Winter Riding Thread (December-February) Outside and Inside

[ny biker]

I did 45 minutes with the indoor trainer tonight -- I watched a TV show that I'd recorded, a British police show called Luther. I think I got a better workout when I was watching Sonic Highways, but all I really wanted to do was pedal for a while. So mission accomplished!

[Crankin]

Did my first outdoor ride of 2016 today. It's the first time in 3 years I've ridden in either January or February. Rode 3.6 miles to the start, where our group has been sort of highjacked by the really fast riders. Since most of the moderate or slower riders don't ride in the winter, I was thinking I would do the hike they had today, or just ride the ride at my own pace. But, early this morning, another email went out, saying there would be a moderately paced group for those who wanted it, since it was 40 out and the roads are clear. My friend Jack, who is also very active in this club and AMC said he would lead the slower group. So, only he and I said we wanted to go more slowly, but we were right behind the sweep for part of the ride, and eventually passed him, as there was one guy much slower than us. So, we were in the group, after all. At one point we came to a light, on a little hill, where you have to turn right and then a quick left. I hate this spot, so I got to the front, where it's flat and took off when the light turned green. Somehow, I got behind the leaders.... I stayed for awhile (2 miles?), but it did me in. I fell back and waited for Jack. But after this, a few others were back with us.
We rode on familiar roads, in Concord, Acton, Boxborough, and Stow, coming back through west Concord. It was windy today, so it didn't feel 40, but I was mostly dressed correctly. I used my heated gloves, but my winter road shoes just feel a tad cool, even with woolie bullies. I contemplated using chemical heaters, but I lived. Had a nice quinoa salad at the end, at a restaurant I frequent a lot, and then rode the painful 3.6 miles home. Glad I went, and it looks like I will be able to ride outside on Sunday. My total was 40 miles.

[emily_in_nc]

Good job, Crankin! That's a long ride anytime, but especially in January in 40 degrees.

We had another fine ride on Tuesday afternoon over to and on the bike path from Winter Garden (FL) west to Clermont (where it's hilly) and back. 22 miles and change, 65-69 degrees. Here's a beautiful tree I stopped to take a photo of along the way, and an interesting sculpture (I commented on Facebook that I thought it looked like a bike and a corkscrew got together and had a child!)

Attachment 17951 Attachment 17950

Since then we've had a lot of rain so not sure when we'll get out again.

[azfiddle]

Crankin I am impressed. I hate riding in the cold!

I did about 10 miles after work on the Surly LHT. I stopped to try to help a mom on the bike path with a one speed cruiser get her back chain on. We ended up getting more help from a couple of guys but they fixed it. I don't have a replacement light yet and tried unsuccessfully to get home by sundown- but it wasn't quite dark. A couple more days of beautiful weather are coming - just in time to try my new bike this weekend! Then next week the temps are dropping down to a high of 50 or so for a few days so I'll be less enthusiastic.

[Catrin]

Good for you Crankin! I never could/wanted to ride much under 38 or so - and that on a day with sunshine and no wind

Azfiddle, glad you're having fun with the LHT! I remember mine well.

[lauraelmore1033]

Yesterday I did the "trial" ride for the Cascade club's training series, just to see if I will be ready for the series come april, and if I can actually ride in traffic again without freaking out. I've done the training series for the past 6-7 years and that first ride had gotten to be no biggie. I've lost so much ground that I was barely able to hang onto the back of the group(the slowest goup, in theory) and finish the ride yesterday. So disgusted. The traffic was also terrible because of extensive construction in the area, and drivers were very impatient. Riding near the arboretum in a lane marked with "sharrows" a woman screamed, "Get on the sidewalk!" at our group. In another spot, on Lake Washinton Boulevard, which is a parkway, I believe, a guy in a truck passed the group, laying on the horn. It didn't feel safe, and I know I wouldn't have been able to do the ride without the group.

[emily_in_nc]

Riding near the arboretum in a lane marked with "sharrows" a woman screamed, "Get on the sidewalk!" at our group. In another spot, on Lake Washinton Boulevard, which is a parkway, I believe, a guy in a truck passed the group, laying on the horn. It didn't feel safe, and I know I wouldn't have been able to do the ride without the group.

How awful! I don't get how anyone thinks riding on the sidewalk is safe. In many places it isn't even legal. I am sorry you had that experience. People can be so mean!

[Crankin]

Keep going, Lauraelmore, it will get easier.
I went to spin class Friday and today I did a short, 18 mile ride with DH. We worked at the condo all morning, doing the hardest part of putting up the Swanstone walls in the bathrooms. A 2X4 kind of fell and grazed my forearm (I was holding it all together, while DH put up the wood for bracing, so the Swanstone adheres to the wall). I am not injured, but a little sore. DH is very sore from lifting these huge pieces and doing all of the other work. But, it's 55 degrees out. Was 52 when we started and cloudy and windy. The sun came out, and I was overdressed, so I ended up taking my headcover off, which cooled me immediately! I felt really good riding, but DH was toast, so we came home.
It feels like the end of March or April out there.

