The ride that wasn’t and the one that was

For the first time in quite a few years I felt the need to cancel the annual Penance 100.  Turns out that was a good decision.  The forecast was extremely unfavorable.  All of my weather sources were in agreement about the day.  It would be raining all day long.  The temps would be in the 40s to low 50s.  That’s an evil combination.

I have long maintained that the most miserable conditions possible for a cyclist are 40 degrees and rain.  It’s a perfect combination for the hypothermia.  Add a really long ride, and one that takes the rider a good 50 miles away from home, and the recipe is complete.  There are just too many ways that a day like that can go horribly wrong.  And that is just the day we got.  So it was a good call.  But I wasn’t happy with it.

I was determined to start the year off with a riding day.  Just not the day I had originally planned.  Two of us set out at noon.  I was well attired for the conditions.  The bike had fenders.  I was wearing rain pants, good winter riding boots, a helmet cover, and a rain cape.  I was comfortable, even during the parts of the afternoon when the rain moved from “light” to ”downpour.”

My riding companion was similarly attired.  We didn’t talk much.  It wasn’t necessary, and rain riding requires a lot of concentration.  We rode in a companionable silence for most of the afternoon.  Our timing was excellent.  We finished just at the point where our rain gear was saturating and overloading.  The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches tasted like manna from above.  All in all it was a good way to start off a new year.

Why?

I am dealing with an injustice.  Allow me to explain.

My Fall/Winter schedule has some challenges built into it.  For various reasons, the best days for me to commute are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  The first three days of the week have impediments built into them.  If I use my bike on those days, I either have to carry an enormous amount of stuff, or get home quite late, or both.  I can accept that.

Now here comes the injustice.  It’s the weather.  Has anyone else noticed the pattern we’ve had lately?  I think it’s my fault.  If you haven’t been paying attention to it, here’s what’s been going on.

Sunday:  Warm, sunny, and beautiful, but with clouds arriving late in the day.

Monday:  It rains and gets cooler as the cold front approaches.

Tuesday:  The rain continues, but is diminished, and the temperature drops.

Wednesday:  The clouds go away, but the temperature keeps dropping.

Thursday:  A gradual warming trend begins, however it will be cold during the morning commuting hours.

Friday:  Expect a bit warm high, but it will start out quite cold.

Saturday:  Warming trend continues, after a very cold start to the day.

Notice that my commuting days all start out cold!  That means I’m going to have a chilly ride in to work, wearing a lot of protective clothing.  By the time I ride home, the temps are more reasonable, but it is quite dark, and I still have to carry all that stuff!

Allow me to apologize to any of you who are negatively affected by this.  Apparently I’ve annoyed someone.  I can think of no other explanation.

Winter Wear

If you read this blog regularly, you will note that I have a fascination with weather.  Part of that arises from cycling, which is at core and outdoor activity.  If one is going to be outdoors, it is good to have an idea of what to wear.  Wisely does the Sage say,  “There is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.”  I hate making poor clothing choices, and I hate missing a ride.

Throughout the course of a year, I have many conversations with other riders.  Often, when the topic of rain comes up, I hear something like,  “I never ride in the rain.”  That baffles me a bit.   When pressed, most riders reply that they don’t want to have to mess with cleaning up the bike after a rain ride.

I could accept that, but I work on a lot of those bikes, and the folks who ride them just about don’t  bother to clean them up…  ever.  I’ve come to realize that most folks who “don’t ever ride in the rain,” have two real reasons for avoiding it.  The first is fear, and the second is lack of preparation.

The fear is fairly rational, but largely misplaced.  These riders are afraid that the bike will crash if ridden in the rain.  Honestly, with just a little common sense and caution, it won’t.  The lack of preparation comes from not paying more than cursory attention to weather forecasting, and from lack of knowledge about dressing for the weather.

Cold weather riding is a similar problem.  It’s about how to dress for it.

On that note, I’d like to address another aspect.  Each year, it is necessary to re-evaluate the weather gear.  If one is riding in our climate some cold weather and foul weather clothing are a must.  The good news is that these pieces last us a long time.  The bad news is, “a long time” does not  mean forever.  Sadly, cold weather gear does wear out.

Base layers should provide complete coverage, and while they are thin, they should have enough material to work as a wicking layer.  With repeated washings this kind of material wears and becomes thin.  When that happens, it becomes almost useless, and should be replaced.

Mid layers should be fleece or micro fleece.  This is the material that traps an insulating layer of warm air.  It should have “loft.”  With repeated wear and washing, that fleece compresses and compacts, and it flakes off in washing.

Windblocking outer layers are not immune to the wearout process either.

So, reasonably, we don’t want to have to spend more than necessary on protective clothing.  But we want to be reasonably warm and dry while riding.  How do we accomplish this?

Protect your investment:

Wash the stuff as soon as possible after wear.

Never subject technical athletic clothing to the dryer!  Let it hang to dry.

When the season ends, wash the stuff, and then store it, in airtight containers.

Older, less effective base and mid layer pieces still have utility on the less extreme weather days.

Constantly Build capability:

• Budget for added weather gear each year. 
• Each year, buy one or two pieces that compliment what you already have.
• Evaluate your needs, and replace what is not working well.

