It's That Time Of Year. Again. Yuck.
 

No, it's not colonoscopy time. I'm talking about the other distasteful time of year. Any ride I take right now could well be the last of the season. Last night I put a new tire on the back of my '80 Centurion Elite with bar-end shifters and getting it ready for the ***SIGH*** trainer. I sure hope I dont get a flat and be stranded. Oh, that's right....

Been riding all summer in the sticky southern heat, gonna ride all winter in the cool air of the Florida winters.

Born American by Luck,
Born Southern by the Grace of God !

And I don't care how they do it up north :P

Had to wear gloves on my ride yesterday morning.

Get a fat bike!

Pacific North west coast is fine by Me. .. I just bring my rain cape, more often .

Still quite warm here in SoCal, hoping for cooler temps as I sit here in the A/C. We were up in the mountains last weekend (6,700 ft. of elevation) and the highs were still up in the mid 80's!

But yes, Northern MI, you would be feeling the autumn!

Rick / OCRR

I love autumn, hate my winters on the trainer. When snow is many feet deep and temps plummet to -25F it's time to dream of hot summer days.

I feel for you...But I'm with leob1...get a fatbike...just think...a fatbike with some LI battery clothing?....and instead of being imprisoned in your stuffy living room with a trainer?...you could be posting up some cool vids of you riding like this!

Even when I lived in Winnipeg and central Alberta there were no "last rides of the season" ... cycling all year round is the way to go!! :D


We've got a forum just for this sort of thing ...
Winter Cycling

Some tips for getting through the winter ...

1) Keep riding outside with lights and reflective gear as often as possible during the week. Commute and/or run errands by bicycle, if possible.

2) Get out for long rides both days of every weekend + any holidays.

3) Join a gym that offers spinning classes. Take a spinning class 1-2 days each week. Make an evening of it, and go for a jog on the treadmill after, then lift some weights.

4) Get cross-country skis and snowshoes. On weekend days that are too cold and snowy for the bicycle, go skiing or snowshoeing.

5) Walk at lunch. Pick the warmest, brightest time of day and go for a brisk 30-60 min walk outside in the fresh air.

6) Pick a couple days each week and do commercial intervals on your trainer. That's where you select a 30-60 min show on TV ... something you enjoy watching. Ride easy during the intro of the show, then ride as hard as you can through the commercial, ride easy through the show, ride hard through the next commercial. 30-60 min will pass in no time.

7) Take your 2+ week holiday at some point during the winter, travel to a warmer climate, ride every day.

ANother Floridian here, I am looking forward to some cooler rides. Though I am unprepared for winter* and need to get some warmer gear.



*anything under 60 degrees ;)

I just started ordering my cold weather gear online today. I went to the LBS first, but they don't have much selection and their stuff is so bloody expensive.

Even online it's easy to drop a few hundred on pants, gloves, balaclava etc. And then there's the fit problem and sending stuff back.

I've been gung-ho all Summer about keeping it going through the Winter (here in WI), but I had my first taste of 'cold, wet and miserable' last weekend and now I'm not so sure.....and it was only 30 something- not 30 below!

That's what thrift shops/ OP shops are for. Go to your local thrift shop ... look for merino wool tops to use as an extra layer over or under your cycling jersey. Also look for tights and the old-fashioned stirrup pants in the women's section. And thicker wool or fleece tops work well as warmer layers for colder days.

As for gloves, balaclavas, neck gaiters, etc ... you can find those for $1 each in your local Dollar Store. I've also picked up ski gloves and mitts for the really cold days for less than $10 at Walmart.

While you're in Walmart, you'll want to go to the sock section and get some decent, thick, long wool socks. And if you didn't find any tights or stirrup pants that fit you at the OP shop, go to the Women's fitness clothing section and pick up a pair or two there.

If you'd prefer wool tights, you might check Target. They often have merino wool tights/leggings in the women's undergarments section. They've also got merino wool base layer tops. These are slightly more expensive ... maybe $25-$30 each.

