Thursday, January 17, 2008

The Ride After. Or, Ooh, magical double post day!!

So after work I decided to ride down to HighGear and pick up the Cables I had ordered on Team Night. Thanks again, Matt, for being a glorious team liaison.

The ride was nice. The only thing that got cold on me was my quads. The clothing? Top to bottom: Balaclava under winterized helmet, Smartwool longsleeve baselayer, Thermal longsleeve jersey, Lobster Gloves, bike shorts, thermal leg warmers, knicker shorts, heavy duty smartwool socks, and these:



I didn't order the fancy Dura-Ace wheels, but instead, invested (with my too-be tax refund money) in some really good winter wear. I guess it didn't help that, when riding with all my teammates that weekend nearly everyone had these boots or older models. Anyone who has had these said they love them.

So with the clothing listed above, I was just fine. The ride home from the shop got a little chilly since the sun was going down and I had been sitting in the warm shop sweating with all that gear on.

The verdict after a 1.5 hr ride in 20*-15* weather: the thermal jersey is the best winter clothing I've ever worn since I felt no cold on my core/arms, and the shoes may not prevent my toes from going numb since I pedal in squares. My toes started to get cold near the end of the ride, but I suppose that could also be the temps. I'm also wondering if warm legs would have sent warmer blood down to the toes to keep them warm. My quads were the only part that really felt cold, but it was just fine.

So I'm continuing with training outside even in these temps. Sure I'll ride slower, but that's what I'm building now anyway, base miles.

5 comments:

bryan said...

Ooooooo, look at you. Investing tax return money. You probably made the right choice. By spending a little extra now, you'll be able to ride all winter, therefore saving money later. Good call.

Sean said...

I just met the guy who owns Lake. He also runs Turin bike shop in Evanston, and I ride with those guys sometimes. I tried on some of the carbon-soled Lakes and I have never worn a more comfortable shoe. Unfortunately, they cost $480.

T-bone said...

I'm not a big fan of Lake shoes. I've had two pairs of the winter boots fall apart on me and both times I contacted lake they told me to take them to a shoe cobbler. I was like WFT??? You take them to a shoe cobbler and give me a new pair. I will NEVER buy anything from Lake ever again. BTW: I love my Addias winter boots. Two years old and running strong.

Dan Sundermeier said...

those shoes rock. Be sure to have an extra cable sitting around though. I had the cable break on me and they were out of stock at the time. i had a buckle strap around my boot for five weeks.

Dan Sundermeier said...

those shoes rock. Be sure to have an extra cable sitting around though. I had the cable break on me and they were out of stock at the time. i had a buckle strap around my boot for five weeks.