Hmmmm....you know....I read this thread thinking that I might be able to add something. Though I suspected that that'd be nothing more than affirmation that riding in the cold is nicer than people might think.

But that political debate kinda took whatever wind was in this threads sails and wasted it. Though I will mention that Andy did a better job than the deniers.

Now the sinister black bear in the cute polar bear costume. That was worth seeing :)

Definitely.

Interesting that you used "deniers" and not skeptics.... Considering the huge Global Warming, Climate Change marketing scheme and the fact that NASA, NOAA and IPCC have been caught manipulating climate data.

The same think tank used to deny health effects and nicotine addiction were tapped to plant and cultivate seeds of doubt in the face of cold hard monolith of objective climate related science.

Its terrifying to think about these things bringing an end to our relatively stable and simple way of life. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to accept it. It's a lot to process even for the most well emotionally equipped of us. And even if anthro-climate is a myth, why wouldn't you do everything you could to keep our friends, family, etc from being exposed to toxins & keep their homes safe?

- Andy

I invite any interested parties to check out "my winter gear" thread if you're looking for ideas for cold weather riding gear. Keep in mind, it is fairly centric to winter riding in the northeast, with its cold, ice, snow, and other specific winter quirks like humid freezing cold air. :)

- Andy

I don't mean to sound like a dick or be mean or anything, but I hope you do realize that we have a " winter cycling forum" which has a lot more information on cold weather riding then your " my winter gear " thread.

Climate change is big business and the fact that there are multiple businesses and agencies that have built their model on its existence means they need it to exist. It's so prevalent that we have companies that are "Green Washing" their products. The fact that data is being manipulated to prove that it exists even makes it more suspect and that funding is provided by big money and government so people can say "See we're doing something." Makes it all a self-licking ice cream cone.

As for simple way of life, are you talking 1st world simple or 3rd world simple? If we all go back to 3rd world we can definitely avoid chemicals and other 1st world issues, but I doubt many, including myself, want to live that way.

I'm all for clean living and eating from gardens where I produce my own food, but I'm not about to propagate the lie handed down from those that stand to make a profit by scaring the masses.

I deny I'm a denier. I'm not a skeptic, either. The climate debate is nothing more than a debate. There is no proof of anything, and to imagine human beings could alter the global climate is rather preposterous. Any idea how much energy the sun is pumping into the atmosphere constantly? Our measley contribution is like adding a drop of water to the ocean.

+1,000,000

I find it strange when the human population takes credit for the actions of mother nature...when they're not blaming the cow for producing too much methane. ;-)

Somewhere between whats plainly visible, tangible, and obvious in our daily lives, and wild speculations based on assumptions of what's at best inconclusive lies the truth.
Being "terrified" to live a full life because the future holds unassuageable "hardships" due to man made climate change clearly falls in the category of the latter.

It's not a matter of being "emotionally equipped", or unwilling to "accept it" when one is asked to consider the extremes of dubious conjecture.

There is no debate on the existence of global warming. It is a political issue in exactly the same way the heliocentrism was once a political issue. there is an entrenched powerful interest that spends an incredible amount of money and effort to make people think there is a debate. In ten years, people will look at the deniers and ask how they could be that out of touch with reality.

In ten years, Internet forums will still be filled with this same old 'debate' that pops up whenever a thread about weather is started.

The forecast is heavily revised. Now our high temps for the week are predicted in the 50's and 60's! Warmer than normal.

Yes, because charted ice core and air sample and ocean chemistry readouts are conjecture.

I never said "terrified to live a full life"... read again. :)

- Andy

Lucky.

Got one last normal road bike ride in this weekend. Now, it's snowing with a forecast of up to 16" by tomorrow morning. Then temps drop. Next week we'll have subzero lows. When winter comes here, it shows up with a bang. Skiing starts this weekend, then four times per week through March.

So, gotta dig out the studs now.

J.

J, where are you? And (not directed specifically at you) why don't people list their locations in their profiles?

I'm in Minnesota.

Updated profile too. Thanks for the reminder, just never got around to it.

J.

One of these days, I'd like to visit Minnesota. Maybe in January, to get the full experience. The winteriest place I've been so far is Vermont.

I apologize if I misinterpreted what you posted, but it doesn't seem very ambiguous to me.

As to the data you referenced, its the cause and effect that's conjecture.

Terrified to live a full life, no, terrified to think about not having things like reliable running water.... yes.


Ah, but millions of years of records and proven connection between carbon gas in the atmosphere and atmospheric temperature is not at all conjecture. In fact, carbon dioxide being a known "greenhouse" gas for many, any years plus more than has ever been in the atmosphere ever at one time since humans have been here = warming. It's really not rocket science. :)

- ANdy

So the massive piles of data = no proof of anything? I guess you forgot the ozone hole? And no, our contribution is less like a drop and more like a river. Speaking of rivers, you ever see the NOAA dead zone maps? I guess those are made up debates too. :)

- Andy

I'm so confused. Is it going to be colder or warmer this week? And ten years from now will it be so cold that my tires turn brittle or so hot that they melt on the asphalt?

Yes. :D

- Andy

Well, we've nearly managed to completely drain the Aral Sea which was once the 4th largest lake in the world. We've created a huge dead zone (the size of Connecticut) where the Mississippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico. And if you take a look around you during your day today, you probably will not see anything that hasn't been shaped or touched in some way by humankind except for the stars in the sky. Even the wilderness areas in our country are "managed" and exist only because we allow them to.

We've been so disruptive to the environment for so long, we don't even notice it anymore.

And what exactly does all of that have to do with the original question about how you plan to handle the coming cold snap?

Seriously, the whole climate change thing is a big controversy anyhow and you guys think you are going to litigate it on a bike forum???

J.