Fall and Winter Commuter Challenge!

[keepclimbing]

The Midwest got an arctic blast last night and I rode to work this morning with a windchill of 2 degrees. Fortunately, the sky was clear and the roads were dry. It was my first time to use my new toe warmers and they definitely helped. I had on 3 layers of clothing: long underwear, heavy bike shirt and pants, and light sweats over those. Plus my wind jacket, gloves, and balaclava. I had to make two stops on the way to work--the first at the bank. I was sure to remove the balaclava before walking into the bank!

I was happy to see other cyclists braving the cold and the wind. My only complaint is how wet the balaclava gets from my breath. It was pretty uncomfortable by the time I was able to remove it.

[Biciclista]

wow, you guys in the midwest/east freeze are sure brave to continue riding!

I rode today because it was above freezing and not raining. Honestly, i didn't want to, but i did it anyway.
yay!

[Grog]

I had two great rides this week (apart from being hit by a car). I noticed today that my back wheel IS wobbly (not a lot, but certainly needs to be trued) and I won't ride today to 1) give myself a break physically and 2) avoid riding on the wobbly wheel until I show it to the adjuster on Thursday.

But I will enjoy commuting the other days this week: it's almost going to be sunny (note the "almost").

[kfergos]

I guess that's it for my riding this week. I got up this morning and it was 6°F and I just couldn't think why I'd do that to myself. Maybe it'll warm up (that being, of course, a relative term) on Saturday so I can go for a bit of a ride then. So:

This week
M: 2/2
T: 1/1
W: 2/2
T: 0/2
F: 0/2 (anticipating, since it's supposed to be colder tomorrow)

Last week
M: 2/2
T: 1/1
W: 2/2
T: 2/2
F: 2/2

[Biciclista]

I guess that's it for my riding this week. I got up this morning and it was 6°F and I just couldn't think why I'd do that to myself. Maybe it'll warm up (that being, of course, a relative term) on Saturday so I can go for a bit of a ride then. So:

This week
M: 2/2
T: 1/1
W: 2/2
T: 0/2
F: 0/2 (anticipating, since it's supposed to be colder tomorrow)

Last week
M: 2/2
T: 1/1
W: 2/2
T: 2/2
F: 2/2

what does this mean? you rode 2 miles each way on monday, one mile each way on tuesday???



I rode in today again, to discover that they removed all the sand that had piled up in the bike lanes!!!

[kfergos]

what does this mean? you rode 2 miles each way on monday, one mile each way on tuesday???

I rode in today again, to discover that they removed all the sand that had piled up in the bike lanes!!!

Nope, sorry that was totally unclear... I was counting the number of rides/day, at 13 to 14 miles/ride. So this week it was about 65 miles for the week, I guess. Normally I commute about 120 miles/week.

Yay for no sand! Another plus of winter: Not so much glass and sharp junk on the roads, thanks to plows moving stuff all the time.

[keepclimbing]

Anyone have any winter tips for protective eyewear? Do you wear your regular sunglasses? What do you do to keep them clear? Does anyone use goggles?

[Grog]

Anyone have any winter tips for protective eyewear? Do you wear your regular sunglasses? What do you do to keep them clear? Does anyone use goggles?

I wear clear lenses most of the time. Most of my commute is either at the very early hours of the morning or in total darkness. It's never very cold. So it works well. They are these: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...45524442586453 but I have clear lenses for them. I also have yellow but don't wear the yellow much anymore. Can't beat the price, and they are UV proof.

I had to take them off once recently because it was so terribly foggy. Otherwise they are fine. I wouldn't do without. Too much flying grit and stuff on the road.

[keepclimbing]

I agree about needing protection, but my regular glasses fog up constantly in the winter. I haven't tried defogger wipes on them because I assume those only work on goggles where the outside air can't get to the inside of the lens. But I might be wrong.

[kfergos]

I have a lot of trouble with my glasses fogging up, too. I don't have a solution for you, but I can tell you what I haven't tried: Things like Cat Crap that you have to smear on your lenses. I'm very leery about that. But if you find something that works, let me know!

[Geonz]

When it's really cold I wear ski goggles, tho' I ended up foregoing them the last couple times because they cut back on visibility, even with my mirror.

