[NicDiesel]

@DaveK 72958 wrote:

I’d love to see a post about life and bikes in the great white North sometime. What’s different, better, worse… I’ve heard a lot of good things about biking up there.

It’s a really awesome bike metro area. Minneapolis (where we live) has an amazing park system with great bike lanes that get plowed when they do the snow emergency routes, St. Paul (the “Twin” east of the Mississippi) is also well developed but isn’t as good with snow removal. The biggest difference I’ve seen between here and DC, during my limited outdoor riding and observation from seeing people on the trails and greenway, is that it’s much more utilitarian (i.e. beater bikes for winter, fat bikes) and no plastic bikes or ELITE douchebags (they’re probably hibernating). There are also a lot of “invisible cyclists” here that you don’t really see in DC as a result of the affluence of that metro area, but everyone is civil and chilled out.

I’m not riding outdoors this winter but once March comes around I’m going to start trying to ride every day for at least 10 miles. I’m hoping that I can drop enough weight over the spring and summer so I can get a fat bike for next fall and winter (I’m too heavy right now and they don’t make 48h hubs), but I’m planning to do a ton of riding this spring, summer, and early fall. I’m still working on the documentary I mentioned to some of you earlier this year, so I’ll be shooting a ton of b-roll when I do get outdoors.

[NicDiesel]

Less than 2,000 miles in 2013 but scouting for a new home halfway across the country took up a lot of riding time. Hoping to hit 3,500 in 2014.

[NicDiesel]

The key is to break it up over the full year (something that shouldn’t be too difficult in DC) so you don’t have to squeeze it in over an eight month period.

[NicDiesel]

Less than 2,000 this year but a lot of injuries, health issues, and a cross country move. I’m shooting for 3,500 miles in 2014 with touring rides to Duluth (165 miles) and Fargo (245 miles) this summer.

[NicDiesel]

Always happy to see this sign when I ride.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]4364[/ATTACH]

[NicDiesel]

After careful consideration and a few failed riding attempts I’m going to have to sit out the 2014 edition of Freezing Saddles. One thing that I overestimated when I considered riding this winter here in Minneapolis was the state of my immune system. As some of you may know I had a pretty serious health scare four years ago that left me with a seriously compromised immune system that makes riding under normal winter weather conditions difficult. To be fair, December here has been colder than normal (December 24th was the coldest day in 2013 with -14 wet bulb temp) but my immune system is just not up to the task for outdoor riding this winter. I’m hoping that after I drop another 50-60lbs I can get back to riding year round but, for right now, I have to listen to my body and stay indoors.

[NicDiesel]

@DismalScientist 70746 wrote:

Well, it couldn’t be -1000 F. You know, laws of physics and stuff.

Don’t be so literal d00d.

[NicDiesel]

@cyclingfool 70740 wrote:

The only sub-zero conditions I see in the next week’s worth of forecasts are at night… in Celsius. Heat wave continues. 😎

Now, now, on Friday morning (when I plan on going riding) it’s projected to be a toasty -10 F. It could be -1000 F and I wouldn’t really care though, being able to ride at all and enjoy life is all I care about nowadays. This dude from Winnipeg I met on Sunday said it best – “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.”

[NicDiesel]

@consularrider 70737 wrote:

NicDiesel: I’d recommend changing that base layer top2 from cotton to merino wool, maybe wear it under the long sleeve jersey in base layer top1 if it’s lighter weight. There are at least three quality garment makers, Ibex, Smart wool and Icebreaker that make some larger sizes (up to XXL) and there were a few hits for XXXL on my google search.

Excellent, I’ll check those out and see if any of them will be long enough (always the issue with being really fat AND have a super long torso and arms). The cotton long sleeve is really just to keep the jersey from bunching up, but it hasn’t gotten seriously cold here yet.

[NicDiesel]

@DismalScientist 70722 wrote:

But it’s a dry cold.:rolleyes:

Just pray it isn’t windy…

[NicDiesel]

I know this isn’t relevant to most here, but if you’re a cyclist of size I’ve found that the Cabela’s Guidewear Gore-Tex gear, while pricey, is the most effective way to stay dry and warm when the temperature drops below 10 degrees and the wind starts blowing hard. I considered going the layers route that many have laid out here and in other winter riding places, but when you’re my size it’s difficult enough to find a jacket that fits, much less technical gear that you can layer.

Here’s my current setup that I’m going to test out this week now that the thermometer is dropping in to the single digits and negatives:

Base layer top1: long sleeve jersey
Base layer top2: long sleeve cotton shirt
Base layer bottom: padded shorts liner
Outer torso: Gore-tex Guidewear parka
Outer legs: Gore-tex rain pants
Socks: Smart wool
Shoes: Shimano MTB with Windstopper covers
Gloves: Gore Windstopper gloves inside of Wool lobster mitts or Outdoor Research Lobster mitts
Head1: Craft headband
Head2: Gore balaclava

Right now this set up keeps me dry and comfortable but winter hasn’t started yet and it hasn’t started snowing either. Before the real cold weather shows up and the snow falls and sticks I’m going to get a set of Dogwood Pogies and a pair of Wolvhammers SPD boots along with studded tires. With those added to my current setup I should be good to go riding in any weather that’s not dangerous to be in (read: blizzard). Whether my bike survives is a different story…

[NicDiesel]

As will the delays.

[NicDiesel]

You: neighborhood dude transporting three kids (triplets) on a Big Dummy this weekend.
Me: dude giving you guys the thumbs up as you cruised by.

[NicDiesel]

Let’s do this. I just bought a ton of Gore Tex gear that desperate needs a good Minnesota winter beating.

[NicDiesel]

It hasn’t gotten really cold here yet but the SPD Wolvhammers, so far, with a pair of smart wool socks keeps you really dry and warm. No need for the chem warmers yet, but it should be subzero later this week…

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