Road Bike Racing - Weathering the weather

All fun must come to an end.

My outdoor training has slowed to a crawl. Morning dense fog, sleet, snow, rain.

"Don't kill the messanger," They say. But I think I'm going to punch the weatherman in the neck pretty soon if I can't get off the trainer and get outside. Screw the temps. I can handle that. It's this dense fog and ice crap that's keeping me indoors. I really feel for you fellows that have to train all winter indoors. You deserve the best.

OK I'm going to listen to some Emo and cut myself a few times.

Statistically, the coldest day of the year here in SE Michigan is January 23rd. So it's all downhill from here, right?

Of course, I probably can get out more often in January, because March and April are nothing but 35 degrees and rain... but I'm going to ignore that right now.

March and April are nothing but 35 degrees and rain... .

On behalf of the Tourism Board of the Great State of Michigan, I would like to clarify that this is NOT a fair assessment of April weather.
March? Definitely.

Up here in Rochester, there's a movement afoot to put an inflatable dome over our velodrome.
If this happens, there will be a non-stop traffic jam at the gates of Bloomer Park.

Yah, I'm ready to pack up and head to Tucson for a week.

http://www.bohemianscientist.org/images/blog06/headexplode.jpg

OK I'm going to listen to some Emo and cut myself a few times.

Good thinking. Self loathing can only lead you closer to Pcad Cycling Zen Weeniesan.

2 more months fellows, 2 more months and it should be very comfy.. even March has some pretty decent days.

Yah, I'm ready to pack up and head to Tucson for a week.

God. I just can't gloat enough. Coming to Tucson for January was quite possibly the best decision I've ever made.

God. I just can't gloat enough. Coming to Tucson for January was quite possibly the best decision I've ever made.

I'll pm you to ride if I decide to do it.

2 more months fellows, 2 more months and it should be very comfy.. even March has some pretty decent days.

This time of year it's like clawing your way out of a pit. groan.

I'll pm you to ride if I decide to do it.


I'm only here til the end of the month, then it's back to the great frozen north.

If you are looking for a ride: the fast local group ride is 7:30 AM Saturday's from near the main gate of the U of A. They call it the 'shootout', and for once a ride that deserves its goofy name

This time of year it's like clawing your way out of a pit. groan.

Does this level of whining constitute an interval workout for you?

Does this level of whining constitute an interval workout for you?

Only with proper electrolyte beverage:
http://www.samswine.com/imagemagic.php?img=images/products/53967.jpg&w=399&h=600&page=popup

Today - dense fog, rain, and then snow. Tomorrow - black ice until late.
Good lord, I'm getting cabin fever.

Only with proper electrolyte beverage:
http://www.samswine.com/imagemagic.php?img=images/products/53967.jpg&w=399&h=600&page=popup

ah, i see youve met some of the locals!

That's not Wild Turkey. This is Wild Turkey:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/patentcad/Turkey-fence.gif

Just outside Cotsis CAD World Headquarters a couple of weeks ago at 8AM.

^^^ I often wake up to those in my yard too :)
and a COYOTE last week!

real cold weather coming our way tonight, realllllllllllll cold :(

lol I went to a get together in NYC a couple nights ago. Telling the city folk where I live.

"Wait, where do you live now?"
"Well, let's put it this way. The cover of the Simsbury paper two Sundays ago had a picture of a bear in a tree. That bear was next door to our apartment complex. There were three bears that decided to check out that yard."
"Oh. That's out in the boonies then."

When the town has a page on its site for "Living with Bears"...
http://www.townofsimsbury.com/Public_Documents/Departments/SimsburyCT_Police/bears?textPage=1

Back on topic, my HTFU campaign has failed miserably. My fendered, lighted, and all around winter mountain bike has been indoors for the last week and a half. I've been doing (some massive) indoor workouts for that time.

yet to see a bear in the wild,
cdr

-20 with wind chill today. 6.5 hours of snowboarding = winter training.

I'm going to risk it today. I've gotta get out and train. It's 27F with wet streets (don't know if they're icy).

I'm going to risk it today. I've gotta get out and train. It's 27F with wet streets (don't know if they're icy).