I broke a personal record THursday and Friday - 11 below zero. Friday, had my digestive tract and/or my will cooperated, I could have gone in at 17 below... but I made the tactical error of not wearing warm enough clothes to bed and when it's that cold outside, it just isn't warm inside, either... and the previous night's dinner was rather demanding that I spend extra time in the loo. So I called in and said I'd be in an hour late.

I then decided that since it really doesn't look like it will get better, that I need to, as the bracelet says, HTFU. (Hopefully harden the bowels up, too ) So I made sure to leave *early* today... fact is, that with enough layers, I don't get cold. I did yoga stretches and crunches for 10 minutes before swaddling myself, and then some running-in-place and centrifugal arm swinging before actually leaving, and my hands didn't even get cold. At nine degrees, I could even leave exposed skin so I didn't have the wet balaclava problem.

However, last Wednesday I took the bus home because truth be told, I'm not a mountain biker - I'm a weenie with roads that aren't smooth. Adn... they're forecasting snow for next week, again. Cold I can handle... but I don't wanna fall into traffic.

It occurs to me that I *could* order Bigger Studs... that is my plan as soon as these have put in WorthWhile Mileage... and I don't even know what that would be. 1000 miles? I have the "106 stud for plowed roads" tyres... but on the other hand, more studs would have been a bunbite this a.m. on the *mostly* clear and dry roads.... *and* getting the back wheel off my bike wtih chain guard and internal hub and brakes is a bunbite of its own.

Third option: get Monster Studs for the folding bike, which is much easier to operate on.

[keepclimbing]

Wow. 11 below. I'm not sure if I would go that far. But I've stuck it out pretty well this January. I've only used my car two days all month and that was because of some mechanical problems I had to get fixed. There was only one day that it plunged below zero here, and I was out of town on a business trip. Mostly it's been in the teens. A couple of days ago the temps rose into the upper 20s and it felt like a heat wave. Riding felt easy and caused me to wonder why I haven't ridden through every winter. My friends ask how I can ride in such cold weather and I keep assuring them it is just a matter of having the right gear.

Yesterday it was 27 when I rode to the office. By the time I left to go to an evening event about 7 miles away, the temperature was 57! I had to stop to remove layers and stuff them into my bag, but I was a sweaty mess when I arrived. What a grand entrance I made! The best part was that my doctor was at the event. When he realized it was me, he gave me a big hug and said that he was impressed, proud, and envious! He said that he had been driving behind me on the way there but had no idea it was me. He was impressed with how well lit my bike was at night. (That was good to hear, especially from my doctor!) When I left the event at 9:30, the temps were still in the 40s and I had a very comfortable ride home. I really like riding late at night when there are fewer cars.

But how quickly I got spoiled. This morning the temp was in the 20s again, but I didn't want to be overdressed in the afternoon so I used fewer layers. BIG mistake! The weather channel got it wrong and the temperature plunged. I thought I was going to freeze on my short little 3-mile ride home. I really do not like being cold.

Tomorrow I'm going to a friend's house 19 miles across town for an afternoon get-together. It's going to be cold again. I have to look decent once I get there, but she won't mind if I head straight into the bathroom for a quick change and freshening up. But I'm a little nervous about the return trip. It will be dark and some of the roads are not well lit.

What I'm learning this winter about bicycle commuting is that it requires daily planning. Mapping out my destination, figuring out how much time to allow, watching the weather reports, fussing over exactly which balaclava and gloves are the right weight for the day, deciding what to wear and if/how to change clothes at my destination--it does consume extra time. I suppose the more I do it, the more of those details will become second-nature.

It's all worth it knowing that when spring arrives and everyone else is dusting off their bikes, I'm going to be in good form already!

[indigoiis]

First time back on the bike since early December.

Today: 11 miles.

[kfergos]

First time back on the bike since early December.

Today: 11 miles.

Woo! I'm sure your bike was very happy to see you again.

Last week I rode ~26 mi/day M, W, Th, and F; Tues I rode 13.

Today it was so frickin' cold, but I did it anyway. My face-covering (now a complicated two-part Gore/Turtle Fur combo) got completely covered in a thick layer of frost from my breath, as did my fuzzy outer gloves. ...Is winter over yet?

[lph]

What a grand entrance I made! The best part was that my doctor was at the event. When he realized it was me, he gave me a big hug and said that he was impressed, proud, and envious!

You have a really cool dr.