My Morning Commute

[rcannon100]

um….

[mstone]

Weather forecast said it would be around freezing. Put on my warmer gear this morning and hit the road. After a few minutes I decided that my hands were unusually numb, and decided to head back. Checked the thermometer and it said 23 degrees. Apparently that’s an important 10 degree difference; I didn’t realize just how bad my hands were until they started to warm up–if I’d gone the whole 19 miles I definitely would have had some issues. Mental notes: 1) check thermometer before leaving, rather than after returning 2) order those moose mitts.

[Steve]

@mstone 38123 wrote:

Weather forecast said it would be around freezing. Put on my warmer gear this morning and hit the road. After a few minutes I decided that my hands were unusually numb, and decided to head back. Checked the thermometer and it said 23 degrees. Apparently that’s an important 10 degree difference; I didn’t realize just how bad my hands were until they started to warm up–if I’d gone the whole 19 miles I definitely would have had some issues. Mental notes: 1) check thermometer before leaving, rather than after returning 2) order those moose mitts.

Yea, they lied on the forecast. Lied! My god it was cold this morning. My body warmed up pretty well, but my thighs and digits were pretty cooooold. And my shower at work doesn’t have adjustable temperatures, so it inevitably feels scalding hot.

[ejwillis62]

Well after hearing those two reports I am glad I didn’t ride in this morning. I have an appt. this evening and couldn’t work out the logistics of the ride. But now I am glad i didn’t. Really don’t want frostbite.

[TwoWheelsDC]

My phone said it was 34 when I left, so I wasn’t expecting warm, but I definitely did feel colder than on other days where it’s been in the low 30s. I just attributed it to losing my tolerance with the relatively mild mornings we’ve had the last week. But weather.com is now saying it’s 29, so it must’ve been closer to 25 when I left. Thankfully, I tend to overdress slightly, so this morning I was okay. I did notice my face was uncomfortably cold for the first bit, but not so much that it couldn’t warm up after the first couple of hills.

[eminva]

You don’t see this every day . . .

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2157[/ATTACH]

Key Bridge (upstream sidewalk)

Liz

[consularrider]

@mstone 38123 wrote:

Weather forecast said it would be around freezing. Put on my warmer gear this morning and hit the road. After a few minutes I decided that my hands were unusually numb, and decided to head back. Checked the thermometer and it said 23 degrees. Apparently that’s an important 10 degree difference; I didn’t realize just how bad my hands were until they started to warm up–if I’d gone the whole 19 miles I definitely would have had some issues. Mental notes: 1) check thermometer before leaving, rather than after returning 2) order those moose mitts.

Depends on where you started from. The low this morning at Reagan National was 30°F, at Dulles the low was 22°. My backyard reading at 7 am was 27°.

I got out my lightweight balaclava and my lobster mitts for the first time this fall/winter season and had my merino wool long underwear on over my bike shorts and under my tights – probably a little too much since I rode the short way to work since I was late. On the top I was just about right for the 30 minute ride, but would have been overheating if it was any longer.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@eminva 38134 wrote:

You don’t see this every day . . .

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2157[/ATTACH]

Key Bridge (upstream sidewalk)

Liz

Crazy cyclists, tearing up our bridges and roads….

[KayakCyndi]

Checked the weather before even getting out of bed and saw 25 degrees in Falls Church. Debated for awhile whether to ride or metro. Clear skies and no wind won out and I rode. Layered up so well that within 2 miles I was thinking of what to shed!

The quantity of bike clothes hung to dry in the corner of my office now are rather entertaining …

[GuyContinental]

@Steve 38127 wrote:

Yea, they lied on the forecast. Lied! My god it was cold this morning. My body warmed up pretty well, but my thighs and digits were pretty cooooold. And my shower at work doesn’t have adjustable temperatures, so it inevitably feels scalding hot.

I opened my weather app this morning and it said 65 degrees- right date, right location, wrong time (an hour ahead) and very very wrong. I’d guess that Hunter Mill was in the low 20’s at 6:30.

Even with my lobsta’ gloves and liners my thumbs and index fingers got dangerously & painfully cold. Cheeks and forehead were bad too. Everything else was good (thanks to my new spiffy windproof plastic pants). +2 pts to the Gore jacket.

[sjclaeys]

Hands were a bit cold this morning, but the biggest challenge was the frost on the MVT “boardwalk”. I continue on the MVT east bound to the 14th Street bridge and the quick left-right at the intersection with the Roosevelt Bridge access path can be a bit tricky.

[mstone]

@eminva 38134 wrote:

You don’t see this every day . . .

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2157[/ATTACH]

Key Bridge (upstream sidewalk)

Liz

Yikes. Did you check for a pair of striped stockings sticking out from under it?

[jnva]

It was cold, but I was surprised how many bikers there were on the WOD and custis this morning.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

The biggest difference this year for me has been Bar Mitts. They also go under the name of Pogies and Moose Mitts. These little neoprene pockets attached to my North Roads handlebars mean I can wear glove liners when it’s 25 degrees. They also let out the moisture so your gloves are soaked inside when you warm up. In past years I wore big ski gloves which made it a pain to shift/brake sometimes.

This AM I added the neck gator and a slightly warmer long underwear top. Not much difference in dressing for 40 degrees, really.

[GuyContinental]

@jnva 38150 wrote:

It was cold, but I was surprised how many bikers there were on the WOD and custis this morning.

There were indeed lots more folks out than on your average wintery day- Westbound WOD I actually passed more outbound riders than I ever have (and I was all sorts of jealous of the guy way out in Sterling with his Moose Mitts). Also, nearly everyone was polite with their lights- I suppose anyone out on these cold morning is pretty serious about it and therefor more likely to dim/cover.

[Author]

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