The Bike is a Fair Weather Friend

It's cold.

No no. Let me rephrase.

It's prohibitive.

A blast of arctic air from Canada means that it's colder in the Carolinas are colder than in Denver, CO.

I'm checking the weather right now, and it says 29, but feels like 18.

18!

Now that the rant is over, let me tell you why I'm ranting.

Last year, I ran all through the winter. Sure, it was cold, but I survived. I ran in Bowling Green, OH when temps were, well, colder than they are here. I decked myself out in the balaclava, silk underwear, Mizuno Breath Thermal base layers, thick winter pants, two pairs of wool socks, a heavy running coat, two pairs of gloves, and a hat.

I was fine. After a few minutes of warming up, it was actually pleasant. The scenary? Gorgeous. The town? Charming. And coming home, I peeled off layers and received home baked cookies from smiling friends.

Even while in Greensboro, running on the trails in winter was a wonderland experience.

So why should cycling be so different?

Why indeed.

First off, and most importantly, the wind. Oh the wind. I used to run at a stunning 6mph, and most of that was shielded by the trees. On my bike, I'm out in the open, going around 15/16 mph on the slow side, and when that wind comes up, it takes your core temp instantly down a few notches, no matter how hard you've been working up to then.

Second off, I'm breathing harder, which means more cold air is sucked into my lungs.

Third off, my hands and feet, despite neoprene and ski thickness gloves, always go numb.

Fourth, my water bottles freeze. And yes, there are ways to prevent this, but please. Do I really have to start out my ride with hot water in the bottles?

Fifth, all of the added layers make riding a bike a bit, well, cramped. The gloves, for example, make riding the drops impossible since I don't have a confident feel of the brakes, plus grabbing the bottles (when they're not frozen) requires a bit more concentration.

Sixth, the scenery alongside the road is bleak and depressing. I can ride past trailer parks in the spring, summer, even fall. But winter?

Seventh, it's hard to find people to ride with in these temps. Even if I'm crazy enough to go out, most people are not. And some of my friends commute no matter what, but that's not 2+ hours worth of slogging it out on an endurance ride.

I know I need to HTFU and ride. It's hard, though. Harder than I thought it would be.

The trainer, the alternative, is not much better for endurance rides. For intervals? Awesome. Bring it. Trainer me. But for base rides? Even watching Whip It didn't make the time pass much faster.

And it's only mid December.

I know the weather right now is colder than average, but to me all that means is that I'm missing what little possible outdoor time I've got left.

But I also know that my dilemma is a standard one for the cycling ages. The pro riders in Ireland and England right now, where the weather is beyond insane, are logging 15 hour weeks on their trainers.

Things could be worse.

It's a bit of a let down to come to terms with the fact that a bike is a fair weather friend, though. I knew the theory behind it, but this is the reality. This is what everyone warned me about.

But at least all cyclists in the area share the same reality, and can commiserate with one another. Even if our bikes lose some of their romance, there's still a sense of community in the peleton. And ultimately, for me, the community is what it's all about.