Experiment, but control:

Don’t just trust claims on a new item.  Test it!  Example:  I always get into the shower with new rain gear.  I want to know how good it works before I depend on it.  In a similar fashion, go out for short rides with new cold weather gear.  You’d rather be close to home if it doesn’t work well, and you are starting to slip into hypothermia.

Learn a bit about the weather and climate:  It’s a fascinating subject.  And the ability to make reasonable guesses about conditions will allow you to ride more.  If you wait until ride time, and then look out the window, you’ll miss more rides.

Thursday Thoughts: As Winter Approaches

The old Indian said, in regard to Daylight Saving Time,  “You cut a foot off of the top of the blanket, and sew it to the bottom of the blanket.  Only the government would think that makes a longer blanket.”  Just so.  Still we follow this ritual twice a year, and have just completed the Autumn edition.  Suddenly it’s getting dark earlier in the day, and just at a time when we are losing daylight to the advance of the season.

I have long been amazed at the regularity and precision of our north Georgia climate.  We have wet years and dry ones, cooler and warmer, but the seasons occur right on schedule.  I have lived and worked in many places.  I’m here to tell you that this seasonal regularity is not everywhere so constant.

As usual, mid-Autumn arrived right on schedule.  Temps have dropped, and the wind has picked up.  We can expect late-Autumn to arrive on or about Thanksgiving.

For cyclists, and other outdoors folk, attempting to figure out just what is coming next is always an entertaining challenge.  Rest assured, we all know that Winter is coming, but what kind of a Winter are we facing?

Usually, by this time of year, I have a pretty good notion of just what we are facing.  The long range forecasting and climatology folks are pretty good at what they do.  But the global climate state is a bit confusing right now.  Basically, it’s about even money, either we get a Winter similar to , and a bit harsher than last year, cold early, a good chance of snow events, and then an early warming.  Or, we go with a warmer and drier Winter.  All the big boys in the business are hedging their bets.

What does this mean to me?  It means that I don’t really know just what to prepare for.  So, by long standing policy, I’m getting ready for the worst.  I’m digging out all of the heavy cold and wet weather gear, and making sure the trainer and roller are working well.  If we get a rough one, the stationary devices can be life savers.

{Incidentally, here’s a neat trick.  Last year, when the weather was truly awful, I

{pulled the trainer out onto the porch.  I’d gear up for the cold part of the

{weather, but I could ride under shelter, and (mostly) out of the wind.  I was still

{outside, but not facing the total challenge.

So, as the Autumn leaves finish falling, I’m getting braced for the worst, and hoping for the best.  Cold weather clothing is in place.  Rain gear to hand and ready.  Good lights are in stock and tested.  Lot’s of lubricants and cleaning supplies on hand.  And I have a goodly number of indoor projects lined up.  It’s time to stiffen the resolve, and (figuratively) gird the loins.  Winter provides us with big challenges as we ride, but the rewards are great also.

By the way, here’s one last little bit of almost Folk Wisdom.  The week of Thanksgiving seems to be a pretty good model for the Winter.  Watch it and see.

Friday Follies ~~ Rain Rides

“I never ride in the rain.”

I hear that statement a fair amount.  It always gives me pause.  To begin with, here in north Georgia, our climate can toss almost anything at us, and at almost any time.  I’ve been deluged on days when there was a “zero percent rainchance,” in the middle of a drought.  How does one avoid that?  (Possibly by never riding outside?)

I rather like riding in the rain.  I don’t like being wet and cold.  I am a bit leery of conditions where visibility is greatly reduced.  Both of these situations are fairly easy to avoid or deal with.  This wasn’t always the case.

Ages ago, when I was first learning road cycling, I tried to avoid rain.  Of course, if it rained while I was out, I rode in it.  Usually taking the shortest route home.  I learned.  I learned that a Summer shower was refreshing.  I learned that my bike would handle the conditions well.  I learned how to handle traffic in rain.

But in those pre-historic days (before the invention of Gore-Tex) rain and cool weather presented a problem.  The only answer we had was wool.  Wool and rain jackets.  (Waxed cotton duck did exist, but I hadn’t found out about it.)

The early rain jackets were a light and short version of the kid’s “slicker” that I’d used in grade school.  Basically, this was rubberized denim fabric.  Bright yellow.  It stank, and it didn’t do a very good job.  It was all but useless in warm weather because it trapped heat and moisture.  So in a few minutes, the rider was just as wet as if no jacket had been worn.

Wool does do a fair job of insulating, even when wet, but the wool riding clothing of the day came in two basic varieties.  There was the stuff I could afford, and the “good stuff.”  The stuff I could afford was itchy, smelly, and didn’t hold shape well.  It was hard to wash, took forever to dry, and it was just plain not a lot of fun.  In colder weather these jackets helped a bit, but the rain ride was still a test of fortitude and character.

The mid-1970s were an interesting and exciting time for cycling.  There was a major “bike boom” going on.  The recent oil embargoes had pushed a lot of people toward bicycles.  Suddenly a rather large segment of the American population was taking to the road on bicycles.  Somehow, the idea of touring caught on.  Lots of folks decided to give it a try.  I was one of them.

