General Cycling Discussion - are you ready for the outdoor riding season yet?

for those that do not ride during the cold weather, are you ready yet for the upcoming warm weather season?

what have you done, or what do you do to get ready for riding?

all i have left to do is have my bike tuned up and clean the camel bak bladders, (they are in the fridge filled with water right now, but they should still be cleaned).

dont really need to but i also want to buy some more cycling shorts, jerseys.

what about the rest of you?

I have been able to ride outside for a few weeks now and the training is going well. Now I just need to shave my darned legs. I just can't get myself to do it year round. somehow I have this feeling that as soon as I shave it will snow for three weeks straight and it will be all my fault!

Originally posted by N_C
for those that do not ride during the cold weather, are you ready yet for the upcoming warm weather season?

Is Iowa really that cold, is the ground always covered in ice and snow.does the sun not shine, or am I missing something? I ride all year.Sometimes, it's even cold.

yes i ride all year too... only stop when the roads(i live in the downtown core) are really icy.. my slicks don't like them..or the streetcar tracks... can't wait to buy my mtn bike...end of feb.. counting the days.. yeah.
oh John.. get some arm warmers.. the wind bites.

I never stop riding outside and I'm always either in New Jersey or New Hampshire.

Cold season here so far is about 48-50 in the morning.I almost think about full gloves.LOL

I have my bike on the rollers now have been there since November and will probably be there until late March, and because of that I have probably made like 3000 kilometers on my rollers, I think, I am ready to go.....

pokey,
right now it is 21 degrees F outside with about a inch of snow on the ground and we have freezing rain falling. so you tell me if you'd risk riding in it?

for me its not so much the cold temps., unless its in the single digits with a below zero wind chill. its the slick conditions. people have a hard enough time driving in conditions like this let alone try to ride a bike in it. plus by the time i get home from work, between 5:30 & 6:00 pm cst right now its to dark for me to feel comfortable with riding. my normal work shift is from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, so my boss knows that once the warm weather is here and there is more daylight i wont be working as much OT as i am now.

My season starts January 1st and ends December 31st. To wake up, nothing is more effective than a commute at -25 C. Oh! Fenders are a must in slush.

Regards,

I've been riding all winter :o

We haven't missed a day of riding yet this year. Of course there is a bit of ice around.....

Wait ..wait...MB1 i see studs on those slicks..:)
good trick.. wish i could do that.. last time i tried i collided with an ice hut.

Well, here in Queensland, winter riding is generally preferable to summer riding (decreased risk of skin cancer, dehydration, heat stroke etc etc). Five months into summer (two left), I haven't stopped riding yet.

Originally posted by MB1
We haven't missed a day of riding yet this year. Of course there is a bit of ice around.....

Hey MB1 you must have a death wish! (I have to admit I am impressed though).

Originally posted by N_C
pokey,
right now it is 21 degrees F outside with about a inch of snow on the ground and we have freezing rain falling. Yikes!Yet another reason not to live in Iowa.

pokey, you think 21 degrees is cold? where do you live?

21 isnt to bad, considering. the coldest temps. we have ever experienced was a minus 30 below zero with a minus 85 below zero wind chill. the wind was gusting up to 50 mph. thankfully this only lasted for about half a day. this was about 6 years ago. even people who had attached garages had a hard time getting their cars started that morning. any exposed skin instantly froze.

I am ready to go! The weather isn't too cold around here this winter, but we've got a lot of rain. My wife bought a new bike for herself a week ago and can't wait to give it a try. Maybe this weekend if the rain lets up. I think I need a new pair of gloves and a spare pair of shorts to get me started this year.

You could, of course, not be so selfish and send some of it down here. Right at the moment we would welcome a major flood.

Originally posted by N_C
pokey, you think 21 degrees is cold? where do you live?

The land of cheap whiskey,trailer parks and endless sunshine.:D :D

pokey,
would that be in arkansas, georgia, or tennessee?

Originally posted by N_C
pokey,
would that be in arkansas, georgia, or tennessee? What and let everyone in on this paradise,and tip off the FBI about my whereabouts??? Go play eskimo in chilly Iowa.

Contrary to popular belief, Colorado is actually semi-arid along most of the front range. We don't get a lot of snow and we are currently in a drought so I haven't missed many rides due to weather. I recently began commuting by bicycle again after recovering from the sciatica I had been suffering with and whining about and so far, the weather has been pretty agreeable.

Actually, I don't find drought to be at all agreeable for cycling. We've had plenty of bushfire smoke in recent times around here (I'd rather ride in hail), and the total lack of rain lately has left a definite (and extremely slippery) covering of oil on many roads.