The Weak Link

The last two months have been one annoyance after another.

First I pulled a hamstring playing soccer with my daughter's team. Ouch.

Then I pulled my back moving furniture. That drug on for two weeks or so.

Then two weeks ago I came down with superficial thrombophlebitis of my right leg. I had no idea that hurts as much as it does. I can also still see the outline of the great saphenous vein from just above my ankle on down from the big juicy clot lodged in it. Yikes.

I now wear compression hose all the time. Should have been doing that for a few years anyway.

All that, and I've been unusually busy plotting to make people sick so I can generate needless medical procedures in order to pad my bank account. Mr. Obama, I feel your pain too, and the horse you rode in on.

But I digress.

Yesterday I was ready for an outdoor ride. I had just set up my new IPhone and was anxious to see how it worked on the open road (very well, BTW).

My family thought maybe I shouldn't ride, as it was 35 out, drizzling, and an occasional snowflake was falling.

Indoor riding is for wussy (according to PCad). I dressed as well as I knew how to do and headed out. I enjoyed the first ten miles, and the last 6 were OK but not tons of fun. I felt fine the entire time.

I went to bed with moderate rhinorrhea (I was a'snottin' at the nose) and woke up with the worst headache and snotting since I almost killed myself doing tequila slammers as a student. It's bad enough that I've declined going to my silly superstitious rituals celebrating the death and rebirth of the sun god this morning.

SO, I believe there really is something called bad weather, and no amount of good clothing will help.

Anyone who posts a "sorry about your luck, it was wonderful here in San Diego/Los Angeles/Costa Rica/Sidney/Ft. Myers" will be dealt with ever so severely. I will write a harshly worded letter condemning your actions.

Discuss.

stapfam

Have plenty of clothing that should cover most forms of weather but it has taken me near 20 years to aquire it. Todays ride in 20F and I stayed toasty and warm

"But thermal vest- warm long sleeve jersey- Duvet jacket- and a warm top coat. then the knickers- tights- Ski mask and mittens over thermal gloves and I felt fine"

Can still remember a ride in 2001 though where I thought I had the right clothing. OK it rained but I had the goretex on- what I did not have were enough warm clothes under it and the nearest I ever got to Hypothermia on a day with the temps in the high 50's. The gale force winds took all body temp away from me.

BengeBoy 

What were you wearing on the ride?

35 and rain is a normal winter ride here; it can be OK, or really and completely miserable, depending on what you're wearing.

Yesterday I did 52 miles in light rain, 43 degrees; today I went out at about 50 degrees expecting dry weather, but it was a mix of rain, drizzle and sun. Both days I had a good time and saw lots of other riders out (everyone on their "rain bikes"), but I was well protected.

Layers, fenders, waterproof something on your feet - Time to go shopping!

Digital Gee

"sorry about your luck, it was wonderful here in San Diego/Los Angeles/Costa Rica/Sidney/Ft. Myers"

Tom Bombadil

There is bad weather, such as a blizzard, where clothing doesn't address the biggest obstacles to a nice ride.

However a lot of people ride in 35 & a light rain, so that's certainly doable. I think having the optimal clothing for those conditions would help a lot.

But that doesn't guarantee that you would enjoy a ride under those conditions. While a lot of people do ride, far more choose not to ride in 35 & rain. Thus you would be in the majority if you decide it isn't your cup of tea.

However, I applaud your efforts.

rumrunn6

folks up here are giving me cr*p for riding through rain and hope to be riding despite snowy icy roads. I tell them that line about no bad weather - just gotta have the right gear. but believe me I'd rather be riding without a shirt in the heat of the summer to the beach!

linux_author

dude - layer up and ride harder - i snarfed a pair of '8' compression tights at Marshall's in early November - bike shorts fit underneath - took my $40 flea-market MTB up to OH for Turkey Day and rode for several hours in 20-30 mph winds at 38F - wore long-sleeve, two jerseys and a fleece jacket, along with sugoi 210 Wallaroo gloves - after a bit i had to unzip a bit for heat release...

i surprised myself, being used to 80F weather down here (until this week, believe it or not!) - but the layering definitely helped...

and don't forget to hydrate - you'll really dry up in winter...

but i have to admit that it's hard finding a good *breathable* jersey jacket at a reasonable price - most are cheap nylon shells...

thesmoothdome

Sorry about your luck. It actually not that nice in San Diego today. It's a little cloudy .

cranky old dude

I believe your biggest problem there was the temperature. It was a tad bit too warm.