There was another thing about the mid-70s that was interesting.  We hadn’t discovered global warming yet.  In fact, the then current “big scare” was that the Ice Age was coming.  I do remember it being a lot colder in the Winters, with a lot more snow, and the Summers were hotter.  (And yes, I walked to school, six miles, barefoot, in the snow, uphill both ways!)  And it seems it rained a whole lot more.  (Maybe that last was just a local phenomena.  I seem to attract rain.)

My early attempts at bicycle touring were learning experiences.  My first trips were short, weekend rides to slightly removed campsites.  It usually rained.

This was a typical scenario.  I’d start out with high hopes and great expectations.  The forecast would be favorable, the day sunny.  By mid-afternoon the clouds would be rolling in.  Shortly after that it would start to rain.  Not a passing shower mind you.  It would start as light rain, and gradually escalate to steady, with occasional burst of torrential.

(Digression:  Descending, on a 70s vintage bicycle, loaded, with the crappy brakes of the era, was an experience.  Modern bikes are worth every penny!  :End Digression)

The rain would continue, slowing progress, and soaking and chilling me.  I would arrive at the campsite to find it semi-flooded.  I would attempt to find dry ground, or at least ground above the waterline.  Then I would make camp.  It’s very difficult to get dry and warm when you are already soaked before setting up camp, and it is raining steadily while you are setting up.

(Digression:  The camping equipment of that era was heavy, cumbersome, and not very weather worthy.  Modern equipment is worth every penny!  For that matter, there is a lot to be said for motels with dry rooms, clean sheets, and hot running water at the end of a day!  :End Digression)

I would spend a long night, damp, and cold.  It would be raining throughout the night.  Breakfast would be cold.  But the sun usually came out on my return trip, and I would arrive back home, warm, dry, and only slightly chafed.

There were a couple of these trips that stayed dry, and they were wonderful, but they were also rare.

Gradually, equipment improved.  At the same time, my attitude changed.  I found that a ride in the rain beat staying indoors.  I learned to ride in the rain, and to welcome the challenge.  I learned to actually like rain rides.  (Mostly.  Not always, but more often than not.)  I learned the truth of the adage, “There is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.”

Late in last Winter, I was riding to work.  The weather was, in a word, lousy.  It was grey.  It was raining, mixed with sleet.  I was under my incredible, British made, rain-cape, on my trusty full-fendered tourist.  I was actually a bit too warm, and quite dry.  I was relishing things around me, having the time of my life, when…

A largish SUV pulled along side of me.  The passenger’s side window powered down and the driver called out,  “Do you need help?  I’ll give you a ride and you can put your bike in the back.  Without thinking, I replied,  “No thanks!  I wouldn’t want to miss all this!”

Prime Time Rides

We hope everyone weathered the weekend storms in good shape.  As storms go, Lee didn’t do a lot more than provide us with some much needed rain and a bit of inconvenience.  If there was anything more exciting, we missed it.

On the other hand, the aftermath of the storm does usher us into the beginning of one of the most delightful aspects of our climate.  While it is still technically Summer, the long Fall is beginning now.  We’re about to see some wonderful riding weather.  The outlook for the next week is great.  We’ll see overnight lows in the low 60s, and highs in the upper 70s.  Couple this with very low rain chances, and we get great weather for riding.

So what should one do with this gift?  Take a long ride in the country.  Use the bikes to get out to a nice picnic spot.  Go for a weekend credit card tour.  The possibilities are boundless.

And here are a few more suggestions:

September 11, 2011

Dirt Road Practice Ride  We’ll meet at Bicycles Unlimited and do a short ride with a short unpaved road section.  The loop is about 15 miles long.  The dirt road section is less than two miles.  We can do one trip, or double up on the dirt, as desired by riders.  This is a road ride, but some may wish to bring mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, or hybrids.  (We ain’t bein’ all formal here!)  The ride starts at 2:00 P.M. promptly.

September 17 & 9

Bike MS: Cox Atlanta Ride 2011   The weekend centers around Callaway Gardens, in Pine Mountain, GA.  This is an amazing event.  The riding is incredibly well supported.  The Bike MS Rides, are well reputed and our personal experience bears this out.  Come and enjoy fantastic riding, along with thousands of others.  Ride with a purpose.  Let’s end Multiple Sclerosis!  More information is available at the MS Society, Georgia Chapter website.

September 19, 2011

Autumn Equinox Celebration Night Ride   We’ll be marking the Autumnal Equinox with this one.  The object is a group ride, but one that stays together.  We’ll be starting out in daylight, but the sun will go down while we’re out, so good night gear will be required.  Required equipment will include, good strong lights, capable of running for at least three hours; a strong tail light; reflective sash or vest; reflective ankle bands; helmets.  Expect to cover approximately 45 miles, in about 3 hours.

 Autumn Equinox 

Where: Frederick Brown Amphitheater

Date:  Monday 19 Sept

Time:  7:30 PM (sharp)

Distance/Pace: approx 45 miles, about 3 hours

Requirements/Conditions: No dirt roads this time. Group will stay

together.  Headlights, tail lights, reflective sash or vest, reflective ankle bands,

Helmets.  Dress for the weather.  Ride goes Rain or Shine.

