Fifty Plus (50+) - Darn Weather

It finally turned warm for a few days here. But the wind has been blasting 20 mph with stronger gusts. I have no desire for outdoor riding is winds like that. I still ride my trainer, but that's a poor alternative to outdoor riding when its 60 degrees.

I say get out there and fight like a man! The winds down here have been 20-25mph with 30-35mph gusts since last Thursday. I have not ridden as many miles as usual but I have gotten in 65 miles. The good news is that 80% of my ride is cross wind so I only really have to fight it head on for 10%. I just put it in low gear get my head down and spin, spin spin. It is daunting to have your HR at 180bpm while only moving at 15mph.

It's been a crappy Fall here in MI too. Ususally I can ride pretty regularly into November on those nice, dry, crisp fall days and evenings. But we've had precious few of those; the weather has been November-like since early October this year, and even September was unusually cold and rainy. And the rain always seemed to fall on my regular club ride nights. Ugh. I gave up and put the OCR2 on the trainer last week (with one of those Conti trainer tires...boy those are hard to mount!).

Tomorrow's supposed to be pretty nice -- but the weather has set me behind on yardwork too, so unless I get dispensation from Mrs. I don't know if I'll get a chance to ride! Fingers crossed -- maybe I can take the fixie out for a quick spin.

Last weekend in usually sunny South Florida, we had 20+ mph winds and some light rain, but it was about 80 degrees. I rode and it was kind of fun.

Don't let the rain stop you!

Wind is just an invisible hill. Embrace it. It will make you stronger.

Hard to embrace wind when it
1) Is blowing at 30 mph in your face on a 8 mile false-flat that is really a 1 to 1 1/2% hill, and
2) Is the same 30 mph wind is a cross wind blowing me into traffic on a narrow shouldered main
highway with cars, trucks and semi-tractors going at 70 mph.

Nope, I find I mostly avoid those strongly windy days in there here parts! Call me a wimp if you must!

I'm right there with you. Give me a hill over wind any day!! Fortunately we're having 3 days in a row of ideal riding weather here.

I really like riding in wild conditions. I just love the scene from Forrest Gump, where Gary Sinese is up on the mast of the shrimp boat during the howling storm, calling on God to just bring it on. That's what I say when I'm out in the wind and driving rain. I just love watching the water spraying up from the front wheel onto the front fender, and splashing against the down tube, and dripping off the chain and handlebars. I love it when I'm at a stoplight and I make a tight fist and all sorts of water wrings out of my neoprene gloves. I love fighting the wild gusts that sometimes feel like you're gonna be airborne on your bike, like a sailboard out on the tropic waves.

Most of all, I think I just love the idea of being the toughest, meanest m**f** out there.

- L.

Hard to embrace wind when it
1) Is blowing at 30 mph in your face on a 8 mile false-flat that is really a 1 to 1 1/2% hill, and
2) Is the same 30 mph wind is a cross wind blowing me into traffic on a narrow shouldered main
highway with cars, trucks and semi-tractors going at 70 mph.

Nope, I find I mostly avoid those strongly windy days in there here parts! Call me a wimp if you must!

It is definetly a mindset you have to get in to fight it. Since I generally ride in the afternoon and there is always at least a 10mph sea breeze to deal with. Since last Thursday until yesterday it has been a steady 20mph with 30+mph gusts. When it is that strong I don't even bother looking at how fast I am going, I just put my head down and find a comfortable cadence and spin through it thinking that since I don't have any hills to climb this is my challenge. Now it would surely be tougher if the temp was <60F but at 75F it is not all that uncomfortable.

We've had, notice I say had, three days of unusually light winds and warm temps. However, I walked out to the mailbox this morning and was assaulted by a stiff cold East breeze. Brrrrrr, Winter is back!