My riding friend who I ride a lot with and admire is a 65 year old guy and has done so much with riding. He is a good friend. We email back and fourth a lot during the day. Today he sends me an email:

"let me say this in a kind way!

you need to start making some smarter decisions when it comes to riding your bike.
Riding in 25 mph winds at 6 in the morning is not normal.

My guys that spin with me are dedicated fast bikers but laugh when I ask them if they are going out in this wind.

I felt bad that no one was able to ride with you on the weekend so I offered to ride in center city.
With the temp at 35 tomorrow and 17 mph winds there is no enjoyment other than the fact we said we were riding and everyone thinks we are nuts.

Sunday with 35 temp and 12 mph wind is just as bad.

Do I need to ride on either day? No way! just wanted to give you a chance to ride, I got plenty to do right here that will keep me busy.

I know you have the gung ho attitude, but how long can your body keep going at this rate?"

Sorta hurt my feelings but my response:
Thanks for the note.

There are people that commute every day of the year, rain or shine. Take a look at the forum and the pictures of the web site I have linked to you before. That is what is great about riding. It doenst need to be a summer sport. It can be done all year around. Look at the commuters with the WCBC and BCP. People who ride all year long. Two GIRLS that work at Campbells ride all year long because they dont own a car. There would only be one decision if you didnt have a car and that would be to ride.

Heck, I enjoy it. Understand that I am not riding my road bike in weather like this but my mtn bike commuter, it is pretty neat and I love the challenge. What is fun is getting there and the journey. Whats fun is when people look at you like you are crazy. I dont care. It is fun for me. Plus it is great excersise.

Take a look at this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...love-Commuting

It might give you some understanding.

Would this type of riding be good for the weekend? Not really. Maybe it wouldnt be fun.... maybe it would be. For me its about getting out. ITs about the journey and getting to the finish. I love it Jim. "

25 mph wind isn't too bad. It makes the ride more difficult, but it's not especially dangerous. I wouldn't go out in anything over 50 mph, though.

BTW, is there a law somewhere that says people have to be "normal". What does that even mean?

He's just jealous. Tell him to HTFU. We had more than 100" of snow here last year (Boston MA). Some people, even bikers, don't get it.

You don't owe him or anyone else an explanation. If you want to ride, then ride. If he doesn't want to then he shouldn't.

Like Nike says: Just Do It.

Today on the way home is 40 mph wind. I loved it. Of course 80% of it was a tailwind and it was 35 degrees out but it was still so much fun.

geez, this is starting to sound like some posts one might find on facebook, in the 13 and under section (if there is one).

the wind was bad today I was leaning into it getting blown around and horrible head on winds. I was going to do a small credit card tour down around the washington area this weekend I passed. My legs felt like jello I am going to pass and fatten up this weekend and take the train.

I don't think it's fair to compare a commute to a recreational ride. Even though they may ride in some pretty poor weather for a necessary commute to work/school, many (most?) riders would probably avoid the same for a fun only ride. I know I would.

One thing we get as commuters when we successfully ride through the hellish conditions we tolerate sometimes is to get a great sense of accomplishment. I love the feeling when I get off the bike, the feeling that I accomplished something special. If people don't want to ride with me, that's fine - it's their choice - but the feelings we get are not replaceable. My large family tells me I'm crazy for commuting on my bike, especially on foul weather days, and especially because I have two cars sitting in the driveway. But they always tell me I'm crazy with a certain amount of respect, and you can tell they wish they could do things like that too. Then they say "I'm proud of you for not giving up". They call me crazy, but look up to me for doing it.

Part of the "unspoken fellowship of the commuter" is the fact that we ride in nasty weather, we ride through traffic, we ride with panniers or backpacks and still enjoy it. It's not recreation: it's more. Kind of like riding long miles in Rando, part of it is the challenge of commuting as much as you can. I remember last year, whenever I rode every day, I would feel a massive sense of accomplishment that I had a "five-day week."

It's a whole different mindset from the racing crowd.

Living in SoCal, I actually wish we had more real weather. I want to ride in the rain, and wind, and I would try snow if it ever fell down at my elevation.

