We're havin' a heat wave.......

[Barb]

....a tropical heat wave. Come on sing along. OK, we're supposed to have a warm up tomorrow. All the way up to 35 degrees. Will I ride? You can bet your pink Sidi's I will. It has been single digits since Friday and I feel totally cooped up. We still don't have snow, so no skiing.

I have been swimming at the gym but I still feel just sleepy and sluggish. I am really not liking this dark too early colder than H*** stuff.

If I make it to February, maybe I will have to take a lil bike vacation. How hard is it to rent a decent bike for a week in Florida? Any recommendations? I don't think I can afford to fly my bike there and the 24 hour drive is out of the question!

[DeniseGoldberg]

I can't help with your question about renting bikes in Florida - but if you can be without your bike for a few days before your trip you might want to look into shipping it via UPS or FedEx. On one of my early bike trips I shipped my bike to a bike shop where I picked it up before my tour. I've since solved the excess baggage problem by traveling with a Bike Friday.

[cathleen]

Oh, Barb, I know! I'm in Southwest MI and it's been single digits for a few days now and man, is that COLD!


Today, for the first time, it's above 20 and I want to bike sooo bad, but I have errands to run that are holiday related. urg. what a waste of a sunny day.

[CorsairMac]

OK - I'll stay out of this one! I"m whining coz the temps aren't supposed to go much above 45 today and they're saying maybe some snow! Course here that means - well - pretty much nothing! The mountains will be all covered in white but there won't be anything below about 7000' (I live at about 6000').

[Surlygirl]

Bad girl Corsairmac, bad girl.
You are just teasing us.
It was 4 degrees here last night in Massachusetts. Yikes, and we had 4 inches of snow yesterday. It hurts just to breathe when you go out. The good news is it's suppose to be 50 degrees on Thursday. Then back to the deep freeze. The only time I like having snow is on Christmas. I'm not one of those cold hearty New Englanders!

[Barb]

I give up!!! Iam sick of the mall traffic. I spent much of a sunny day in my car. Today it is colder and I still need stuff at one store. I am riding my bike there. It is 26 degrees and threatening snow but my trusty hybrid will get through it. I just hope nobody messes with her while I'm in the store. I have a huge lock, but it seems some people can't keep their mits off!

Wish me luck, I'll repoert abck, cold but with a smile frozen to my face!

[cathleen]

Good luck!

We have a pedestrian "mall" in my city, and it's quite bike friendly for shopping. (Snowmelt system installed in the street and sidewalks!) Not to mention, it makes me feel good to spend my money in the city, vs. out in the commercialized suburbs of the mall.

It has been snowing here for a few hours. Not sure if I want to venture out. Maybe I'll be brave.

Darn Michigan weather! I'm sure there's a life for me in the Carolinas somewhere.

[Barb]

She returns the VICTOR! I made a total freak show of it. I wore my santa hat over my helmet! People think I am crazy around here anyway. After all, when you live in the suburbs of the Motor City, why oh why would you not take your car EVERYWHERE!!!! There is a great produce market a few blocks from me, as well as a hardware and drugstore. In the other direction, there is a Meijer. Everything is close enough to bike to, even the movies, bars and 2 malls! On any given day, besides kids and the homeless I am usually the only one running errands by bike. Every store I go into I politely request that they install a bike rack. I haven't had luck yet, but I will keep asking anyway

[CorsairMac]

OMG Cathleen - I had Forgotten about the pedestrian mall! I started piano lessons with a teacher located in one of the 2nd floor studios on that mall - and I had my first date there - I was all of 4th grade and wore my pretty blue flowered dress!
Thank you So Much for that memory!

and Barb: take your bike in with you - ask them if they have a safe place you can stash it while using their store since you couldn't find a bike rack outside!

and SurlyGirl - if it helps any hun - the high right now @ 2 MST is 34 and thats it for today plus its snowing (in the mountains anyway) so I'll be whining and sniffling the whole way home! (but I'm only 4 miles away from my milage goal for 2004 so I'm gonna Ride darnit...I'm gonna ride come snow or high water!)

[mtbstarr]

We hardly ever get wintery precipitation here, and right now we have over 4 inches of snow and ice, and it is still coming down. (Here is Murray Kentucky, Western Kentucky) My Dad lives just 1 hour north of me and he has a foot and a half. Its going to get cold to.....like single digit stuff. Last cold I remember like this was eight years ago or so. I love seeing the white stuff.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trek420]

....which is not bad compared to most of you but..... my car's in the shop, I took the day off Tuesday had a bunch of errands related to my Mom's moving from what used to be the family farm to a smaller place in town but they said it'd be done by the end of the day...nope...so called in and took another day off (got plenty but HATE to waste them on anything not fun related) rode to the mechanics, 5:30 came...went..."20-30 minutes tops, we'll be done" ....6:30 they said they can't finish, I think they just wanted to go home so invented an excuse.

They drove me and the bike back home and *&^# it, too late at that point to call in for another day off so.....riding to work today. The weather is quite nice now, we'll have rain after Christmas but it's not the weather it's the dark.

The sun will just be peeking up as I clip in and will be up by the time I roll into BART. I take side streets and bike lanes all the way and I'm clothed in bright yellow but I have no lights on either of my bikes so not normally a thing I'd do till maybe March when it's lighter at both ends of the day.

There's a nice bike shop down the street on Lakeshore near my work I've been meaning to check out so guess where I'm going at lunch?

[Dottie]

Dottie here: I live in the thumb of michigan and we are getting the snow today!! Cathleen, Do you ride the Kal-Haven trail much? I heard it is the best Rail-Trail in michigan! We have friends that live in Kalamazoo and plan on visiting next summer and doing the trail. He said there is a new extension. What do you know about it? I definitely want to check out the pedestrian "mall" too!!
My husband is getting me cross-country skiis for Christmas. I tried it once and really liked it and did well. I think it will help get me over missing riding my bike for the time being!!
Also, gals- the days are getting longer again! Merry Christmas to all of you. Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

[jobob]

We're off to ride the American River Trail from Folsom to Sacramento today, should be up to the 60's. Happy Holidays

[Trek420]

jobob boasts "We're off to ride the American River Trail from Folsom to Sacramento today, should be up to the 60's. Happy Holidays "

brats! bhphpphhhtttt, I'm jealous, sitting here at work thawing my fingers, even the full fingers gloves I got after Diablo not enough.

[Adventure Girl]

I did a night ride last night. When we started it was about 55 degrees, but it was in the high 40s by the end. It didn't feel that cold because we were riding pretty hard.

I did learn something, though. When we got back to the cars, I started my engine and turned the heater. I let it warm up while I was putting my bike on the rack and changing my shoes. So it was nice and toasty for the drive home.