[ny biker]

So sorry you had a bad day, Laura. The construction delays probably did frazzle everyone's nerves. And you are not alone in feeling out of shape -- I rode for a bit more than an hour today around my neighborhood and had that total-lack-of-muscle feeling in my legs. I have my work cut out for me to get back into good condition.

I rode my mountain bike today, for the first time in a long time. The last few times I rode it my wrists were bothering me. I put a new saddle on it and had the saddle position adjusted, and that actually helped somewhat with the wrist problem but it still wasn't comfortable enough for any long or technical rides. I think I might need a narrower handlebar. And today I had a new problem -- my heels were hitting the cranks when I pedaled. This never happened before. And just for fun I had some problems with the left shifter so that needs maintenance. My budget is pretty tight right now so I will probably have to wait a couple of months before I address these issues. One good thing is the new rear fender that I picked up the other night -- it fits the bike perfectly and is easy to put on or take off.

http://www.sks-germany.com/en/produc...de-28-29-zoll/

And of course the weather was great, 60F degrees and sunny with no wind. Even though I only rode for an hour (about 11 miles), it really helped clear my head. The amazing healing power of a bike ride!

[rebeccaC]

that West Orange Trail looks like a really nice ride emily!!!!

Working on a proposal for a national science foundation grant this weekend I was looking at the wind blowing through the palm trees and the rain out my window today and decided I wanted to challenge the weather gods. 30+ mph wet winds were a tough challenge but just what I needed to clear my mind from working, for being in the moment of a hard ride and for getting out of my comfort zone. I rode the beach bike path south to be away from the roads and associated water and wind debris. Pounding high tide surf, very few other people and the feelings of just rolling with and through what the weather was doing made for a great 38 mile ride. When riding in this kind of weather on the beach bike paths there is more sand being blown onto the path so I had my zen time of cleaning the bike when I got home too. So now I’m revived from working all weekend, ready to start up again and thankful Mother Nature gave me a good mental break and worked as a catalyst for more productive work tonight.

…..plus I’m not going to be deterred by the Hyades sisterhood of rain nymphs this winter!!!!!

[azfiddle]

We had great riding weather this weekend, in advance of some chilly, wet and super windy weather starting tonight. Saturday was the maiden voyage for my new bike and I really wanted to get a feel for the disc brakes. My husband and I included a couple of steep hills at Saguaro NP and up to milepost 3 on the Mt. Lemmon Highway (total 48 miles). Except for the saddle (which seems to fit okay but felt noticeably harder under the sit bones) everything was great. Since they used the measurements for my previous bike, based on a Retul fit I won a few years ago, there was an instant feeling of familiarity in the everything about the way I felt on the bike.

Today I stuck to a pretty flat route on part of the multi use paths which are continuing to expand through and around the city of Tucson, and got in about 40 miles. I planned the route to take advantage of a tail wind on the way home.

[emily_in_nc]

Did another ride on the West Orange Trail today with some wonderful temps -- about 68 starting out and 78 upon our return. Me likie! We stopped for Baskin Robbins on the way back (yum), a guy tried to beg money off us, and I got stung by a bee on the arm right at the end of the ride, so it wasn't a perfect ride, but a pretty darn good one. 37 miles and some wind meant my quads were pretty much gone when we got back. That's my longest ride in well over a year.

[Aromig]

Weather in the Midwest was pretty nice this weekend so I took the bike off of the trainer, changed the tire and got in 10 miles on Saturday (lack of time), a 30 mile brunch ride on Sunday, and even managed a 15 mile lunch ride yesterday. Storms are coming in today so the nice tire is coming off of the bike tonight and back on the trainer it goes.

[ny biker]

Aromig, are you expecting snow? I follow the weather in Nebraska (I have a nephew in school there) and I know they've got a blizzard today. I think it will be rain when it reaches the east coast. I hope whatever you get is not too bad.

I also am putting my bike back on the trainer, but am keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to get out for a ride this weekend.

[Aromig]

I'm in Indiana - and we did have some pretty rough rain in southern Indiana yesterday and we'll have some wind today but there's a possibility of outside riding this weekend! I put my bike back on the trainer last night because I want to ride indoors sometime in the next three days but I'm taking it off on Sunday! It's a bit of a pain changing tires to put it on the trainer, but in the past I've really chewed up my expensive tries and I don't like that either.

Speaking of expensive new tires -- I put a BRAND NEW Conti Grand Prix 4 season tire on my back wheel (the one on my front was on less than a month before we hit winter) on Sunday. 8 miles from home (and only like 20 miles on the new tire) I rode over railroad tracks, and heard an awful noise. I thought I'd broken a spoke (sounded like metal flipping around in the tire and hitting the bike). Changed the flat, couldn't find any broken spokes and got home. Went to air it up the next day and the tube popped. It turns out I had a half inch gash in my side wall (I must have picked something up on the tracks and that was the metal sound). I changed to the Conti Grand Prixs from the 4000s IIs because of the added sidewall protection. Ugggh. $80 a tire at my local bike shop (although I know you can find them cheaper online). Lucky me, I have gift certificate leftover from Christmas for the bike shop, just have to decide what tires I want.