That’s just a beginning.  It’s a good time of year to be alive and a wonderful one to be on a bike!

A Clarification

We have recently spent a bit of time discussing heat, and techniques for riding and exercising in hot weather.  One could be forgiven for possibly gathering the impression that I don’t like high temps.  The opposite is the case.  I love warm weather, and am delighted when it is hot.  I do respect the heat.  It is necessary to take precautions and exercise prudence.

The same is true for those who claim to like the cold.  One doesn’t see them dancing naked in the chill of a deep Winter day.  Disregarding weather conditions is a sure way to a bad outcome.

All that said, I strongly prefer the heat.

On that note, it will be warm today.  It will still be quite warm when we start the Mid-Summer’s Eve Celebration Night Ride, tonight.  It will cool a bit, as it always does in the evening, and then more as the sun sets.  The end of the ride will be cooler than the beginning.  However…  It will not get cold out tonight.  If you are riding, you will not need any cool weather gear.  (I would advise bringing a rain jacket and a cap.  This is always a wise precaution in August.)

Extra water would be a good idea.  This is a very rural route, of about 40 miles.  There are no reliable services available along the way.  (There is a store in Alvaton, but we will not arrive there until after 9:00, and my experience is that it will be closed by then.)  Best advice?  Arrive at the start with an empty bladder and full bottles.

Thursday Thoughts: Beware the “August Lull”!

Starting with basics.  It is not hot out. 

It has been warm.  We were blessed with an unseasonable warm spell in early June, but since then things have pretty much settled down to norms. 

It will get hot.  (Hot starts at 95 degrees F.)  It most certainly will.  August is hot.  And that is the crux of the matter.  Simply put, when it gets hot, a lot of folks start finding “reasons” not to ride.  Many (possibly most) will reassure themselves that they will “get back to it when the weather gets cooler.”

The problem with that approach is that breaking a routine is a lot easier than re-establishing it.  This is the first step to joining the “Old Guys Who Get Fat in the Winter Racing Team.”

“Winter?  You were just talking about August!”

That’s right.  It makes sense too.  For a lot of people, August is the beginning of the Great Annual Deterioration.  Here’s how it works.

It’s hot out.  I’ll skip today’s ride.  It will be better later this week.  Or next week.  Or…

Part of the problem comes from a simple fact.  It’s far easier to maintain conditioning, than it is to recover it.

Take a day off of the bike and it’s impossible to notice.  Take a week off, and you might actually come back stronger.  (Most folks don’t get enough rest and recovery.)  But go for two weeks, and the loss of fitness is quite noticeable.  Worse, it takes a lot of effort to recover lost fitness.

As a general rule, it takes about two days of training to recover each single day off.  Go a month off the bike, and it will take about two months to get back into condition.  That is, in a word, demoralizing.

August will be hot.  Some of us like it that way.  For others, the temptation to slack off is incredible.

Good luck with that.

One for the Books

A sage once opined,  “Climate is what you expect.  Weather is what you get.”  By that measure, we sure have been getting a lot of weather lately.

Take the forecast for yesterday.  It was supposed to be in the mid 50s and cloudy at ride time.  The temps were supposed to climb into the upper 60s, and the clouds to diminish.  It didn’t quite work out that way.

Five of us lined up to do my annual Audax 200K.  At ride time, it was completely overcast, and the temperature was definitely in the low 50s.  Unlike the Tune Up rides, the actual Audax ride starts out by going downhill.  So there is no chance to make power and self-warm.  (That does change after the first six miles.)  This made for a brisk start to the day.

Long rides and variable weather.  That combination presents us with some real quandries.  If we dress warmly enough for the beginning of the day, we have to lug all that stuff around for the rest of the day.  If it turns nicer, it gets annoying.  There’s all that stuff in the pack, the pockets, and on the rack, adding weight.  If we only needed the gear for the first hour or so, it’s extra aggravating.  A lot of us will choose to suffer through the beginning of the ride, with the idea that things will get better.  Sometimes that strategy works.

Yesterday a couple of our Audax riders chose the “suffer early, lighter is better” approach.  I tended toward that myself.  I was one of the more heavily packed, wearing arm warmers, a polypro base shirt, a summer jersey, and light windvest.  I had a super light rain jacket in my bag.

For the very beginning of the ride, it looked like the “go light, suffer for an hour” was going to pay off.  The temps crept up, and the overcast grew first lighter, and then a bit scattered.

Just south of Alvaton, I had my first intimation of challenges ahead.  It’s interesting.  This is often the case.  By the time we reach the turn for GA-362, we have been on the road for about an hour, and we turn almost due west.

The skies stopped clearing, and the headwind hit us.  A somewhat chill headwind.  It never really got warmer.  And that headwind never left us.  Does that sound like a recipe for a disaster?  It could have been.  Instead, we had us one great day!

The group contained no whiners.  (Amy reserves the right to shout about the indignity of the conditions, but she does this in a humorous self-parady.)  We made fun of it, and made the best of it.  Martha bought a thermal undershirt at a convenience store.  We all laughed.

