I noticed the daily commute thread has been quiet lately. I miss it. I remembered we had a special thread for fall/ winter last year, I thought that might help. Anyone out there?

Yesterday was our first sort of cold day. Probably right around 40F. A little rain here & there but so far it's only been mist when I've been on my bike. I got the balaclava and big gloves out. I haven't gotten my wool undershirt out yet, nor the long johns. That merino undershirt is SO warm. The jacket + rain jacket is warm enough so far.

This is the 7th winter since I started bicycling for transportation, and every year I have to figure out what clothes go with what temperature and conditions all over again. I remember someone (lph?) mentioned keeping a log and then it was a lot easier the next year. I ought to do that.

Also, every single winter I have to acclimatize to the cold again. We go from super hot humid 100F and plummet straight into frost and below freezing and beyond, and wind, with hardly any time in between. This has been an odd year in that we've had not only multiple days, but multiple WEEKS of lovely weather. I heard that our average temp is the same as the northwest coast--only that average temp is a rare beast for us. We only get to the same average temp because of our extremes.

So I'm huddling in front of the fire place at home, or swathed in jackets and hats in my office, and dreading setting foot out of doors. I go through that phase every winter. (Acclimatizing to the heat is nearly as bad. I go through June on the bring of heat injury, and it's only in the upper 80's.)