops, can't get the pic to load. Will try later.

[ny biker]

I'm glad you asked. Here, my bike, with pogies. They're like little insulated tents for your hands

Like Bar Mitts?

http://www.barmitts.com/

Come to think of it, I know several people who complain about cold hands during winter bike rides but have never seen anyone with bar mitts.

I'd like something like this for the steering wheel of my car -- driving in winter is when my hands are the coldest.

[lph]

Like Bar Mitts?

http://www.barmitts.com/

Come to think of it, I know several people who complain about cold hands during winter bike rides but have never seen anyone with bar mitts.

I'd like something like this for the steering wheel of my car -- driving in winter is when my hands are the coldest.

Yes, exactly! They're awesome.

[ny biker]

Well, I rode for an hour on the indoor trainer the other night. Since my last indoor effort with one of Coach Troy's "on the road" dvds didn't really hold my attention, I tried something different. I watched a dvd episode of a show that I've been wanting to watch but haven't gotten around to, and just pedaled a medium gear. Every few minutes I shifted up or down a little, but never to anything really hard or really easy. So no difficult intervals, but 60 minutes of solid pedaling.

Tomorrow will be the better weekend day for outdoor cycling here. I will be doing something by myself. A friend posted a club ride but it's more miles than I want to do, too far to drive to get there and it starts at 10:30 which means I'd have to get up way too early for it. As a real night owl, I consider the best thing about winter cycling to be the chance to sleep late and still be able to ride during the most comfortable temperatures of the day, in the early afternoon. And I really feel a need to change up the routine a bit. So I'm planning to ride in a suburban residential area that's not particularly scenic but is not too far from home and does not have lots of car traffic. I used to ride there pretty often and I find it nice to go back from time to time for a contemplative solo ride. As a bonus it will start near a bunch of stores where I can get errands done after the ride. (I am a bit concerned that traffic has increased on part of the route due to some new houses being built. I hope not.)

[Crankin]

The only riding I've done this week is a 5:45 AM spin class, which I convinced DH to come with me to attend on Tuesday.

[ny biker]

Well I've moved on to plan B for today. The forecast last night said it would be windy today and I hate riding on windy days. So I decided to really shake up my routine by sleeping very late. I'll go for a walk later.

Yes I could still grab a quick ride now -- it's not as breezy out there as expected -- and yes I might regret this next week or next month. But I know from experience that I'll enjoy riding more in the spring if I take some lazy days now.

[Crankin]

You sound just like me.
I did not do any other spin classes this week, as my knees are feeling it. I use harder gears than on the road. But, I did a hike yesterday, Power class Wednesday, circuit training class Thursday, and an intense Tabata class today. DH is leaving for his company's annual meeting in Boston tomorrow morning. He stays downtown until Thursday, so tomorrow I am going on a longer hike with friends. I also need the down time from riding, so I am ready in March, with a good attitude.