You'll find out.

You'll find out.

That's the crap of it.

I went down hard on black ice two years ago. My first thought was 'that's gonna leave a mark'. I got back on my bike, straightened out the brifters and finished the 50 mile ride. That night I wake up @ 2AM, and look down at my right lower hip - and there is a grapefruit sized contusion there (no exaggeration). My first thought at that point was 'NFL dudes must wake up with these every Monday morning'.

It didn't hinder my riding and it wasn't that painful, but it looked awfully bizarre in lycra shorts for a few weeks. It healed without medical intervention of any kind. Advil and ice.

Here's what I learned about black ice that day, read it and remember:

• It was not freezing that morning. About 38º. It does not have to be freezing for there to be black ice, it can form overnight and persist after the temps rise.

• If it's below 40º or so and you see a shiny area on the pavement, steer clear. 99% of the time it's just dampness, but it can be black ice.

• If you stray onto a suspected patch of ice, stay calm and do not tilt or lean your bicycle. If you keep your wheels straight you may get away with it.

I'll keep all that in mind today. Thanks.


Update: 40+ miles no problems - except I was riding a much heavier bike with a 11-23 with some real tough climbing.

• It was not freezing that morning. About 38º. It does not have to be freezing for there to be black ice, it can form overnight and persist after the temps rise.
I agree. The other thing to realize is that just because you think you 'know' what the temperature is doesn't mean you know what the temperature is everywhere. There are plenty of localized temperature differences, and also depending on trees/light, some areas will be more prone to ice.

Here in Colorado, it's entertaining to see where the ice will stay for weeks. Typically in the places that just don't ever get any sunlight.

-bullseye

Here in Colorado, it's entertaining to see where the ice will stay for weeks. Typically in the places that just don't ever get any sunlight.

-bullseye


Wow thanks for that massive insight.


:p :p

couldn't resist that.

I've just been skate skiing instead of trying to fight the weather. Did about 4 hours each on Sat and Sunday. I'm planning to do the Crested Butte Alley loop marathon in two weeks so that will provide a good bump of training and hopefully set me up well for when the weather improves enough to get out reliably often. This trainer **** just isn't working for me lately.

I figure someone somewhere is waiting for me to chime in. Here is our weather around noon today

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/Cypress818/Picture3-1.png

Wow thanks for that massive insight.


:p :p

couldn't resist that.

I've just been skate skiing instead of trying to fight the weather. Did about 4 hours each on Sat and Sunday. I'm planning to do the Crested Butte Alley loop marathon in two weeks so that will provide a good bump of training and hopefully set me up well for when the weather improves enough to get out reliably often. This trainer **** just isn't working for me lately.

Please dear God, put me back in balmy Colorado. My employer has me stationed in the artic outpost that is Chicago -- flat, grey, ugly, frigid midwestern nothingness. No wonder everyone here is fat, what else are you going to do besides eat? Who on earth would choose to live here? It gets better: they want to stick me in Milwaukee for 6 weeks starting in February. :D

That's not Wild Turkey. This is Wild Turkey:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/patentcad/Turkey-fence.gif

Just outside Cotsis CAD World Headquarters a couple of weeks ago at 8AM.

Inside Cotsis CAD World Headquarters a couple of weeks ago at 2PM.

http://www.tonidunlap.com/turkey1a.jpg

mmmm Turkey.

-14 would suck but I think Chicago would be worse. Hit up those spin classes frostman.

http://www.cbnordic.org/alleyloop.html (Alley Loop)

http://www.cbnordic.org/images/alley_loop_2006.jpg

Minus 14ºF without the windchill? Sounds like great football weather in Green Bay.

God that does suck. I take back every Wussy thing I ever said about you C.

lol I went to a get together in NYC a couple nights ago. Telling the city folk where I live.

"Wait, where do you live now?"
"Well, let's put it this way. The cover of the Simsbury paper two Sundays ago had a picture of a bear in a tree. That bear was next door to our apartment complex. There were three bears that decided to check out that yard."
"Oh. That's out in the boonies then."

(CT != boonies) for all values of CT