Just wondering on this - basically trying to find out how wimpy I really am (probably really wimpy).
I have a 3 hour ride scheduled for today but… it’s supposed to be a high of 44F with 15-25 mpH winds. So I am thinking of doing this on the trainer - this would be a lot less miserable but not a whole lot of fun either.
So - what’s other people’s threshold for riding outside? I used to have a cut-off of around 50F (maybe a few degrees cooler if it was sunny out, otherwise I wouldn’t bike at all). But I have some upcoming centrures and other tris so I at least need to get some more time on the bike. My friends are fair weather bikers though so I’m doubting I’d be able to convince anyone to go with me - maybe they really are the sane ones…
You guys got snow down there? Or is it dry? If it’s dry I’m outsde if there is snow/rain, I’m on the trainer but I can only handle about an hour of that not 3.
My threshold is 40 degF and this is only because I cannot keep my feet warm below this temp. Winds here are normal and yesterday they were, uh I don’t know, 6 or 700 MPH. At least that’s how they felt. Real gusts were allegedly 40 MPH. I read each 5-MPH headwind is worth 1% grade - so keep this in mind. I don’t know where you live, but if I didn’t go out until it was 65 degrees I would only get a couple of dozen days a year outside.
Some snow on the grass, nothing on the roads. Heard that there was a lot more snow further north. I can’t believe it was 80 degrees out just a couple of days ago…
The tougher the weather, the more I like to train in it. Who know what conditions will surface come race day? Last year we raced in the tail end of a hurricane; I was the only one to be able to stay down in the aerobars and because of that was finally able to beat my arch-rival.
Yea - I figured someone would take a chance on Clarett but I didn’t think he’d go that high. I do like the Browns draft so far - even though their first pick was from Michigan…
Edwards has had many critical drops in his career with the maize and poo. Usually I just smile and give him the finger, now I gotta cheer for him? Something is wrong with that…
I’m up in NE Ohio and we are getting a good amount of snow. I too had a 3+ hour ride scheduled for today, but I’m settling for about 2 hours on the trainer. I mostly use the trainer when in the 40s or lower, unless it is sunny and I’m itching to get out for a short ride. I’m sure that could be considered wimpy by some, but riding in cold weather without all the right gear is not my definition of fun.
Same forecast up here in eastern Ontario, same scheduled ride…and I too am on the fence. Two years ago I went through a series of rides in these conditions, and did a few bricks to multiply the misery. Then along came Columbia Triathlon, with not much wind but wet and chilly, and at least doing the race did not involve severe shocks to my system. So, I will probably suck it up today and suffer through the whole damn thing outside. I have a small local du in two weeks which will only last about 70 minutes, then Columbia two weeks after that, then Mooseman 1/2 two weeks further on. I figure that Columbia will have decent weather (last year made up for '03), but no doubt Mooseman will be chilly for much of the bike at least, so I need to be ready for that experience. Think warm thoughts.
Hey, I am in the columbus area as well. I did 3 hours on the trainer yesterday (1.5 hrs of powercranks) and plan on doing 1.5 today followed by 30 min. running on the treadmill. I will ride outside down to about 20 degrees if the roads are dry. If things are wet and slippery I figure why take the risk and stay inside. Hopefully there is something good on t.v. There is only so mutch of the NFL draft I can watch.
If the roads are dry ride, if there is a chance of ice do the trainer. I have 3 inches of snow of my patio right now but will be commiting to work in a hour on a bike. I took the cross tires off my commuter for the year already so it looks like I will have to dig out the mt bike.
It’s low 30’s and snowing here. The snow is melting as soon as it hits so the roads are just wet. My street is part of a fairly popular cycling route. I did not see any cyclists out yesterday.
I’ll ride down to about 30 if it is dry. All you need are the right clothes and the ablity to get through the first 5 - 10 minutes of the ride while you warm up and it is not bad at all. I don’t have the clothes to ride for more than an hour below about 55 if it is raining. At that temp, once I am soaked through I’m done.
I was planning on going 3 hours yesterday. I did 2 hours on the trainer instead - a one hour interval workout - took a 3 hour break to run some errands then put in another hour watching basketball. I’m actually thinking going outside today rather than go through that again.
I have two rules - above freezing and not raining when I go out the door. There is too much ice around here if it’s below freezing and my eyes don’t see it very well. As long as it’s not raining when I go out the door I can deal with it if it starts 2 minutes later. But I hate trying to warm up and get going when I am wet right off the bat. Actually make it three rules - the others only apply if I am feeling average or better. When below average I doubt my ability to do enough watts to stay warm in adverse conditions and stay indoors.
About 32 degrees and windy this morning in Iowa, so I opted for a 2.5 hour ride on the trainer in front of the boob tube. I know more about the new pope and the NFL draft than is necessary. But I am a wimp about the cold. Strangely, I don’t mind riding in the rain, but I don’t like to run or ride in the cold. Now that I think about it, I don’t like to swim in cold water either.
You’re a wimp, but it’s all relative. If I didn’t ride outside when it was 45 and windy, I might not be able to ride outside until May. Today, I’m heading to the trainer instead of a planned 2.5 hour ride, but it is snowing up here in Michigan, which makes for rather dangerous roads for cyclists.
Edwards has had many critical drops in his career with the maize and blue. Usually I just smile and give him the finger, now I gotta cheer for him? Something is wrong with that… My wife and I have the honor of having four degrees from the great university in Ann Arbor, and all I can say about your analysis of Braylon Edwards is that it is entirely accurate. If you aren’t going to learn that you need to catch the ball before you start running at a school like Michigan (or even OSU for that matter) where they tend to teach the fundamentals, you’ll never learn it in the pros. Cleveland just wasted a draft pick on a guy that will kill drives for them by dropping balls that should be caught on third down.
It’s about three hours after my earlier post, and I’m gearing up to set out. No snow, no ice, just lots of rain and wind. I can handle the rawness, figuring it’s a character builder as well as potentially valuable race prep, but if I flat I’m in big trouble because my fingers will be too numb to function properly. My wife would say that if I go for a ride when I’m worried about numb fingers then perhaps my brain is numb as well…but she’s a canoeist-in-all-conditions, so who’s she to question my common sense?!?
