Bike Forums - View Single Post - At what point would you say enough for the year?

10-24-08 | 06:46 AM

#48

MIKEnDC

Seeing things

Joined: Jan 2008

Posts: 518

Likes: 0

From: Maryland, USA

Bikes: '73 Bertin, '04 LeMond Poprad, Miyata 1000, and counting...

I’m a proponent of simplicity coupled with efficiency. I like to wear tights suited to the conditions—they are easy on/off and are absolutely purpose-built (I wear tri shorts at ~45F and above, knickers now (and down to about the freezing mark) and good winter-weight tights below 30F or so. At >15F I’ll add in silk long underwear.

Up top I wear hi-viz T shirts (long sleeve or sleeveless depending) with maybe a hi-viz vest in warmer weather. For most of this year’s warmest weather, I often wore just tri shorts and the vest (now THAT’S easy to get out of). As the weather gets cooler I add on a cycling jacket (I sprang for a Showers Pass Elite last Spring) and Smart Wool as necessary (just started wearing it this week, in fact).

My ride is pretty short, too—about 5 miles one way. I also have a locker and shower at work. I make regular supply runs (often on Saturday mornings on my way out for the day) where I sherpa in clean clothes for the week, breakfast stuff for the office fridge, and sodas, etc. Usually my commutes in during the week are light and fast—clean shirt for the day going in, and dirty shirt, socks and unmentionables going home (I get away with jeans at work).

Last year about this time I was asking myself a similar question, “so how long will I go into this winter thing?” The answer turned out to be, “all the way.”

By the time the truly cold winter temps settled in (mid-January around here last winter), I had already evolved my current setup (though I continue to tinker a little, of course). But simplicity is the key for me…

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