I rode home yesterday into a 17 to 21mph headwind. The ambient temp. was 29F. Crude calculation of the wind speed combined with the slow 10mph pace I was riding as I picked my way along the icy ruts in the roads gave me a Wind Chill factor of 13F. It was only 5 miles, but I was comfy and cozy.

My problem was balance. As the wind would occasionally shift around to my 'Port Bow', the gusts tended to push me sideways on the ice into the unweilding Grainy Snow left in the wake of cars, sand and salt.

Five or six degrees colder and you would have had a glorious ride!!




OT: GOOD GRIEF!!

How the H*** do you 'reply with Quote' on this stupid thing? It took me an hour to cobble together the above reply, and then I had to use Microsoft Word to do it.

The reply with quote button works great until it's time to submit my reply. There just ain't no button. I even explored all the blank area.
Am I that big of a dunce?

Someone please send me a step-by-step.

waldowales

I can put on enough clothes to be comfortable, but it hurts to breathe air below about 20 degrees, especially if I'm breathing hard. Haven't been out the last few days because the air quality is so poor in an inversion that "elderly" folks are discouraged from heavy exercise outdoors.
Darn! Back on the go-nowhere bike!

BikeWNC

The problem I have are the hills around here. In 35º weather I can wear just a base layer and arm/knee warmers climbing but can't put on enough to descend at 40+mph. So if I wear too much on the climb and sweat out then I'm going to freeze on the DH anyway. It's just hard to dress in the lower temps to the point I rarely ride below 45º.

Dan Burkhart 

I have no problem riding in temps down to 0f (-18c) When it gets that cold. I forgo the SPS in favor of winter boots and platforms, Base layers and windproof pants and jacket, cover my face and I'm good to go.
I've worked in the Northwest Territories in winter and seen people commuting by bike in temps down to -40 (c or f, take your pick, the scales intersect at that point).
Thankfully, it never gets that cold around here.

Robert Foster

I often hear that all it takes is the proper clothing or preparation and then weather isn’t a factor. The Greek word for that thought process is, “bologna”. Like the people that decided hiking on Mount Hood was a good idea last week? They must have felt they had the proper clothing and equipment. But it turns out they get a dirt nap for their effort.

I’m not saying people can’t go out in the weather if they want but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Bad weather is different for all of us. And yes I know I tend to be a weather wuss.

Red Rider

I had a witty and pertinent reply all composed, and when I tried to post it, I was informed that I was logged out. Just because I wasn't clicking for 20 min. shouldn't log me out. *fumes*

/end rant/

So back OT...some days the weather be damned; I'm going riding no matter what.

Other days I look out my front door and think, "Trainer."

I try not to obsess or beat myself up because I'm more of a wussy than a weenie. I have plenty of weenie points racked up, so the occasional wussy day doesn't cause me undue stress (although I could totally go there...).

WL, you're doing stuff on a bike that many won't even attempt, so I'll give you props for that, and for your nasty-weather ride. Thumbs-up that you're out there at all. Choose your suffering. Will it matter in the end?

BengeBoy 

Bad weather for a cyclist, especially riding in an urban or suburban environment, typically means you're uncomfortable, wet, or momentarily cold. As long as you're visible to cars and careful about slippery conditions, the worst that will happen is some discomfort, or you might have to use your ever-present cellphone to call for a taxi to take you home.

I don't see how you can compare it with climbing above 10,000 feet in avalanche conditions; seems like a stretch to me.

kdiehl

Sadly, thinking that you have the proper clothes and equipment is not the same as actually having the right clothes and equipment.

On a lighter note, long ago, a mountaineering buddy taught me to wear layers so I could stay in my comfort zone by adding or removing them. He also taught me to "expand my comfort zone". That's part of the trick!

kr32

Layers are the answer as many have said before but for me there is a point where weather becomes bad...35 and rain would qualify.
I rode in the snow the other night as it was coming down very hard. I was bored at home and "wanted" to ride in it to see how it was. I had a good time but it was something I wanted to do and made it fun, I would not want to do it all the time or commute in it. The snow was blowing in my eyes and I had a hard time with that but I was unprepared for the conditions. Need goggles maybe.
Oh and I am having a hard time finding good gloves to keep tip of thumb warm too. Once that gets cold it starts all over the hand.