Don't forget to check other sports outlets like Anaconda, Decathlon, MEC, and REI (depending on where you live). Check their cycling sections, but also check their general clothing sections. Sometimes you can pick up polypro base layers for a good price.

I've done some cold rides quite comfortably wearing a cycling jersey, with a polypro base layer over it, and a merino wool top over that, and then my jacket.


And a tip ... if you want to pick up additional bits and pieces relatively inexpensively, do it in February/March when all the winter stuff goes on sale.


The Winter Cycling Forum I linked to above will provide you with additional tips.

I rode [the trainer] in the garage today. Did some calisthenics and some weight training too. I'd much rather bicycle in the hot sun.... but I never seem to find time for weight training in the summer. So I guess it's good to mix things up a bit... and the seasons help with that.

Hopefully it's not winter yet. I am still 217 miles short of my goal (2K). I can log that on the trainer... if I have to... but I'd rather ride the open air.

Every winter I try something a little different to add to my winter workout routine. I now do some basic exercises, lift a couple 25 pound weights, walk-run a 3K, and new for this year..... bicycle on a trainer. I've only used the trainer 6-7 times when the rain just wouldn't stop. I've downloaded some videos to watch while trainer-cycling.

I trip to a warmer climate sounds good too!

We have a surly dealer here in our little town. There are a handful of fats riding around but not many. We definately had enough snow last year with approx 200".

One of the nicest riding days all year here in Spokane today. Hoping for a couple more before snow time.

I've been doing that quite regularly for the past decade or so. It makes a difference. Winter just seems shorter and more bearable ... and it's great to get a few weeks of good cycling and natural Vit D in there.

We are having temps in the 50's with a lot of rainy days. But then, that's October. I'm still getting out when it isnt stormy. Probably 2-3wks left for decent riding.

I am a southern California native, and, except for the occasional Santa Ana winds, which can be miserable, this has always been my favorite time of the year. Autumn is particularly welcome after an unseasonably hot summer, with several record daytime highs and (high) nighttime lows.

^^^
What I miss most about San Diego is the year round riding weather.

Makes it worth the humidity of our summers to be able to ride year round. We have some colder days but not to the extent our northern members have to endure. As said above, its having the correct kit for cold weather riding. No need to break the bank to have quality stuff, some of the things that don't cost us an arm and a leg work very well, watch for sales and clearances and the thrift shops Machka mentioned can have some great buys on barely used things.

One thing I learned from BF and the 50+ Forum is having a base layer top, and for the colder regions the bottoms, also. I found a sale two years ago online for Under Armor compression tops, this base top makes things nice and toasty underneath a LS jersey and a wind jacket or the 50+ wind jacket when its rainy or in the 40°F, and below (I'll ride down to 30°F with some wind, then its time to call it a day for resting.) Last winter I missed very few days of riding and it was a cold period for us, included that Winter Vortex with a really rare ice storm. That cost me 1 day of riding when the roads were closed (enforced) but the next day it was bundle up and out I went, happily.

Maybe I'll look into a trainer soon, the PD is supposed to give you trouble in the cold, we shall see. I am not giving anything up to a dink disease. It may be a good excuse to save up for a Castelli Gabba WS jersey, the new model is out now!

Bill

Amen, brother. Keep riding, Bill.

When it is 45F up here in the fall it feels different than 45F in the spring. I'm on the road with snowbanks in March the very first occasion there is clear pavement. Gotta love that spring windchill when it's 35F outside.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h8...A8E5BFAF2F.jpg

Weather is starting to get nice here. 65°F this morning.

Yep - it's not hard for me to ride year round in coastal BC, though it gets pretty soggy some days! Probably the biggest thing is how short the days are and how poor visibility can be on those dark rainy days. Good lights and lots of reflective material are pretty important.

Your summer is our winter. My wife and I were there '79-'81 when the floods wiped out everything but the Mill St and railroad bridge. Your summers are something to deal with. I worked for the Arizona Cable Tv Co and was out in that hot sun everyday. Gorgeous, and I miss it even now.