Frozen snot century

Anyone know if it's planned for this year? If so, when?

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on January 19, 2012 at 11:45am

If i recall correctly, it's usually held on the last weekend of February

Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on January 19, 2012 at 11:46am

I remembered February, I couldn't remember when, and it's not on the bike winter calendar this year yet.

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on January 19, 2012 at 12:13pm
I am so joining this
Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on January 19, 2012 at 12:13pm

What is the route?

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on January 20, 2012 at 4:38am

It will probably be the last weekend in February - stay tuned for details.

Permalink Reply by Sir Bikes-A-Lot on February 3, 2012 at 3:37am

Count me in! I'll be keeping an eye out for the details.

Permalink Reply by ilter on February 13, 2012 at 3:33pm

bump.

any news?

Permalink Reply by JeffB on February 22, 2012 at 9:50am

I don't know if this is still being planned, but I have some questions about how you handle an all day ride like this in the winter. 

I rode 25 miles after work on Monday, when it was 40 degrees and a strong wind was at my back, and by the time I got home, my shirt was drenched and my toes were numb (but dry).  I was only out there for about 1 hr 40 min.  I was wearing a light windbreaker over a base-layer type shirt, and comfortable bike shoes and smartwool socks.

How do you manage to keep dry(ish), or keep from freezing if you do get overly sweaty on a ride so much longer than mine, especially if the ride is on a colder day?  Do you bring a change of clothes with you?  How often do you stop?  Can you do anything about your toes (stop more often?)?

Thanks for your advice.

Permalink Reply by S on February 22, 2012 at 10:03am

I think looking at what the mountaineering and ice climbing community uses is helpful.  Basically, the key is wearing multiple layers, making sure that your gear will still keep you warm if it gets wet and trying to stay as dry as possible.  If you're going to be doing variable levels of activity either put on or remove layers as your exertion levels change or have outer layers with things like pit zips so that you can reduce the level of insulation you have on as needed.  The cheaper route is to show down if you start overheating so that you don't sweat as much.

For your toes, look into wool socks combined with booties or better yet winter bike shoes like these.  Alternatively, use electric socks or chemical warmers to keep your feet warm.  Oh, somewhat counterintuitively, you want to have roomier shoes if possible.  Tight shoes will reduce circulation and make your feet colder.


JeffB said:

I don't know if this is still being planned, but I have some questions about how you handle an all day ride like this in the winter. 

I rode 25 miles after work on Monday, when it was 40 degrees and a strong wind was at my back, and by the time I got home, my shirt was drenched and my toes were numb (but dry).  I was only out there for about 1 hr 40 min.  I was wearing a light windbreaker over a base-layer type shirt, and comfortable bike shoes and smartwool socks.

How do you manage to keep dry(ish), or keep from freezing if you do get overly sweaty on a ride so much longer than mine, especially if the ride is on a colder day?  Do you bring a change of clothes with you?  How often do you stop?  Can you do anything about your toes (stop more often?)?

Thanks for your advice.

Permalink Reply by Liz on February 22, 2012 at 10:16am

I've opted to stop using cycling shoes and start using warm winter boots with thick wool socks for cold weather cycling, since I just can't keep my feet warm even in cycling shoes even with wool socks, chemical warmers and shoe covers, and I don't want to shell out big bucks for winter cycling boots. 

A heavy wool sweater over a base layer is much more breathable than a wind breaker and will keep you from overheating on top. 

My biggest winter problem in both skiing and cycling is keeping my bum and side of my thighs warm.  Even when I'm working hard those areas just don't stay warm.  I picked up some softshell pants with windproof paneling on those areas, but breath elsewhere and that seems to help a bit. 

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on February 22, 2012 at 10:19am

I did the FSC ride the last couple years. Last year was really nasty with snow and freezing rain. I wonder if anyone else wants to chime-in with the conditions from that ride?  I think that will be a ride that no one will forget.

Toe warmer packets, good gloves, goggles, and snow gear were absolutely necessary. Everyone managed with different levels of techy-ness or non-cycling specific gear.  I rode with rain pants, wool long-johns, and a ibex wool bib, winter boots with splats on top, and at times used plastic bags to cover my ski mittens. I also wore a ski-helmet, goggles, and a wool baliclava. I was pretty comfortable, considering the conditions.

An interesting winter tidbit is that fendered bikes ended up jamming with ice and snow. This caused frequent stops and increased rolling resistance. The ice also froze derailleurs in place and reduced some bikes to single-speeds. I didn't have fenders that day and was an absolutely filthy mess from all of the road spray.

Another thing is that people were generally under-lighted for the conditions. Blinky lights made for urban environments don't cut it in on unlit rural roads, especially in the sleet.

Also, bring extra food and water, and have a place to store the food and water where it wont freeze.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on February 22, 2012 at 10:41am

Thanks for the replies.  Do people stick together on this ride?  What's the general pace (assuming cold, but dry, weather)?

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