I think as long as you can stay dry weather can be as cold as it can get but when it gets wet out I am all for a cold brewski in the warmth of my house. Summer rain is cool though...go figure.

gcottay

Where did you find this smart family and why do they love you?

doctor j

Cold (30's or less) + some sort of precipitation = BAD WEATHER. I can deal with hot. I can deal with hot + precipitation. I can do cold as long as it's dry, but when the precipitation starts, that's all folks.

Yes, Virginia, there IS bad weather!

Robert Foster

Sorry, I was using Hyperbole and the second part was the second paragraph.

I compare it because of the insistence some have on believing that it is never too cold or too wet to cycle. Like “hikers” believing it is a good idea to go where they felt they were prepared. There are conditions where it is wiser to simply not go out in that weather, biking or hiking. If you absolutely have to that is one thing. If you have a choice, remember the old saying about someone not having the brains to come in out of the rain? If cars are sliding into each other what will they do to a cyclist if they slide into them? Same as the Hikers on Mount Hood, dirt nap. JMHO

BengeBoy 

I agree with you on the ice/snow. If cars are sliding, I don't want to be on the road with them. I did a bit of snowy-street riding last winter and it was OK when it was too snowy for the cars to be out but when they got back on the road it was too dicey for me.

badmother

Sounds like the guarantee on your body has expired, not bad weather.

Like many has said rain is what I do not like. If it is dry and cold (snowing is ok, not rain), riding down to approx -20*C is doable.

The layers is important,and wool, wool, wool.

Found a neophrene face mask where the Buff`s are kept in the sport equipment store. Maybe I buy one.

Also I find that the weather thing is mainly in your head. Sometimes I do not ride in the summer becouse I think t is "cold", and sometimes I can really enjoy a winter ride. Strange stuff.

Sounds to me like you got a sinus infection, at least that is wha I`ve got when I fel like you describe.Keep your head warm.

NOS88

Interesting thread for reasons I didn't expect. I believe there are clothes appropriate for almost any kind of weather and am pretty well prepared for the full range from 90+F with high humidity to 0 F with wind. In terms of ice covered roads, I tend to avoid them and use the 40+ mile bike trail a few blocks from my home. There I don't mind going down all that much, given I'm usually moving slower in such conditions, and have extra layers of padding via the clothing. But I don't want to go down in front of a large four-wheel drive vehicle moving too fast, because the driver thinks they are invincible. In my area there has been a growing trend of people buying very large four-wheel drive vehicles and not recognizing that these vehicles slip and slide just as easily as two-wheel drive cars. The one thing I have learned the hard way is in cold/wet weather to carry an extra layer of wind/water proof clothing for the upper body and head. Getting three flats, using up all your patches and tubes and then having to walk, makes one glad for the extra layer. The feet and hands haven't been a problem since I've started wearing neoprene booties and gore-tex gloves.

I also must confess that I hold a somewhat odd view toward winter weather. I go out in it, because I refuse to let it beat me down into a house dwelling, locked up, miserable creature. forced to ride a trainer to maintain fitness. In this same vein, I'm a bit compulsive about clearing snow from the driveway and walkways around my house. I clear it all away. Damned if I'm going to let winter keep me from doing what I want to do. How's that for a dysfunctional, stubborn attitude?

Robert Foster

Here we are in agreement. All I was really trying to say is that I agree with the OP in that there are times when the weather wins. To me the worst conditions are freezing rain with wind tossed in for good measure. All it takes for me is a light mist; I don’t even have rain gear that would work for cycling. For others it might take a serious storm, but at some point I think we need to ask ourselves if the trip couldn’t wait till a better time. And I realize there are some people that have to venture out in the weather. I am just saying that there are times when you aren’t going to be comfortable no matter what clothing you possess.

cccorlew

If I were going to work today I'd be bundled and on my bike. But I have the day off and just can't convince myself that riding would be fun. It's weird, because i'd enjoy my commute, but I know I don't really want to go out just to ride.
Wait... wind may be dropping. Maybe.....