My first winter ride!

@lordofthemark 39683 wrote:

Well first in decades, anyway.

Wife was out with the car this AM (we have one) when I realized we have no coffee. As much as I wanted coffee, I wanted an excuse to try a winter ride, and even better, my first grocery store ride. The ride to the local Safeway is not delightful, but its doable for me (via the LRT service lanes).

No bike parking, but I locked up to one of the u shaped barriers they have to keep the carts from going into the parking lot.

Bought 12 oz of house brand Sumatra coffee. I would have bought more items, but we don’t really need more, after over a month off the bike, I was feeling out of shape. I put it in my backpack (no panier or basket yet). The coffee is being made right now.

The first sip will be special.

Funny, I was just thinking about you last night as I did the rollers to Wakefield on the way home. I knew you lived near there and we haven’t heard from you in awhile.

@consularrider 39696 wrote:

Really cold?????????? Clearly you were not out riding. I was out running errands this morning and decided to do it by bike since it would get me my Freezing Saddles callenge miles/points. I hit the library, my credit union, Staples, Trader Joes (drank coffee sample ), Alamo Flag, Bikenetic, and Ayres Hardware. Starting temperature 35°, ending temperature 43°.

But anyway, well done lordofthemark!

True, I don’t know what time the OP went out. But looking at Strava, I had already done a ride and put on a Bike Skills clinic for the Boy Scouts and gotten back home by the time consularrider left for his errands, so it is possible it warmed up later. Starting temp for me was 29 with wind chills in the low 20s.

Liz

@lordofthemark 39734 wrote:

I rode at about 11AM, and no, it was not THAT cold.

Shawn- do you use the wakefield chapel bike lanes? If so, do they work well for you?

On occasion, but not regularly. My daily route uses a short section of Wakefield Chapel without bike lanes. When I do ride them on the weekends they are fine. A bit rough though, as they tend to repave the center of the roadway but not the bike lanes or the shoulder. The pavement in the lanes is clearly several years older than the pavement on the road.