Cycle 05:26 am - Morning Commute
16 January, 2009 06:32
When I stepped out of the house, I felt overdressed, but after the hour+ of riding was over, I knew that I had to make some changes in how I dressed.
For one, the balaclava needs to go. It gets too wet from my breath, forms frost on the outside, and then I can't breath at all. A face mask that keeps space between my mouth and nose would be the best.
Second, with the wind from the north, I needed more face protection. A knitted ski mask that covers everything except the eyes, and mouth would be better.
I wore ski goggles to protect my eyes. They worked well, except an untinted version would be better--very hard to find.
My feet were starting to get cold even though I wore a CoolMax inner layer followed by two pair of thick wool socks, plastic bags, shoes, neoprene booties, and fabric booties. I think I violated the need to have as much air space as possible--two pair of wool socks definitely made for cramped quarters in my shoes.
Hands--covered by a pair of cotton gloves, then Gore Windstopper gloves, then a pair of wool socks. They stayed warm during the entire ride. I didn't prespire into them too badly, either.
All in all, it was a good ride to try things regarding dressing for the cold. It was bearable this morning. If there's a next time, I'll address the specific problem areas, hopefully making the ride more comfortable.
Activity
Code:
Route: -- Elev. Avg: 238 ft
Location: Essex, MD, Elev. Gain: +393 ft
Date: 01/16/09 Up/Downhill: [+1131/-738]
Time: 06:41 AM Difficulty: 5.0 / 5.0
Weather:
Code:
14 F temp; 41% humidity
14 F heat index; winds WNW 19 mph
Performance
Code:
Distance: 13.39 miles
Time: 1:06:02
Speed: 12.2 mph
Pace: 4' 55 /mi
Calories: 630
Notes
Code:
Ok. It was a good test of my cold weather gear. I need to update my "spec"
for dressing for 0-20 degress F (but, the windchill according to weather.gov
placed temps at -3 F).