Before The Storm

Got a ride in before the storm. Sanity and safety kept it to 12 miles.

Before

Freezing Drizzle

Only Cyclist

It was a cold start and only got colder.
The only cyclist I saw today.

I expect even less tomorrow!

Winter Woe n Wear

One of the features I love most about recumbent riding is I can wear pretty much anything. No special clothes required. The best is Summer, shorts, t-shirt and sandals. Everyday attire and out the door. Unfortunately, Winter riding requires thought and preparation. It doesn't matter whether you darn Walmart put together or techie bike clothes. It still requires work. You have to check the weather and figure out what layers are best. Do I need the super heavy weight shirt? Wool cap, balaclava and which gloves to wear. No such thing as, I'll hop on the bike for a quick run to the store. Not a big deal for weekend warriors on a club ride, but is, if you use your bike for both sport and errands. Nothing like walking into the local market looking like some alien from outer space. It's a good thing I'm not too shy. The other issue is laundry and plenty of it. After all, I'm wearing two sets of clothes on each ride. It takes a lot to get out and ride but as my son says " it's better than being warm n toasty at work".

What It Takes

It would have been insane to ride in yesterday's weather.

This is what it took to get out on this freezing wind-swept day.

Thermal fleece shirt, hoodie, scarf, windbreaker, balaclava, beanie, heavy fleece pants, wool socks and ski gloves with liners. Some people might call that insane. 

What made the ride reasonably enjoyable was scaling down the miles, bright sunshine and appropriate dress.

Ice patch

Why I ride

More ice

Rule #12

The correct number of bikes to own is N+1 (number of bikes = N + one new one). The minimum being three. Nice if you can do it but the grass is not always greener. I first have to decide which bike to ride. If I haven't ridden that bike for a while my legs are sore. Each bike has a different seating style using different muscles. Alternating bikes puts my muscles in a state of flux. I have to re-acclimate them. When it's been awhile, the first few miles are, What did I see in this bike? Then it's, That's what I'm talkin about.  The longer I stay with one bike the stronger, faster and easier it is to pedal. I can concentrate on the ride not the bike which is what it's all about. Don't get me wrong I am fortunate to own some high-end bikes but it was a lot easier when I had one bike at a time. Sometimes I want to sell off some of the herd but I go, No I need that for...  Then I start drooling over a new trike out and thinking, Wouldn't it be great to have. It starts to get insanely complicated. The simple fact is, it doesn't matter what I ride as long as I ride.

Cold and Windy

I'm not complaining, well maybe a little, but, today's ride was cold and windy. It started sunny but soon deteriorated. Patchy blue skies gave way to dark clouds and whipping winds from the north at more than 20 mph. There was even light rain for a few miles. I was prepared with my wool cap and earmuffs, winter gloves and adequate layering. For my own sanity and trying to keep Winter Fur at bay, I managed just under 40 miles. I even went a few extra miles to the store. As tough as it might get it's always better than not riding.

Only Mid Fall

It's still hectic around here and with less daylight getting cycling time can be quite the challenge. It's only mid Fall and I notice some Winter fur. I got home early today and the weather was perfect. Low 60's, sunshine and winds under 10 mph. Getting out for a ride after noon was not something I'm use to but I had to take advantage of what might be one of the last great days of the year. I decided on the trike but a few miles into the ride my legs let me know I had muscles not used in awhile. I managed 30 miles and realized, I got to get out more.
KEEP RIDING!!!

6K

I just hit an incredible 6k miles for the year.  Best ever!  I am quite pleased with myself, but, more importantly, I'm having fun. Would love to have more Autumn days like today. Temps reaching 70, sun, little wind and colors at their peak. The rest of the year is all down hill from here.