I love the "unspoken fellowship of the commuter" idea.

There's no doubt about that. On the early morning leg of my commute I lock my bike in front of a busy grocery store to switch to the bus. While I'm locking it up, there's always a person who rides by, about a block away, on what appears to be a cargo bike (like a Trek Transport or an Xtracycle) pulling a trailor. It is lit up with several lights and has a tall flag on the trailer. We've never met, but we see each other from that block away and always wave. It's funny to feel a certain kinship with someone you've never met . . .

I agree Tractor! I see a guy that goes the opposite direction when I first start off. Then I see runners and joggers and I always say hi. I see a guy who rides and trainers for ice races. Stopped and talked with him for a while one day. Nice guy.

Yesterday, my (short) commute was done in 15F with 25mph winds and 4" of blowing and drifting snow. Since my street sees a plow about 2x/year, I have to just roll it -- my aggressive treads still slipped like a ski slalom down the street. The main streets were more clear (except for the 1st big intersection -- WTF, Street Dept?), but that wind, suddenly RIGHT IN MY FACE, just about stopped me! Numerous drifts and poorly plowed areas (in a two-block stretch!), plus one close pass made that leg a real challenge.

Going home was GOOD, until I got to my street; once again, the ski slalom, and another close pass -- this one about 8 inches away! THAT fool couldn't have NOT heard me cuss him out....

The arrival home last night was the first time in MONTHS that I got off the bike in a bad mood.

Riding in those conditions is less than fun, but it's not un-doable; OP's senior 'buddy' would probably not even consider what I did 'riding', since I commute with MTB, but I WILL be doing this as long as I'm able -- my goal is to pedal into my 90's.

dx: you got studs?

There's no such thing as normal. Wanting to be normal is a disease that cripples.

My goal, and my whole family is aware of it, is the triple digit ride - riding my bike at least once when I am 100 years old. A more short-term goal is to ride my bike to my 80th birthday party, just 21 years from now

My goal is to ride tomorrow. It will be the same goal again tomorrow. And the day after that.

I know how you feel, Chef. Today I went out to run some errands on my bike. It was about 25 F., and though the wind wasn't too bad, it was colder and windier yesterday when I did the same thing. On both days, I found myself looking around and seeing very few other bikes on the road and thinking, "Am I crazy, or is everybody else just missing out on all this fun?" I know that, when the warm weather comes, the bikes will roll out of the garages, and that's how I've always been, but I'm so happy that I decided that this winter I wasn't going to stop. It wasn't a matter of trying to be tough or unique, though I like both those feelings: it was just that I was having too much fun riding to stop. First it was darkness in the fall that I decided I'd find a way to deal with, and then came cold and snow. It's been a mild winter so far, but I wake up each day eager to get out on my bike again. In short, I'm loving it, and yes, there are commuters I see who I've never spoken to, but who inspire me to keep going.

I have my limits. I had one evening when rush hour around here was totally snarled with the temperature at 15 F. and snow, slush and ice choking the streets. I stayed up, but it was clear to me the cars simply couldn't be counted on to do what I'd expect them to do, or to see me, no matter how brightly lit and reflectorized I was. Under those conditions I'll stay off the road but short of that I do not intend to stop riding this winter. It's the best thing I've done in a long while.

Nope, aggressive knobbies that only slipped a couple inches 1x all last winter; it's as much the tramped-down powder we just got, dozens of cars turning it into icy talc, as anything. I keep thinking every year about getting studded tires, but by the time I have the $$ for it, the worst is over and I forget about it!

I've made no secret of riding "90 minutes on my 90th", either; most people congratulate me on my ambition. My daughter will be my age now when that gets here, I hope she's as fierce about riding then as she is now at 14! Be great to share that with her! I have full confidence that I will pedal through 80 -- of course, I have 27 years to go for that one!

ultimate: I could not have said it better.

Even on weekend rides, I am finding it hard to find people to ride with. I mean crap, you dont have to go out for a 50 mile ride. A 20 or even 15 mile ride would be more then most people would do.