As we approached the town of Pine Mountain, it started to rain.  Huh?  The forecast had called for a 10% rainchance for just part of the morning, dropping to 0% by eleven o’clock.  What was this!?  Again, this was a chance for a disaster in the making.

Instead, the rain remained intermittent and light.  By the time we finished lunch, the rain was almost done with us.  It delayed our start for the restaurant, but only that.

Of course, the headwind seemed to redouble itself on our northward trip.

What makes the difference between a “deathmarch” and a party?  Simply this, the nature of the group.  Good riding companions and good cheer make adversity a challenge and a game.

This was the smallest group I’ve taken on the Audax 200K.  I could not have asked for a better one.  Scott, Martha, Amy, Chris, I salute you!  A day met with courage and bravado, a group of people with happy determination, what could make for a better day?

Friday Follies ~~ How was it?

I pulled the bike up to the porch, just ahead of the impending downpour.  I was out of breath, muscles trembling from the all-out effort of the last five miles.  I executed a near flawless flying dismount, shouldered the bike, and vaulted up the steps, just seconds ahead of the deluge.

Harry was standing there, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.  “How was it?”  He asked.

How was it?  I’ll tell you how it was!

I’d started riding fairly late in the day.  It was hot, and I was sweat blinded as I stopped at the very first traffic light.  The bike wasn’t shifting right.  It kept jumping right past second gear.  I’d try to shift back down to it, and it would skip down to first.  When I tried for second again, it would skip up to fourth.  Grr.

About four miles outside of town, I flatted.  On the rear.  I was running sew-ups then.  Big fun.  And, of course, there was no shade readily available.  But I was determined to get this ride in.

I found the offending bit of glass, marked the spot, and went to work repairing the thing.  In those days I carried a patch kit, extra rim glue in a tube, a small sewing kit.  After what seemed like two or three eternities, I had the thing back together, pumped up, and seemed to be holding.

One benefit from the flat stop.  The bike seemed to be shifting better after the rear wheel was installed.

The long climb up Smith’s Hill had me really cooked.  It was hot!  Sweat pouring into my eyes.  I was afraid to roll over the top.  I couldn’t see.  I knew the descent would cool me down, but I’d crash first.  So I pulled to the side, put a foot down, dowsed my face with water and scrubbed at my eyes with my bandana.  The descent was marvelous.

About 25 miles into the ride, I ran out of water.  I was in the middle of nowhere in particular.  Five miles later, parched and gasping, I filled bottles at a spigot in a churchyard.

By then the clouds I been noticing seemed to start coalescing.  Thunder was rumbling.  We were gonna get some “widely scattered” alright.

I was working my way through a tight, narrow valley, with the sky turning ominous, when the front flatted.  Nothing for it, but to go to work.  Deliberate haste.  Smooth and slow is fast.  I was just packing the last of the tire repair gear when the bottom dropped out.  Soaked to the bone and chilled to the core in an instant, I was.

The climb up out of the valley was brutal, rain hitting hard enough to hurt, visibility almost impossible.  The descent down the other side was an exercise in flirtation with hypothermia.

As often happens in the mountains in August, the rain went away, just as I got to the bottom of the grade.  The sun came out, and it was instantly a Turkish bath on the road.  It was hot, incredibly humid, water and muck being thrown by passing cars and trucks.  But, after an hour of this, I was dry (sort of) and not the least chilled.  Time to turn for home.

Another long grinder of a climb, with the seat accumulating, lungs seared, legs growing trembly, that electric tingle in the arms, vision tunneling.  A nice, but too short descent followed.

That descent almost got me.  A tourist pulling a big Airstream trailer (a rig far too big for the Buick towing it) just about swatted me into the ditch.

Finally!  Nothing but a five mile series of rollers to run, and I’d be home.  Of course, the storm clouds were gathering again.  After a mile the lightning was cracking and getting closer.  Easy to tell this.  See the flash and start counting seconds.  One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand…  Six seconds to the mile.  Not much worry until the strikes are within three miles.  That seemed to happen pretty quick.  Still four miles to go, and the sky was black, and the lightning was hitting within a mile.  Time to give it all I had…

“How was it?”  Harry asked.

I paused and thought about it, then I replied,  “It was great!”

March: Challenging But Busy

Looks like, after our long Winter slumber, March is turning into one active month.  Yesterday was our first Audax Tune Up (more on that presently). 

Upcoming this month:

• Last of the Winter Schedule Novice Road Rides:  Sunday 13 March.  2:00 PM
•  Last Winter Schedule Novice Mountain Bike Ride:  Sunday 20 March.  2:00 PM
• Tour de Pike is on 19 March. (Follow this link for more info on Tour de Pike.)
• The annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol is Tuesday 22 March.  (See this coming Wednesday’s post for more on that.)
• Audax 45 Mile Tune Up:  Sunday 27 March.  1:00 PM
• And there’s a lot more besides.  If you are interested in some of the other events going on, try going to the South Side Cycling Club calendar.  Not a member of the club?  Why not join now?

