I rode today. Did you?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Janet Lefley on
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Yes, I rode yesterday and I plan on taking my dog in my trailer on a trip by bicycle later this afternoon. It'll be in the mid 20's, so it'll feel also balmy. If you'd like to see the dog trailer/arctic outfit, visit my blog, www.TuttleTattle.blogspot.com.
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Permalink Reply by Duppie on
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Nice to hear you rode yesterday.
Cold weather does make me a little slower. It appears I run out of air quicker than during warm weather. Not sure if there is any medical explanation for this. I've been riding for a while now, and in the winter it is common for me to feel tired once I get home (I commute 20 mile RT). In the summer I rarely have that feeling.
As for soreness, I do get sore in my back during cold weather and for me it is clearly caused by muscles tightening up from waht must be the cold. Gluteus, piriformis, hamstrings and calves all tighten up, causing the pain in my lower back. Stretching all these muscles appropriately makes the pain in the lower back disappear within hours. Also make sure that those muscles are covered appropriately.
Ironika Leigh said:i rode yesterday! and it was pretty cold - and i'm from la. but it was still fine.
i do have a question for the more experienced winter bikers. why the hell am i so sore today? everything hurts, especially my calves. now, i've not been riding long, i'm woefully out of shape and woefully old. but i only rode a couple miles, which i do all the time. it really was a nothing ride. i might have rode a little faster, but something was kicking my ass. i had to go down a gear or two for a nothing errand run.
am i just aging really really fast??
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Permalink Reply by knowbody on
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thinkin' that your blood went to the core when you were cold leaving less oxygen and nutrients to the extremedes exposing more of the toxins that would otherwise be trapped in the muscles. heheheh... also all a part of being (c)old.
Ironika Leigh said:i rode yesterday! and it was pretty cold - and i'm from la. but it was still fine.
i do have a question for the more experienced winter bikers. why the hell am i so sore today? everything hurts, especially my calves. now, i've not been riding long, i'm woefully out of shape and woefully old. but i only rode a couple miles, which i do all the time. it really was a nothing ride. i might have rode a little faster, but something was kicking my ass. i had to go down a gear or two for a nothing errand run.
am i just aging really really fast??
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Permalink Reply by Ironika Leigh on
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thanks. i have some health issues and am glad to know it's not related - biking in winter is just going to be harder. i would start out ok - then three blocks later would shift down, like, two gears. it didn't look windy, but it FELT windy. once i stopped to go in a store, i was fine when i came out; same actually for just stopping at lights. my endurance is shit.
on the plus side - i'll be a riding maniac by summer. a little muscle tone wouldn't kill me either.
oh - and now i feel i've earned my bikewinter sticker. i've decided only to adorn my bike with stickers i've earned (so far "fuck gas" and "bike naked" ... i'm not sure how i top this trio.
on a side note: the streets were fine, but two yards into the alley next to my house and i nearly fell twice. that ice is not kidding - will definitely decide days i ride vs days i hoof.
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IITWI, are you happy now with your taunting?
Thanks to you we'll have this next week:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/12/subzero-deep-freeze-to-h...
;)
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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on
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Yup, saw that last night on the news. May see what my low temp cut-off point is next week . . .
Duppie said:IITWI, are you happy now with your taunting?
Thanks to you we'll have this next week:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/12/subzero-deep-freeze-to-h...
;)
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Permalink Reply by judy s on
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Yes i rode today wednesday and yes it was cold but they bike in the cold all the time in norway and copenhagen!!
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Permalink Reply by Sarah G on
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I too have been riding around and this is my first 'bike winter'! I am enjoying it but I am still tentative. I am really scared of ice so I am trying to only bike when there is daylight. My only complaint is that when its 8 degrees then my hands are cold despite the layers of gloves.
I bought a trailer for my daughter and she only wants to ride in the trailer. If I come to get her from daycare without it she cries miserably and makes me feel guilty!
I also find that when I actually do ride at 5pm that cars are really angry on the road. People seem more anxious than ever to get where they are going at certain times of the day. It seems worse to me than the summer/fall.
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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on
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Go Serge!
