Is it ever going to get warm?

Today was another ride in the bitter cold, at least it was for me down here in SW Georgia.  Another dark ride in 32 degrees, but as I say my worst bike commute is better than my best commute in my truck.

Last night was a commute against a cold 15 to 20 MPH head wind.  I took my short route.  When folks ask why I bike commute I site a situation like I had last night.  At five PM I was staring at my computer trying to decide if I was going to call my wife, Sylvia, to come and get me.  I did not feel like riding home in a cold head wind.  In my game of bike commuting if you ride to work you have to ride home, unless there is the threat of death due to lightning strikes.   It is easy to commute by auto and then decide to drive past the gym on the way home.  When you bike commute there is no option to get your exercise. If you want to get to work your ride and if you want to get home you ride.  So at 5:25 I walked to my bike barn on campus and then rode home.

Today I decided that I was tired of being just barley warm enough to ride in the cold so I put on an extra shirt.  I was layering with two smart fabric long sleeve shirts, my short sleeve summer jersey  a light wind breaker and now adding my Burley rain jacket.  The Burley jacket is my ultimate wind breaker.  It has a long zipper underneath each arm so you can vent out the heat from your body.  I like this jacket as it allows me to stay warm and sweat, but the zippers allow me to regulate how mush heat stays in the jacket as I ride.  The ride today was slower than normal, but I was warm.

I made some modifications to my new Harley Davidson goggles.  I miss having my mirror on during my rides.  When I am hugging the fog lane on the roads when semi trucks traveling at 65 MPH I want to know when I need to hang tight on my bars and be ready for the wind draft that could easily blow me off the road.  My comfort level always improves when I can see and hear everything possible while I am riding.  Being bundled up for the cold my ears are covered so my hearing is slightly impaired and I want to have visual confirmation of what is coming up behind me.  The construction is made up of card board and clear packing tape.  not sure if I will keep it but it was a last minute thing that I did while i was eating my bowl of oatmeal.

So despite my whining about riding my bike which is usually what is going on no matter what the weather is once I get on my bike and start riding all the fear uncertainty and doubt go away  and I usually enjoy my ride.

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