No, because I have layers.
Wait, have I posted this very thing before? I can't remember. Oh well.
So, at the 30° and below mark you have to start doing layers. Especially when it's windy and snowy. 22° with 20-ish mph winds is not fun. And with layering, it's tough to strike the balance between warmth, wind block, and breathability with clothing.
Here's what I found worked but left me a little warm by the end of the ride:
Head - Trek winter cycling cap (now made by Bontrager) under the helmet
Torso - Long sleeve Wool baselayer, cycling vest for wind stopping, and a 100% cotton long sleeve button down shirt. Cotton is bad for base layer, but decent for outer layering since it can block wind. I probably should've nixed the cycling vest, but wanted the extra warmth after last night's under-dressed, way too cold ride home.
Legs - cycling shorts and full leg warmers all under some cotton/rayon pants. If I had had some tighter fitting non-cotton sweat pants, I could've used those, but i already have the bike stuff, might as well use it.
Feet - wool socks under my favorite "shoes." It's interesting cause I think if I had worn cycling shoes to clip in, my feet would've gotten cold. But somehow, using flat pedals and comfy shoes keeps my tootsies warm. It could be that 20 minutes of riding isn't long enough for my feet to get cold no matter what, but I'll have to try the clipped in thing one day to test it out.
I was sweaty by the time I got to my building. But there's one caveat - after struggling into the wind to get to Leavenworth, I had a tailwind the rest of the way heading East. So windchill was no longer a factor with 2/3rds of my ride left. In fact I was traveling at almost the same speed as the wind by then end. My breath, which I could see of course, would lift up in front of me and I'd follow it.
I'm not looking forward to the ride home though. According to the Nation Weather Service, the wind is supposed to die down after 5pm. I won't be heading home till 8pm, so hopefully it'll be easier going by then.
This single speed is kinda getting to me. I may have to add some gears to make the hills more bearable. I know I could just replace the rear cog with a higher tooth count one, but then the downhills would be way more boring than they are right now. Maybe if I found a 3 speed rear hub. Hmmmmmm.....
2 comments:
But that Fred should participate in comment hijacking should come as no surprise. Fred's blog is the internet's epicenter of off-topic comments, random interjections, shark-jumps, sudden vampire endings and unfinished thoughts he claims as cliff hangers that forever remain unanswered.
Let me try to ghost write how one of Fred's self-hijacked blog entries would go.
There once was this little pig. It's skin was pink and soft. It smelled like spring rain and freshly pressed chamomiles. The pig's name was Albert. He was a happy pig.
Carl sat in the attic of the old Victorian adjacent to the barn yard. Through the cracked window pane of lead glass, he spied on that unblemished pig, all the while methodically running a kaiser blade up and down a leather strop. Carl was a simple man. He stared out into the backyard, running that blade up and down, while his mind looped on this mantra: When dat lit'l feller's grown up, I'm gonna eat me some pig, mmm hmmm. Dats gonna be sweet meat. mmm hmmm.
Continue on the 14th comment here
Kaiser blade? What the hell is a Kaiser blade. Oh wait, I think you mean "Sling blade." Well, that's what some folks call it.
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