I admit it, I'm a fair weather biker. Guess it's a good thing that I live in Florida, even is it is the panhandle and not exactly the Keys.

For a week or three we had a run of weather that most of you would probably die for but it was chilly by local standards and quite windy. I responded on the dry days with decidedly unenthusiastic rides of around 12-15 miles a day. I was beginning to wonder if biking was losing the appeal for me. But the last week with spring like temps in the 70's and mild breezes has had me out every day and enjoying it.

Well, January is here and I guess I'll suffer through the next 5-6 weeks and force as many miles as I can so I don't have to start the real season with no conditioning base at all.

I have to admit to being soft too. I used to ride regardless of weather, cold or hot, rain or wind. Now, not so much.

Tom,
We have to just gut it out I suppose, just don't tell Dudelsack what our temps are right now. I am off to the LBS for a long sleeve jersey or a jacket to add as a layer up option.See y'all around hopefully.

Bill

I just wear my USMC hoodie sweatshirt, the devil with the wind resistance.

Now, see this is where I think you make your mental mistake. Unless you race a formal calendar there are no seasons in cycling.... just like there is no crying in baseball.

I guess I like riding so much, it doesn't matter to me what the temp is or how windy (up to 30 mph winds). As a former long-time roadie (including a 10 yr racing career) who ultimately became disinterested in road riding, 2 wheels became so much fun again when I switched to a hybrid in 2008. I'm curious to know how long you've been riding, for you to wonder if biking is losing its appeal. Maybe you need a break? Maybe change your ride venues? Maybe ride a different type of bike? One thing that motivates me when riding in frigid conditions is just knowing that I'm staying fit while 70% of the population vegetates on a couch getting fatter and weaker

I heard that.

My wife is in Jensen Beach right now and says the temps are in the high 30's, so I'll cut you some slack, just this once.

I don't mind cold (at least what passes for cold around here) or wind till it is blowing the palm fronds off the trees (they can be deadly falling from the top of a 50' tree) but hate rain. Not so much getting wet but what it does to my bikes. Fortunately, we don't get that many rain days so it doesn't really impact my riding very often.

We have a drought order in place here in the South East. Just tell that to my chickens and they are in the dry part of the garden. Luckily the house is on higher ground so it has to rain a bit more before I have a problem.



2" of rain on Sunday and No idea how much today but plenty of localised floods in the area but the real problem has been the 60mph winds on the coast. My mates went out Sunday offroad and they now admit they made a mistake. It was even flooding on top of the hills and they are on well draining chalk.

So Fair weather rider?--You bet I am cos I ain't going out in this weather.

It is a slippery slope deciding when not to ride due to weather. If you rule out all the days that are too cold, too hot, too windy, too rainy, etc., you're left with about 2 days a year to ride around here.

Being originally from Chicago and now in Tampa, I don't mind the cold as much as the rain. I will ride when it's cold but if it's raining or there's been a significant rain, I won't ride. Wind is a little more tolerable for me - as long as it's not cold.

I hear it's kite flying weather in the UK at the moment.

I'll keep my 20mph winds ThankYouVeryMuch...

It's nice and sunny out but just a little cool. I haven't yet acclimated myself to the cooler weather so I'm currently deciding if I want to take the road bike to the MUP today or just throw it on the trainer. If I wait too much longer to decide, it will most likely be a trainer ride.

I am not a hardcore - ride under any conditions - kind of rider so I do ride much less during winter, more due to darkness than cold. I won't ride when it is very cold and wet as I am too susceptible to upper respiratory problems. But if it is above 40F and dry at a time I have time to ride, just the thought of riding on the trainer will get me suited up and out the door.

I've found that the older I get the warmer it has to be for me to ride I just don't enjoy the cold weather so it has to be around 40F before I'll drag myself and the bike out for a winter ride.

Well, this morning, 27°(windchill 17°), was not too much for me except my hands. I did not have the proper gloves for that temperature and wind. I just rode later, 34°(windchill ~25°), and stopped at my LBS and bought the right kind of gloves for next time. Proper dress, several layers and windproofing are key for riding in cold temperatures--this includes hands and feet.

Although I won't start a ride in heavy rain, getting 'rained on' doesn't bother me particularly, nor does cold. I'm quite happy to ride in temps down to around -5C -- even a little below.
What does stop me, though, is snow/ice. Once the roads round here are iced-up, I'm off the bike for the winter. This year, starts today: currently -12C, and we've about 30cms of fresh snow on the ground.
At age 60 I've no desire to do a slip/fall and break a hip or something; I also have no desire to watch out for our drivers, who are even worse in the winter than at other times of year. Typical: texting/on the phone, no snow tires, sipping coffee, oblivious to everything (including traffic signals and her/his incompetence).

Tom,
Not thinking wind resistance as slow as I am. I'll wear an old USMC sweat shirt or field jacket if necessary I found some Cannondale arm warmers at Cycle Sport of Pensacola that they recommended. I am going to try them out. Back to 27 at Pensacola International tonight so you and I will probably close to 23-24 up north end like we are. Warming up for the rest of the week though

Bill

just a bit to cold up here for me this week.... last week was lovely. What I would give to be in northern Fl right now.

Ho hum, just another day at the library today.

13°F (-10°C) going in to work this afternoon, and 6°F (-14°C) coming home tonight.

Even left my pit-zips open.

Went to 19 at my house last night/this morning. Wind chill had things at 12-15 for a bit. Supposed to be mid 50's today. Good riding weather.

Bill

I'm about 20 miles east of you, weather today will be 61 and (as important) wind 6 mph. Yesterday it was 18-20 mph most of the day, with the temps in the 30's and low-40's for most of the day, no fun at all.

I just cant seem to get excited about suiting up and riding when it's in the little numbers and snowbanks everywhere here in northern Michigan. But I will have my Trek 460 out by the end of March.

Wasn't quite that cold here. Had a nice 12km ride to the hospital and back to pay Suzanne's hospital bill. Only issue I have with cold weather riding is trying to keep my goggles from fogging up.
Might have to go back to using my old ones. They were not nearly as bad.

My commute in is 11.3 miles....33 degrees when I left the house yesterday at 6:10am....layered up a bit too much, as I have a LONG light at a major intersection at the 9.5 mile mark of the trip.....was sweating by that time......the 2 minutes of dripping while standing at the light was cold! Dropped a layer for this am's 37 degree commute in.....no problem at the light this morning!

Had forgotten my basic cold weather rule........you must dress to freeze for the first half mile, then you are ok the rest of the way in......yesterday, I was fine for the first half mile, and overheated the rest of the way in....today, I froze for the first few blocks, then was comfortable for the rest of the commute in...