My Morning Commute

[dasgeh]

Ear warmer + buff + fleece hood
Wool base shirt + favorite warm running shirt (with thumb holes and hood) + fleece hoodie + ski jacket
Cycling gloves + moose mitts
Warmest wool tights + windproof cycling tights + fleece sweatpants
Liner socks + snow boots

Perfect for the ebike this morning (probably would have worked for the regular bike too, though the fleece sweatpants may have been too much and I would have subbed the cycling lightweight jacket for the ski jacket.

[Terpfan]

To the woman driving the volvo on St Asaph St this morning: did you really need to pass me within inches while I passing a double parked vehicle? I mean, would the 3 second delay in your warm and toasty car really have bothered you that much? Especially in the run up to a red light? And yes, that was me laughing at you as I later passed you waiting to merge onto the GWMP.

Besides exhibit a. above, cold, and wind, it was a mostly pleasant ride. Someone’s pipe must have burst in those condos on Abingdon as the road was a mess and I was trying to avoid getting too much wet stuff shot up onto me 1/3 of the way into my ride.

On the plus side, I checked the post-snow day weather and it’s showing high 30s to low 40s, so hopefully it will melt quickly off the pathways. Otherwise, I will be scoring Salty Dogs many more points by deviating a solid 5 miles each way.

[bentbike33]

@Crickey7 132565 wrote:

No hydration. I thinking introducing cold liquids would be inadvisable, and any liquids would be cold quickly.

This cold dry air parches me. I put hot tap water (all 100 oz.) in the Camelback this am, and let the tube drain after drinking so it would not freeze up. Worked great, and the water was still lukewarm at the end of my commute (after ~50 minutes).

[kcb203]

Someone always places two orange movable bollards in the bike lane on NY Ave just east of 15th Street. Usually they are on the edge, but today one was right in the middle of the bike lane. One advantage of the cold weather was that I rode with flat pedals and boots instead of clipless pedals and shoes, which dramatically improved my ability to deliver a knockout kick to the obstructing bollard as I rode by.

[ian74]

My toes hurt and I had an icicle. Need more windproof clothing and winter boots.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10518[/ATTACH]

[trailrunner]

I was pretty toasty this morning. The winter boots I bought in September have proven to be a very wise investment.

The worst part of my commute is that someone parked a utility or golf cart on the bike path. Don’t know if some kids stole it from Greensprings retirement home or from the country club and took it for a joyride or what. I can get around it, but just barely and I have to unclip and shuffle my bike between it and jersey barriers. I sure hope that it is removed before the snow comes, because on that part of the path the plows push snow from the road to the path, and if that cart stays there, the combination of snow and the cart will completely block the path.

[KWL]

Is that icicle from your tears? Or a neurological event?

[oldbikechick]

Thanks really cold day for revealing the kink in my armor. Ski jacket and three layers on my legs kept me warm and toasty and even my hands and feet were OK. There was just one spot on my forehead not covered by ear warmer or balaclava that I quickly became aware of! I will cover that up next time…

[DismalScientist]

One layer of khaki pants did fine, as always.

[dkel]

@DismalScientist 132679 wrote:

One layer of khaki pants did fine, as always.

Well, when your soul is already as cold as the depths of outer space, what’s a little winter weather?

[hozn]

@ian74 132610 wrote:

My toes hurt and I had an icicle. Need more windproof clothing and winter boots.

My toes were ok today with Northwave GTX “Artic” boots wedged ino my Gore shoe covers. They were cold after an hour, but not numb. Winter boots alone would have been insufficient for my fairweather feet.

+1 on windproof. Gore Windstopper softshell with a wool baselayer proved still nice and warm in the headwind this am. Pit zips FTW. Yet to find where that combo fails; I suspect it will be at some temp below my hand/feet tolerance.

Bar Mitts this AM. Still needed the heavy duty gloves. I will probably keep those on for tomorrow.

[DismalScientist]

@dkel 132681 wrote:

Well, when your soul is already as cold as the depths of outer space, what’s a little winter weather?

It sounds like you’re really beginning to understand this economics gig.

[huskerdont]

I see people everywhere these days in their balaclavas. I don’t believe in them.

[Ex-girlfriend response: “Oh they exist alright.”]

[Vicegrip]

@huskerdont 132699 wrote:

I see people everywhere these days in their balaclavas. I don’t believe in them.

[Ex-girlfriend response: “Oh they exist alright.”]

I like the imaginary one I wear when the temps are under 20. It helps keep me from frying my lungs with cold, super dry air.

This reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw a while back on a van. “God does not believe in atheists” I chatted with the van’s driver a bit. I noted that there is solid irrefutable proof that atheists do in fact exist and asked as such does the sticker imply that God is mistaken?

Driver. :confused:- -:mad:

[Tania]

I see riders in balaclavas (or buffs pulled up around their nose) when it drops below 40F. Dontgetit. :confused:

Like bar mitts, I find them unnecessary (I run pretty hot). I use a buff when it’s below 20F but more to cover my ears; my face is completely exposed.

My FEET on the other hand are always an issue and only when on a bike.

[Author]

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