That is why I wear a helmet........

MinnMan, My turn to hear you. Being below 10° would be brutal. I am not a big fan of riding in cold weather but I think I will give it a better try this year and see what's up. I may just stay on the Rail Trail because it is tree lined so the wind might not be too bad unless it turns out to be a wind tunnel and really blows.

MinnMan and kr32, Riding in cold weather is not too difficult if you have the proper equipment and mental attitude. Overdressing is just as bad as underdressing. When I first began riding in cooler/cold conditions I would overdress and during some rides become extremely uncomfortable. I didn't realize it was overheating until I finished and began taking off some of the layers and felt the instant relief. Cold with no wind is a better riding condition than cooler with winds, after a few rides you will be able to access the conditions and dress and put the right mental perspective on how you will ride. Riding in 15 -20 degree temps with no wind is much better than riding in windy 35 degree weather.

I have a long email list of riding buddies and usually one or two will be available to ride along. We do ride at night when possible on lonely country roads with little traffic and great visibility. Daytime rides on weekends are catch as catch-can.

From reading both of your post over the past few months it seems you want to raise your riding game. To garner success it will take riding year round both outdoors and indoors to keep the metobolic changes continuing. The cold weather rides are not for performance but rather for the zest of riding and building a strong base from which you will further develop in the Spring and Summer. Keep in mind the cold rides will not be fast and will be difficult to be longer than 2 - 3 hours. Riding the trainer and rollers at that time is when you do the hard work. You can work on cadence, pedal form, single leg drills and even do a verity of intervals from sprinting to Z3 tempo to low speed power. I've found that just getting on the trainer and riding for X time and watching the clock is extremely difficult both mentally and physically. A structured workout that includes a warm up, pedaling drills then some interval work with recoveries will have the time fly by. Just my 2 cents.;)

Jet,

Thanks for your thoughts and insight.

My problem with riding in the cold is that my toes get so cold. I have no problem with anything other than at times maybe my fingertips. I do not wear a face mask of any sort and have no problems even in the coldest temps.

I want to try booties this year because I have heard they work pretty good. I just never got around to it last year.

{MinnMan and kr32, Riding in cold weather is not too difficult if you have the proper equipment and mental attitude.**

This needs a lot of work too!
I play golf in pretty darn cold temps but I resist it so much. Mental attitude is huge.
Thanks again

Finally had a ride last night - first since Sunday. A brief brisk 22 miles with the club. The hammerheads didn't show up, so I did a lot of the pulling. I had fresh legs and and eager attitude and I felt GREAT. Not just riding, but also glancing back in my mirror and seeing 5-6 people in a paceline behind me, knowing that they were enjoying the pull and that I had the wind to keep on keeping on...

AJ, kr32: , as I said, I'm going to try to push my riding as late into the season as I can this year. But at some point, the Minnesota winter is going to be too much for me and then I'll be in the gym. I've worked hard this spring/summer/fall and built up my fitness (well, work is the wrong verb, it has been a great effort, but it's hardly felt l ike a burden), and I know I don't want to lose what I've gained. Eventually, I'll be in the gym. Once I'm shut inside, I'm thinking that I might mix in a little weight training with my CV exercise, if only to break the monotony. I've bought a couple of books to give me some pointers on weight training for cyclists...

"My problem with riding in the cold is that my toes get so cold. I have no problem with anything other than at times maybe my fingertips. I do not wear a face mask of any sort and have no problems even in the coldest temps.

I want to try booties this year because I have heard they work pretty good. I just never got around to it last year. "

In cold temps I wear wool socks and neoprene toe covers for the mid-30's to high 40's and neoprene booties when the temps are under 35 and when conditions are wet with higher temps.

1.75 hrs on the cross bike today. Rode 7 miles to the local park as a warm up, then followed the cross course for 45 minutes @ Z3, then rode back home @ Z2 to finish out the ride.

Weights

Swim

Senior group breakfast

Ride solo

Ride with son, Andy

Ran errands, paid a few bills and generally noodled around town on my little Hard RocKommuter. I like to putter around downtown on Friday mornings pal'ing around with the folks I know, and meeting new ones.

