...you really enjoy riding your bike in the rain/snow, mud and freezing temperatures. Personally, I don't like riding in the rain no matter how warm it may be outside and the same goes for mud. Maybe I'm just lazy but the whole post-ride maintanence issue is a big turn off. Also, I worry about getting sick as it seems like I'm either over or under dressed, both of which lead to my getting chilled. I can see how riding in poor conditions may not be an issue for a PRO who can simply hand his bike off to a mechanic and head directly to the showers after a race (or ride, if you're big time) but for me it just seems like a hassle. Putting my clothes on, taking my clothes off, hosing mud off my clothes, washing my clothes, waiting for my cycling shoes to dry, trying to get the mud off my bike and body, frozen fingers and toes, trying not to get the inside of my car dirty, etc., etc., etc. I'm not a PRO so why should I feel guilty for not racing 'cross or staying indoors when the weather sucks? I guess I'm just looking for some self-justification but come on, is it really fun to ride your bike in crappy weather?
If you can't tell I'm really struggling with the seasonal transition from summer to fall/winter (in Utah you really need to lump fall & winter and winter & spring together).
The cross racers must be giddy with excitement looking at the current forecast for SLC:
More than a foot of snow at Alta from yesterday's storm! And in the wake of that storm, we're still seeing lake-effect rain and snow showers southeast of the lake. Cloudy today as warmer air pushes in above us. With a south wind, we could go above 70 tomorrow- but it won't last. Another cold storm in the works for the weekend. -Grant Weyman,
Live 5 Weather HD
13 comments:
OK, I don't like freezing on the saddle. I'll admit it.
I'm also kinda poor and a cyclocross bike isn't in the near future. I'd rather get a TT/Tri bike first.
But I grabbed a cyclops for the winter and go to the spin class at the gym. Does that count?
St. George or Moab.
You seemed pretty thrilled with the Big Cottonwood Canyon ride in the summer downpour. But that was just wet, not mud.
I've had a few good rides that were made memorable by bad weather.
But in general I find it hard to motivate myself to go ride when the weather isn't nice.
You need a Moab trip ASAP before your cycling mood deteriorates any further!
There is a big difference (at least for me) between getting caught by bad weather during a ride versus going out to ride when you know the weather sucks.
You're supposed to clean bikes? When I pulled out my RS CX in September as I was moving from Cap Hill to Holladay, I noticed it was still fairly caked in mud from the final CX race in Ogden in December 2006.
And for the record, the absolute best ride I ever had was in Marin County in 1996 or 1997; when I got to experience every microclimate Northern California has to offer, from being fogged on crossing the Golden Gate, to near 90-degree temps climbing Pine Mountain on Bolinas-Fairfax Road; being rained on on the backside of Mt. Tamalpais, and breaking above the fog and dropping back in on the Seven Sisters (or the Seven Bitches, depending on your point of view) along Ridgecrest Drive leading from the backside of Tam back around before dropping into Mill Valley.
I really enjoy riding my bike in the crap weather.
I enjoy it more when it's nice.
And I hate cleaning bikes, and clothes after a day in the muck.
RB
Last year I commuted through a lot of crap weather. In NorCal I loved the view of the fog in the valley, but hated dropping into it. Fog condenses on your skin and chills you to the bone. The best summer in Petaluma was worse than winter here.
You can actually ride a lot here in the winter, without all the cleanup and mud. It just has to be on the road (or frozen mud), the days where the snow doesn't stick. Oddly enough, I have found that riding on snow actually cleans your tires so they look brand new. But your right, if you climb, you will get chilled going down. My rule is never ride faster in MPH than the temperature is in fahrenheit.
I don't want to ride in the crappy weather but I love racing in it! There's something about the combination of weather and people who love cross that makes it addicting.
And, it keeps me in shape for my ski season.
Weather will be good today. I'm leaving my house as soon as the 13 year old comes home from school.
I'll try to get 50-60 miles in before 6 p.m.
Yaaaayyy Muddddd.
Oops, sorry, for CX only, I have ridden the shoreline on Christmas and New Years Day on dry dirt in the last 6 years, whilst snowboarding earlier in the day, that would be awesome to do again.
I will ride the road so long as the street is relatively clear and the inversion is gone
And then there is Saint George, don't forget vegas either, the Blue Diamond area has some great trails and staying in the summerlin area is not a bad thing todo.
The answer is no. I think that riding in adverse weather sucks more than riding indoors. Some people have issues that make them come up with silly acronyms (recently banned) to make them feel like big men. They never seemed to have resolved the feelings of inferiority that got pounded into them in high school or some place. It's really no different than bragging about the size of their boy parts to cover up the obvious.
So use your head and dress up, keep that expensive bike clean, wait for nice weather, play with your kids or go shopping with your wife if you're truly a "hard" man.
:-)
Racing in shit rules,
Training in shit sucks!
Set yourself up a singlespeed for crappy weather and winter riding. Maintence is a non issue. At least you will be riding, or convert over to the darkside and strap on a board. I feel bad seeing all these people so down on the weather. Today was my best day in months!
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