Originally Posted by
jlstrat
Finally hit the teens here in PA (Fahrenheit). I rode on Tuesday and it was in the low 20s (approx -6 Celsius). I forgot my Endura wind pants. Big mistake. I did about 30 miles the last ten in heavy wind and when I got home my legs were as red as lobsters. Went out of Wednesday and it was in the teens. Took the pants, layered up, was pretty warm. I noticed a few ice patches, so yesterday I put my Nokian snow tires on. They're noisy, heavy, and slow, but they really do grip the road. I think it's OK to reduce mileage, maybe even time on these rides. Riding in the cold weather is a lot of work, and if you add the Nokians, it's even more effort. Comments appreciated. 16 degrees today (-8 Celsius).
Personally, I think it is better to ride frequently than to ride far or fast.
So, with that in mind, I will often shorten a ride (both in mileage as well as time) for a number of reasons:
-- Cold
-- Rain
-- Other, important things to do
-- Feeling tired
-- Feeling bored
-- Feeling uncomfortable
So, rather than push myself to do something I do not want to be doing at the moment, I would rather cut the ride short and try to do better the next day.
I guess the macho crowd would scoff at such a whimpy attitude...
But, I am (hopefully) in it for the long haul -- and I think keeping it safe and fun is more important than any single accomplishment.
Instead, I try to set a mileage goal (20-30 miles/day) and a frequency goal (5-6 days a week). But I don't want to kill the golden goose. So, if it isn't working that day, then I think getting in 8 miles is better than no miles. And, hopefully tomorrow will be better.