Audax Tune Up Ride Report:

Yesterday was the first of this year’s Audax Tune Up Rides.  It’s gratifying to report that there were six of us along for this.  The weather added a bit more challenge to the ride.  It was overcast, cool, and windy.  (Isn’t interesting that the wind can always be a headwind?)  

In spite of the somewhat inauspicious weather, Chris, Bill, Scott, Dan, Steve, and I rolled out and did it.  My most hearty congratulations to all of you.  It was a tough ride, but this crew met it with aplomb and good cheer.  Yes, I heard folks remarking on the brisk, buffeting, pummeling, chilling, battering winds.  I heard that, but what I did not hear was whining.  What a great group!

In honor of the windy and chilly conditions, I cut about four miles from the route.  I don’t think anyone noticed.  Certainly no one commented on this.  If there was disappointment, it was well hidden.

Oh, and the group stayed together, enjoyed each other’s support and company, and rode with cheer, style, and grace.

De l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace!

Now What?

It’s warmer.  For the first time in living memory (or at least in a very long time) the overnight low is above the freezing point.  It has seemed that the morning thermometer was stuck on 27 degrees F.  Every morning…  27 degrees!  That’s more appropriate to southern Ohio.  This is north Georgia!

The week ahead looks promising too.  Highs in the 60s, and overnight lows well above 40, with plenty of sunshine to go around.

But it’s puzzling.  We expect a “weather break” in late February.  This is it.  But it’s early.  We’ve been reading the output from the various climatology types.  The consensus is,  “We don’t know!”  Long range climate forecasts currently read like waffle recipes.  “It will remain warmer, unless it cools,” and we expect a dry Spring, due to a weakening La Nina, unless it is wetter.

Our best advice is, don’t be hasty.  Keep the Winter gear out for a while yet.  This is early.

Why the fascination with weather?  This is, after all, a cycling blog.  Yes, and cycling takes place outside.  Some folks make decisions about whether they will ride or not based solely on the forecast.  Others try to figure out what gear and equipment will be needed.  Right now, those re tough calls.  But we’re up to the challenge, aren’t we?

In the near future:

This coming weekend is the next of our Novice Mountain Bike Rides.  We will be meeting at the Peachtree City Baseball Soccer Complex, on GA-74.  Ride time is at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday 20 February.  As of this writing, the forecast looks very promising, but do remember, rain cancels this one.

Try to get some saddle time in.  The first of the Audax 45 Mile Tune Ups is right around the corner.  (Check the Tour Calendar) to the left.

Have a good week all.  Lots coming up.

Friday Follies ~~ Checking In

Johann and Bill have been absent for a while, and I’ve not seen many other among my cycling friends.  This is kind of normal at this time of year, the holidays and the Winter tend to occupy and divert us.

Johann just blew through town.  He went back home for the holiday season, and just came back to the states (once it was possible to fly again) to collect a few things.  He is delighted with the unusually severe Winter conditions (he would be), and is engaged in ice racing on the canals.  He wishes you all a good and prosperous New Year, and asked me to remind you all that you are unworthy wimps, and you should be out riding in the wonderfully balmy conditions we enjoy here in Georgia.  (Don’t blame me.  I’m just conveying his thoughts.)

Bill the Alien just sent me an email, from Brazil.  I’m reproducing it in part:

Having a wonderful time here.  The weather is pleasant, and the scenary is wonderful  Your human women are delightful.  The beaches here are amazing, and the riding is quite delightful.  I do not understand why anyone is left in the northern hemisphere.  Why are you not all down here where it is so good?

Thenk you Bill!  We needed that.

This past weekend, I heard from an old cycling friend.  Mike lives and works in the Philadelphia, PA area.  He is an avid commuter and cyclist.  He is still riding quite a bit, and has found his Surly Pugsley to be the answer to snow-jams.  He was able to get to work during the worst of the recent blizzard, by riding through Fairmont Park, and then found the downtown area qutie navigable.  In his words,  “the cars that were down there were all stopped.  The snow was plied up, and the plows were stuck in traffic.  It was great!  I pretty much had unrestricted access.  Cars aren’t a problem when they can’t move.”

On the other hand, my friend Johnson, in Miami reports that it is far too cold to ride, and is complaining that the temps are dropping into the “low fifties at night, and barely getting into the sixties during the day.  What with the cold and the rain we’ve been having, riding is just impossible.”

I guess how things look depends on where you stand.

NOTE:  There is a Novice Road Ride this Sunday, at 2:00 P.M.  Starting in front of Bicycles Unlimited.  We’ll go, rain or shine.  If it snows, and sticks, we’ll cancel.

Looking Forward

The road edition of the Christmas Lights Rides should make a fitting end to a season of night rides.  A group of us have marked the cardinal and semi-cardinal points of the year, by riding at night.  We were out on the Summer Solstice, the Autumn Equinox, and the rough mid-point of each season.  It just so happens that the Christmas Lights Road Ride falls on the night before the Winter Solstice.  I don’t envision doing a mid-Winter night ride, so I guess, after this; we’re done until Spring.

