Cool Ridings

Willamette River from the Union Street Bridge

Today’s short ride was mostly about just getting on the bicycle and having fun, but it was also just chilly enough this morning to pull out the cold weather riding gear.

The first time of the season when you pull on the super-clingy under-armour and full-length tights, you forget what you’re going to see when you walk past the mirror. Yikes. I knew I should not have eaten that pizza last night. Thankfully, adding an additional layer of clothing helps. Whew!

Toe Happiness Units

Cyclists’ toes tend to freeze when we ride in cold weather. I've tried extra socks but that doesn't help. Original toes are really expensive to replace, so to preserve my original set of ten, I just bought a pair of those foot warmers that you can put on over your cycling shoes.  I can tell already, this is going to be a good purchase. $44.99...less than five bucks per toe!

Fingers like to freeze in the cold weather as well; it helps to have closed-finger riding gloves, the kind with some padding for your hands.  It also helps to change hand positions more frequently in cold weather riding.

Shortly into the ride, I was taking mental notes of how to prepare better for the next chilly ride. If it was any colder today, my jacket would not have done the job. I’ll need to figure out what to do about that. Cold air does a number on my ears, too. I’ll need to dig into the winter clothing and find that headband.

Union Street Bridge

After crossing the river on the Union Street Bridge, I had a little time to climb the West hills a bit before meeting my sweetie for coffee downtown. It feels more winter-like than fall-like now. Most of the leaves are down. Winter light provides a completely different sensation than summer sun, it puts you in a more reflective frame of mind, I think. 

Probably the biggest benefit to riding on colder days is just getting out of the house to enjoy some fresh air.  Maybe you don’t worry so much about logging so many miles or moving so fast down the road...maybe you just concentrate on staying warm and having some fun.