Serge Lubomudrov said:Yes I did! It was around 22°F, with, by Chicago standards, almost no wind (SSW 7MPH). And I've finally tried that neat My Tracks thingie on my phone :)
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thanks for the tips. i think my typical mentality is to suck it up for those really brutal parts - i should just get off my bike and walk it! i'm really good about taking the train to supplement riding, so i have that in my favor. but this was little neighborhood errands that just clobbered me.
i talked to a PT friend who said i was probably extremely tensed up because of the ice and cars and general newbie riding fears. i think she's probably right, especially as rush hour got closer. i also have swiss cheese bones - so if i go down even a little, i'm breaking something. i was aware even at the time that my stress about that was increased exponentially by snow and ice. and cars around me on snow and ice. and potholes. chicago is treacherous - what the hell am i doing?
add this to what you're talking about - adjusting for range of motion, uncomfortable and bulky layers - and i should have anticipated some increase in difficulty. if anyone's wondering: those wool bern helmet inserts work amazingly. but even that was different in terms of what i could see, etc.
thanks so much for the advice. i really am going to keep at it! just a little smarter and less terrified next time.
Cameron Puetz said:With out a doubt winter ridding will wear you down faster than summer ridding. In addition to the reasons Shapeshifter talked about that can’t be helped, pay attention to your layering choices. If something that you’re wearing is limiting your range of motion in a way that makes you ride with bad form, winter will wear you down even faster. For example I used to ride in coat that pulled across my shoulders when I rode on the hoods or drops of my road bike. As a result I avoided those positions and gripped the handlebars oddly when braking. Therefore my forearms were always sore after a ride.
As for the ice, don’t be afraid to mix and match ridding and walking. For most of last winter, I’d walk a block down my poorly maintained side street and then start ridding when I got to a well plowed street. Also don’t be afraid to mix and match cycling and the CTA. In Chicago we’re fortunate to have a range of transportation choices and the ability to combine them. At off peak hours use the El to over the bulk of your trip, but take your bike with you for the last part of your trip and avoid having to wait in the cold to transfer to a bus.
Ironika Leigh said:thanks. i have some health issues and am glad to know it's not related - biking in winter is just going to be harder. i would start out ok - then three blocks later would shift down, like, two gears. it didn't look windy, but it FELT windy. once i stopped to go in a store, i was fine when i came out; same actually for just stopping at lights. my endurance is shit.
on the plus side - i'll be a riding maniac by summer. a little muscle tone wouldn't kill me either.
oh - and now i feel i've earned my bikewinter sticker. i've decided only to adorn my bike with stickers i've earned (so far "fuck gas" and "bike naked" ... i'm not sure how i top this trio.
on a side note: the streets were fine, but two yards into the alley next to my house and i nearly fell twice. that ice is not kidding - will definitely decide days i ride vs days i hoof.
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Permalink Reply by Holly on
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I've notice the car drivers tend to be a lot more bitchy than usual. Maybe they're not used to winter yet. I don't think it's any worse than the really hot dog days of summer, but still...I thought they'd be more courteous.
Your girl can be your biking buddy! That's so sweet. So, do you bribe her with the promise of a ride in the trailer the next morning?
Sarah Graff said:I too have been riding around and this is my first 'bike winter'! I am enjoying it but I am still tentative. I am really scared of ice so I am trying to only bike when there is daylight. My only complaint is that when its 8 degrees then my hands are cold despite the layers of gloves.
I bought a trailer for my daughter and she only wants to ride in the trailer. If I come to get her from daycare without it she cries miserably and makes me feel guilty!
I also find that when I actually do ride at 5pm that cars are really angry on the road. People seem more anxious than ever to get where they are going at certain times of the day. It seems worse to me than the summer/fall.
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I think it has more to do with the holiday stress gift buying frenzy we are leading up to than just winter. (I hope). Perhaps after Xmas the nasty drivers will settle down.
Holly said:I've notice the car drivers tend to be a lot more bitchy than usual. Maybe they're not used to winter yet. I don't think it's any worse than the really hot dog days of summer, but still...I thought they'd be more courteous.
Your girl can be your biking buddy! That's so sweet. So, do you bribe her with the promise of a ride in the trailer the next morning?
Sarah Graff said:I too have been riding around and this is my first 'bike winter'! I am enjoying it but I am still tentative. I am really scared of ice so I am trying to only bike when there is daylight. My only complaint is that when its 8 degrees then my hands are cold despite the layers of gloves.
I bought a trailer for my daughter and she only wants to ride in the trailer. If I come to get her from daycare without it she cries miserably and makes me feel guilty!
I also find that when I actually do ride at 5pm that cars are really angry on the road. People seem more anxious than ever to get where they are going at certain times of the day. It seems worse to me than the summer/fall.
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