Not that we will be done with riding, or with night riding.  There is still the Penance Ride on 1 January 2011.  That’s an auspicious way to start the coming year.  (And do be aware, if you feel you are not up for a full 100+ mile ride, there is a “bailout option,” of about 65 miles.  Both cuesheets will be available at ride time.

We’re all hopeful that the current nastiness will abate around the Christmas to New Years timeframe.  There will be Dawn Patrols throughout the Winter.  (Check the Touring Calendar to the left for dates.)

I, for one have already been hitting the trainer.  I plan to do my annual refresher training on rollers in the near future.  Trainers, rollers, and Spin Class are good things to do when it gets dark and nasty out.  (I’ll let you know how that goes.)  I’m not terribly fond of the “hamsterbike,” but when the alternatives are inactivity, or extreme cold, it starts to look pretty attractive.

Spin Classes turn out to be an amazing amount of fun.  I never expected that, but it’s true.

And we can always look forward to the challenge of Spring riding, with its chancy and changeable weather conditions.  I, for one, can hardly wait for the first Audax Tune Up!

Here’s a possibility:  Some years ago, I attempted a thing I called a Spin Master Class.  I think the name needs some work.  Possibly the words “Expert” or “Advanced” should be substituted in.  The idea was that once a week, those of us who were interested, could meet for a supplemental Spin Class.  I chose to do this very early in the day, on Saturdays.  For those looking for a more intense exercise session, to supplement the “regular” classes, this was the E-ticket Ride.

Details:  Meet once a week.  Small additional fee for class.  A workout much like the ones in the “regular” classes, but with more emphasis on cardio intensity intervals and active recovery.  Workout to last about one hour.

I’m interested to know if any of you have a serious interest in something like this.  Let me know by email, or comment to this blog.

What to do about Winter?

Let’s review the bidding.  December is an Autumn month.  Winter does not start until 21 December.  So what’s with all this extremely cold stuff we’ve been experiencing?  The bad news is, it’s here to stay for a while.  The good news is that it won’t last.  For those of us who would much much rather ride outside, it’s going to be difficult for a while.

Cold Injuries:  Exposure to severe cold can result in several serious injuries, among these, Frostbite, chilblains, and trenchfoot.  Cold injuries are curious in that they tend to make the affected individual more susceptible to cold injuries in the future.  Think about this for a moment.  If one breaks a bone, the break site heals and is stronger.  Blisters, once healed begin a process of callus development.  The skin is tougher.  Over-exerted muscle tissue, once recovered, becomes stronger.  Not so with cold or heat injuries.

Cold injuries tend to be most prevalent in the extremities.  Hands and feet are especially susceptible.  In serious cold, the extremities require more protection and care.  Basically, if you have ever had a cold injury of the hands or feet, protect them, and keep them warm.

If you have the luxury of selecting the times you can ride, the next few weeks won’t be too terrible bad.  Simply wait until around noon, and get it done by three.  The mid-day temps are likely to be bearable, and it will be sunny more than not.

If you are an early morning rider, the next few weeks are gonna be tough.  My personal lower limit is 20 degrees.  I say that, but must add, that it’s difficult to operate in those temps.  We are going to be seeing early morning lows around 20, and even lower.  Ouch.

Riding in the late afternoon, and early evening will be challenging.  Temps start to drop between 2:00 and 3:00 P.M.  Worse, the seem to take a fairly sharp drop at sunset.  Dress warmly, and bring more clothing than you need at the start of the ride.  Expect to stop and pull more stuff on.  (See below for an important note on that.)  Folks intending to do either of the upcoming Christmas Lights Rides should pay attention to this.  It will be getting colder as we advance into the night hours.

Trainers, Rollers, and Spin Class were invented for just this kind of thing.  (Personally, I was hoping to give mine more of a break.  Last year was enough of a test, thank you very much!)

Above all be Patient folks.  As we look ahead, past Christmas, it appears that there is a good chance of a warming trend.  This current situation just may be the coldest temps we will experience this Winter.

Cold weather riding techniques:  Keep a good steady amount of effort going.  The activity will warm you.  Hills should be climbed with a steady effort.  Do not attack hills, as the extra output is likely to cause you to sweat, and then force a much less active recovery interval.  That’s a recipe for getting very cold.

Descending:  This is one of those counter-intuitive items.  We know that descending cools us off.  We are also aware that descending at a faster rate will cool us more.  Both true.  But as a result, the tendency is to brake and slow on the descents.  This is actually the wrong technique.  The problem is that braking, or slowing a descent increases the time.  The rider spends more time at rest, while coolig is increased due to increased air flow.  The best technique is to tuck down, into a tight aerodnamic position, and go as fast as possible.  This does two things.  It presests less body area to the wind, thus invoking less cooling.  Second, a rapid descent decreases the time of exposure, and that limits the total cooling effect.  So get it over with!

NOTES on advancing into cooling conditions:  The key is to plan for it.  Look at the temps at ride time.  Dress for them, and plan to ride easily at first.  If you are too warm, and go too hard, you will sweat, and then the chill really hits.  The idea is, warm up as the temps drop.  Have those extra layers already prepared, and carry them with you.  Organize them so that you can access them in the order that you will need them.  Make supplemental clothing stops brief!  Stopping is the enemy.  When you are stopped you tend to cool quickly.  So stop, pull out the gear you will need, and get it on fast.  Then get moving again.  Christmas Lights Riders take note, we will be watching the weather closely.  If it looks like a rapidly cooling night, we will plan to make a group stop for clothing adjustment.  Likely this stop will be about an hour into the ride.

