I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on January 21, 2011 at 12:56pm
I rode today. My commute this morning at about 645 AM, was not as bad as I thought it would be.
The wind was at my back in the morning. My fingers got a little cold, but otherwise I was quite warm.
THis evening heading back, I was going into the wind. But it wasnt so bad.
Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on January 21, 2011 at 1:25pm

Holly, my guess is you're already doing it right. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to layer properly for riding a bike and walking dogs/standing around. Your "roasting hot" clothes are probably the proper setup for dog walking/standing around. Carry the last layer (e.g. ski pants, extra torso layer) with you while you ride. Put it on when you stop riding, and before you walk dogs. My rule of thumb for cold weather bicycling is that my physical exertion is going to make me feel about 20 degrees warmer as compared to standing around in the same weather conditions.

 

Congratulations on riding today. The big secret to winter cycling is that it's not nearly as difficult as people imagine.  

Holly said:

I did! Yay!

I was mostly roasting hot, too! I can't help it...I have to overdress because I stay outdoors most of the time.

I wish I could just master the proper layering techinique. Does anyone feel like they are spot on with it? If so, what are you wearing?

Permalink Reply by Matt Wolfe on January 21, 2011 at 1:53pm

No sweat - actually some sweat because I over dressed.  I picked up a soft shell from 66North made with Polartec Power Shield fleece and the thing is sick.  Super light and thin, no wind gets through, and yet it still breathes so I never feel hot.  Today I didn't think it would be up to the challenge so I layered a wind stopper jacket over top, but it was too much.  Digging out my snowboarding goggles was best decision that I made today.

 

My headlight refused to emit more than a dull glow though; hopefully there won't be too many more like today.

 

Thanks to the three strangers who gave me a thumbs up, it made my morning.  

Permalink Reply by Rico on January 21, 2011 at 2:13pm
Hell yes! It really wasn't too bad today (minus the snot freezing on my face), I just kept on wiggling my toes and fingers. The morning commute on Milwaukee was dead...I saw nobody at 6:30 :( . I did see quite a few people on the way home though.
Permalink Reply by Red Tornado on January 21, 2011 at 2:55pm

i rode home from dolton last night (20 miles) and it wasn't so bad except for the 10+ mile headwind but what was bad was the fact that my freewheel i guess kept freezing up so whenever i'd slack pedaling at all, i would lose all torque and the cranks would be spinning without any momentum.  i stopped several times to squeeze some more lube into it but man, it just didn't seem to last at all.  am i not applying enough?  is there something better to use?  or is it just too goddamn cold outside or do i need a better freewheel?

this is some brutal cold ass weather outside, and when i ride tonight i expect to have the same problem, trying to keep tension in the cranks and  stay pedaling the whole time (i've never wanted a fixie)

i don't know if you've covered this topic yet, i've only JuST been scrolling the pages but very insightful, i and helpful to know other bikers going through the same shit.  it's a test of will, to ride every day, here.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on January 21, 2011 at 4:28pm

The goggles seal up too tight. Get a a pair of big safety glasses, they block the wind so your eyes don't water but have air flow so your perspiration doesn't cause fogging on the lenses.



H3N3 said:

I had knives of cold in my temples (from my eyewear holding the balaclava open ) but on days like this I have the luxury of self-consolation via consideration of the fact that my commute is so short (<10 minutes) I could ride in shorts and a tank top and probably not suffer any permanent injury.

Got to go in a hair later so the bright, bright sunlight was definitely welcome, and high air pressure days like today take about 20 years off my spine.

I haven't got around to trying to solve the fogging problem on my goggles so I can wear them. Guess I'll try the toothpaste trick first . . .

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on January 21, 2011 at 4:31pm

It was nice psychologically with the bright sunshine but  I have trouble breathing when it gets this cold.

This is when I use my day pass, I still bike to the train, bus go short distances from there but no 10 mile rides doing errands.

Permalink Reply by Martha Williams on January 22, 2011 at 10:21am
Friday, I wore my ski goggles for the first time, and it was a dream. The amber lenses make the world look about 50% better. For real. I think I went a little overboard with the wool layers though. Next time I'll leave the 3rd sweater at home.
Permalink Reply by Holly on January 23, 2011 at 9:17am

Kevin-- I think you're right. I've got to do some clothes toting with my pannier.  Those ski pants are slowing me down, but I'm so delighted to have them when I'm walking. The parka is a bit much, too. I probably really look like the newbie I am.

 

It's nice to finally feel like I've been let in on the "big secret" of winter bicycling. It really isn't that hard, and most of the time it's fun, too. Thanks to all of you folks for inspiring me this winter!