If you are ever in Aiken, South Carolina on a Friday morning, stop in at the New Moon Cafe and ask about me. :)

40/40 Ride: 40 miles dry, 40 miles rain
Temp to 80*
We did not bring any rain gear.

Just South of LiverPool TX

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...seyRide002.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...seyRide005.jpg

46 mile club ride today. Very flat and rural. Was able to keep up with a group riding faster than my norm for the first 15 miles - 20mph avg!
Couldn't keep that up. Ended up with a 18 mph average for the whole thing, which is blistering for me.

Morning club ride - 55 miles. It was VERY chilly this morning - maybe 45 degrees. I'd almost forgotten that when cycling in the cold, my jaw and tongue get rubbery. I can hardly hold a conversation without sounding like I"m very drunk or have a speech impediment. Very annoying.

57 Miles with some rain. 3 riders

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...adstand009.jpg

Would You ride across this if you were in a hurry?

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...adstand027.jpg

One rider tried and crashed on his head

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...adstand025.jpg

34 miles no pie but had Maryland Blue crabs and beer after at my sisters. Yum

Ok, this happens often in Vancouver. You go out for your ride and it's pissing rain. Ride done, sun comes out, people wandering around in shorts.

Very easy 60K today

Nice autumn forrestroadride today. Bought a used hardtail last winter and I am slowly trying singletrack again.
This path I remember as very difficult 15 years ago but now it is not at all rideable. I'll have to let out some more air from my tires and try again.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...k/P1010859.jpg
The rest of my ride was really nice today but I saw the first ice on a part of the singletrack so we are in for a change of seasons.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...k/P1010861.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...k/P1010862.jpg

Is that a cross-country ski marker in blue that I see blazed on the tree? If so, do you ski this area?

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...k/P1010859.jpg

I spend my free time during weekends riding with my bikes to have a good exercises and have my own training on the bike contest.

"Is that a cross-country ski marker in blue that I see blazed on the tree? If so, do you ski this area?"

I do ski here but the ski tracks are some 50 feet away. The blue color means that this is a a sign for walkers. (ski signs are red). The sign says "trillesti for sykler" which means : "Walk this path with your bike", some of ythe young FS guys can ride all of it, I walk most of it now.

Around here, our cross country markers are in blue!!

Thanks for the response!

42.8 miles this morning on the road bike I spent the last couple months building by trial and error. Went well except the BB started creaking at around 26 mile mark; made me a little nervous, as I was riding alone. Will check it out later, thinking it may not be torqued down enough? Another funny thing about the ride, straight east to west run, 21.4 out & back, so how come the wind was in my face in both directions as were the hills..........................

48 miles on the tandem on Saturday. Not much climbing so a 15.7 mph average including slow downs for stop signs, stop lights and sharp turns on the MUP: not bad for senior citizens. Lighthouse Century next Saturday. The Lighthouse century in San Luis Obispo not to be confused with the 9 Lighthouse Century in Maine.

35 miles with a few hills at 14mph on the tandem today with wife/stoker, accompanied by 22 year old son on my hybrid. Glad I have hung onto one non-'bent bike.

55 miles today starting out at 64° 75% humidity weather so I wore 2 short sleeve jerseys and arm and leg warmers. Went well and took off a/l warmers about hour 45 min into the ride.
Just a beautiful day here today. Getting up to low 80's. Ride took a little over 3 hours. I wanted to go further today but needed to do some other stuff so cut it short.

Hind sight I only needed one jersey but it would have been a tad chilly but I could have managed. I didn't take off second jersey due to no storage space. I guess I could have tied it around frame?

Knowing that once we were headed to church, and given my wife's plans for the day, I got up early, did my resistance exercises and stretches, and was out the door at 6:00 am on the Windsor Leeds - my utility road bike with the lights.

I wore 3 layers on top, leg warmers and long-fingered gloves. It WAS a tad chilly - in the 40's, I believe. Supposed to get to 90F today!

I needed the lights for the first 1/2 hour. Phone the wife to get up at my midway point - 6:45 - and did just a bit of single track on the Leeds - even with 700x25's, it did fine. Got home by 7:30, in time to have breakfast, shower, dress and leave for church at 8:30.

After church, we both swam for about an hour at the rec center, had lunch, and here I am!!