Weather Riding: Suddenly Winter

What happened?  I went away for a week.  I left you all with a perfectly good late Autumn.  I figured you could handle that.  But I came back to…  Suddenly it’s Winter!

Okay, let’s poll the jury.  What do we do about this?

Johann speaking:  This is not cold.  Go ride the bike!  Cold is when the tires freeze and break.  Arm warmers and vest are all a real rider needs.  If you get cold, ride harder to make warm.

Bill here:  I think, since your planet has climates, that I will simply go south, below the equator, to where you are keeping Summer now.  Your birds are smart enough to do this.  So why don’t the so called “higher species”?

Road Dragon:  Most of us are mere mortals.  We are not blessed with the toughness of our Belgian friend.  We don’t own a personal flying saucer.  So we have to cope with the climate and conditions we are faced with.

And just what is facing us?  For those of us fortunate to live in north Georgia, we can expect the following for the rest of the Fall, and the Winter to come.  There is a la nina event.  This can make long range prediction hard, but the smart money is betting on the following.  We will have a warmer than usual Winter, but we can expect that to be on average.  We can look for much bigger swings or “excursions” from the norms, and averages will be higher.

That means we can expect to see some really chilly days, and some really warm ones.  We can also expect to see a wider daily temperature swing.  And (good news for cyclists) it will be, generally a good bit drier.

What does that mean to me?  That kind of depends on the type and amount of riding you are doing.

For short rides, between one and two hours, you can dress for what you see.

For longer rides, two to four hours and more, you are going to have to carry more stuff.  If you start out in the early part of the day, it’s likely to be pretty chilly, but it will warm up and you will be overdressed.  Similarly, if you are starting out in mid-day, it will be warmer and warming, but along toward late afternoon and evening, the temps are going to drop.  This just might be a year to rig a rack and some kind of carry bag to your training rig.

We can also expect different weeks of weather.  There are going to be some surprisingly chilly weeks ahead of us, but they are going to be interspersed with some fairly warm ones.

All this amounts to some challenges to consistent training.  The general strategy is; be flexible and adaptable.  Have your cold weather gear ready, but be prepared to enjoy the nice days too.  Don’t put the rain gear away.  (Dryer does not mean no rain.)  And be ready to bailout to the indoor trainer. 

A word on indoor training:  This just might be a very good year to get into a Spin Class.  Remember, consistency is golden.  Of course there are going to be days when you go to spin class, but it was brilliant, sunny, and warm.  On the other hand, there are going to be plenty of days when you are going to be glad to ride inside.

I recently had a conversation with a relatively new arrival to our area.  She said something like,  “This is the south!  I thought it wasn’t supposed to be cold here.”  I reminded her, as I do you now, of the lyrics of the song Dixie

In Dixie land whar I was born in,

Early on one frosty mornin’

The emphasis is mine, but the sentiment bears notice.  It gets cold.  We have a choice.  We deal with it, or we give up.  I think most of you are the “deal with it” type.

We’ll talk more on specifics in the very near future.  It’s good to be home!

Autumn Expectations

We are actually having an Autumn season.  We can expect odd weather from time to time.  That’s part of living in north Georgia.  We are inland, and at a surprising elevation.  These things affect our weather.  There is no nearby large body of water to moderate our temp swings.  Most of our weather comes to us from somewhere else.  A lot depends on just which air masses get here, and in what order they arrive.

All that said, there is a La nina pattern in the Pacific.  This is sort of the opposite of an El Nino.  What it means for us is that we expect to see warmer than usual average temperatures, and drier conditions for the Fall and Winter.

Please notice the use of the word average.  We can expect to see big temperature swings on a daily basis, and over weeks too.  The averages will be higher, the swings will, likely, be wider.  It should be drier than the “normal,” but that doesn’t mean no rain.

What does that mean for cyclists?  We’re going to see some more really good riding weather, but we’ll need to be prepared for a wider set of conditions.  This is especially true for long rides.  It may start out quite cool, but the same day could turn very warm.  Expect to see plenty of days with a 25 to 30 degree temperature swing.  That means we’ll likely have to wear, and then carry, more clothing.

The long dry stretches will be tempting, but carry your rain jacket.  The rain, when it comes, will often do so without a lot of warning.

Learn to handle weather.  It’s going to be a good season to work on those weather skills.  For those who haven’t attempted colder riding, night riding, or Winter weather riding in general, this season presents opportunities.    We should see a wide range of conditions (sometimes all in the same day), but they should not be especially severe.  That should provide us with opportunities to attempt riding in varied situations, and yet not risk diving into something too harsh to handle.

It’s been gratifying to see how many folks have talked night riding this year.  Now how about night riding in cooler weather?  Rain?  Hey, maybe some will even attempt commuting.  Who knows where this could end?  We might even see some serious all season cyclists come out of this year.