Kevin Conway said:

Holly, my guess is you're already doing it right. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to layer properly for riding a bike and walking dogs/standing around. Your "roasting hot" clothes are probably the proper setup for dog walking/standing around. Carry the last layer (e.g. ski pants, extra torso layer) with you while you ride. Put it on when you stop riding, and before you walk dogs. My rule of thumb for cold weather bicycling is that my physical exertion is going to make me feel about 20 degrees warmer as compared to standing around in the same weather conditions.

 

Congratulations on riding today. The big secret to winter cycling is that it's not nearly as difficult as people imagine.  

Holly said:

I did! Yay!

I was mostly roasting hot, too! I can't help it...I have to overdress because I stay outdoors most of the time.

I wish I could just master the proper layering techinique. Does anyone feel like they are spot on with it? If so, what are you wearing?

Permalink Reply by kathleen on January 24, 2011 at 8:35am

I've been out of the saddle for a month, but today I'm BACK. Something starts to make the bus look appealing in mid-December, I don't know, I can't explain it. The thrill of being able to read while travelling to work wears off pretty fast. "Oh my god are we stopping AGAIN??"  So I can't justify myself at all, but I'm glad to be back.

Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on January 24, 2011 at 8:49am

Holly-I agree with Kevin's suggestions.  I'm always fine on the bike and then freezing while I'm at work.  When I did the three floyds ride last Saturday, I put on a layer once at the restaurant and stayed pretty comfortable.

 

 

 

Holly said:

Kevin-- I think you're right. I've got to do some clothes toting with my pannier.  Those ski pants are slowing me down, but I'm so delighted to have them when I'm walking. The parka is a bit much, too. I probably really look like the newbie I am.

 

It's nice to finally feel like I've been let in on the "big secret" of winter bicycling. It really isn't that hard, and most of the time it's fun, too. Thanks to all of you folks for inspiring me this winter!


Kevin Conway said:

Holly, my guess is you're already doing it right. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to layer properly for riding a bike and walking dogs/standing around. Your "roasting hot" clothes are probably the proper setup for dog walking/standing around. Carry the last layer (e.g. ski pants, extra torso layer) with you while you ride. Put it on when you stop riding, and before you walk dogs. My rule of thumb for cold weather bicycling is that my physical exertion is going to make me feel about 20 degrees warmer as compared to standing around in the same weather conditions.

 

Congratulations on riding today. The big secret to winter cycling is that it's not nearly as difficult as people imagine.  

Holly said:

I did! Yay!

I was mostly roasting hot, too! I can't help it...I have to overdress because I stay outdoors most of the time.

I wish I could just master the proper layering techinique. Does anyone feel like they are spot on with it? If so, what are you wearing?

Permalink Reply by Holly on January 24, 2011 at 12:01pm

Packed the ski pants today. Didn't need them. Wore the cycling windproof jacket. Didn't need an extra coat as I had on three layers under it.


I am pretty fine as long as it's in the 20s, when it's below 20 things start to become daunting. That means I've upped my tolerance level by 25 degrees in just a couple of months! I never used to hit the road when it was below 45ish.

 

Nice day--wet roads and gloomy out there, but it as Madeline says on today's blog entry: "Riding in the winter gives me a persistent feeling that I'm getting away with something."

 

 

jamimaria said:

Holly-I agree with Kevin's suggestions.  I'm always fine on the bike and then freezing while I'm at work.  When I did the three floyds ride last Saturday, I put on a layer once at the restaurant and stayed pretty comfortable.

 

 

 

Holly said:

Kevin-- I think you're right. I've got to do some clothes toting with my pannier.  Those ski pants are slowing me down, but I'm so delighted to have them when I'm walking. The parka is a bit much, too. I probably really look like the newbie I am.

 

It's nice to finally feel like I've been let in on the "big secret" of winter bicycling. It really isn't that hard, and most of the time it's fun, too. Thanks to all of you folks for inspiring me this winter!


Kevin Conway said:

Holly, my guess is you're already doing it right. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to layer properly for riding a bike and walking dogs/standing around. Your "roasting hot" clothes are probably the proper setup for dog walking/standing around. Carry the last layer (e.g. ski pants, extra torso layer) with you while you ride. Put it on when you stop riding, and before you walk dogs. My rule of thumb for cold weather bicycling is that my physical exertion is going to make me feel about 20 degrees warmer as compared to standing around in the same weather conditions.

 

Congratulations on riding today. The big secret to winter cycling is that it's not nearly as difficult as people imagine.  

Holly said:

I did! Yay!

I was mostly roasting hot, too! I can't help it...I have to overdress because I stay outdoors most of the time.

I wish I could just master the proper layering techinique. Does anyone feel like they are spot on with it? If so, what are you wearing?

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