I don’t know where you live….ok I actually do know where some of you live but I digress. Where I live winter is here, has been here, is going to be here for many a month to come. It’s an undeniable fact, the mercury has fallen sometimes to the negative side of zero, the winds will blow, and there will be snow. You of the cycling variety in the frozen tundra areas have done one of three things.
1. You have put your bike on the hooks and tucked it in for a long winter slumber.
2. Trainers and rollers have been dug out of basements, closets, attics and garages for a full winter of mindless …um…train-er-ing, or roller-er-ing
3. You embrace the nonsense that is negative temps, layer it up and ride on anyway.
I think I may have thrown out this challenge before but I am not sure and I certainly do not feel like searching through this site and the posts to see if I have or not. If I did forgive me for warming up last winters leftovers, if I have not I take full credit for the genius. Who cares how or where you ride, just ride!
I prefer to ride despite the temps; trainer and rollers bore me to the brink of homicidal madness. I have found that I am not the only one either, there are other maniacs out there on a daily basis slogging through the slop to either get to where they need to go or for health and fitness sake.
While I am on the subject, if indeed I am on a subject, let’s talk Christmas shall we. I just saw a commercial for McDonalds extolling the virtues of giving your trash guy or mailman a McDonalds gift certificate….I guess you could if you really hate your trash guy or mailman that much. I mean noting says I hate you like a gift certificate for a free meal of fat, cholesterol, high blood pressure and so pumped with chemicals they had to add to the periodic table to accommodate the nastiness. Whilst giving them a gift is all fine and good I am adding a few people this year to the “Nice” list and I think you should to, especially if you rely on them as much as I do. Your local bike shop! I know I love mine, this is the place they know my name, ask how I have been, and have kept a bike underneath my buttocks without hesitation. Repairs are done with the speed and skill unlike any I have ever seen.
So my LBS is getting a gift this year. What you ask? You see soon enough. How about you add them to your list of people that at minimum get a card?
100 Pounds Ago 
“I prefer to ride despite the temps; trainer and rollers bore me to the brink of homicidal madness”
Oh, yes. +infinity.
I can’t believe McDonalds actually have gift certificates. Now there’s a gift that keeps on giving. Giving obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Now, THAT’S value!
I like the new look of your site, BTW. I haven’t visited it lately because I get your new posts via email.
For our part, the weather’s been a bit odd down here. The 30-day outlook includes 28 days of rain. I’ve decided I simply must get mudguards (“fenders” for the americans amongst us). Did you end up putting some on your road bike?
Max,
What makes me the maddest is McD’s pushes these certs around Trick or Treat time of the year. Have yet to put mudguards on…I prefer to just be covered in filth! Gives the motorists the idea that I am actually psychopathic and I sould be given a wide berth on the road.
Gene
Great post! While I do live in the desert, it does get cold here in the mornings. OK, its a relative cold, but we are talking windchills in the 20’s after all. I attempted to ride this morning in these very conditions and relaized I need warmer gear to accomplish my task. My fingerless gloves weren’t cutting it as I flirted with frostbite! I’m planning on getting a new pair tonight or tomorrow so I can continue to ride. I give you much credit as to your fortitude in riding in the truly nasty weather that your way comes.
As for the LBS, they are a definite on the Christmas list this season.
Daniel,
I picked up a pair of Under Armor gloves last year. Kind of fleece like material not terribly thick, they are warm warm warm I found them at a local sporting goods store and got them to try them out. They work awesome.
Gene
Great post, Gene! Cycling is a 12-month sport, or in your case lifestyle, no matter where you live so keep riding folks!
Thanks Anika!
I’m with you man, although I do have rollers now too for when I went to really push it for exercise. How do you get up to enough of a speed to actually get the heartrate up when the roads are icy? I haven’t quite figured this out yet. Where I live, the Lansing River Trail is the safest way to navigate the city, but it’s also not cleared. Since it’s pavement, ice can be a real issue. I’m out there, but not moving fast enough to feel like I’m getting a workout. Of course, I think your reponse will probably be, “I don’t care about ice – if you go over it at a high enough speed, there’s no time to slip.” Maybe I should give that a try…
Thanks for the note about the LBS too – just added mine to the list!
Jon
Jon,
I do a really good recon of my riding path, sidewalks are crap and I know what roads have the best and most clear shoulders if I need to dive off onto a shoulder. As you know I am one of those psychotic road riders that just deals with the traffic. There is also a county park right near my house with a 8 mile loop that they keep nice and clean (suprisingly) so at most it will go 1 day where its too crappy to ride. I switched to a more agressive tire tread on the Tri-cross (Mud-3’s) I only went down once last year from ice and thats because I was trying to take a shortcut to avoid an intersection. I would like some studded tires though for things like the Polar Rhino Ride which last year was a white knuckle ice fest that was all on dirt roads which never generally get plowed.
GB
Gene
I’m choosing, just ride. Saturday morning mtb ride with the gang. Done too little lately. Need to refocus and reload for 2011.