Welcome!

I've been getting lots of visits to this site and my YouTube video ever since Trish and Dottie from Let's Go Ride A Bike so graciously did a post about me and my bikes. So, welcome!  I don't do nearly as good a job around here as they do over there, sorry. I'm lazy with remembering to post, frequently skip posting pictures, and I don't cover cycling exclusively--just a little journal/ranting space that some people might find interesting. Oh, and for a librarian, the state of the organization and uniform application of my tags is an absolute joke. An embarrassing joke.

But all disclaimers aside, welcome!

Today, actually, I have some interesting bike news to share, so it would seem that the timing worked out pretty well.  Today, I did my bike commute for the first time in an embarrassing seven weeks. As you may or may not have seen in my recent comments at LGRAB, I wimped out in the first or second week of December after one very, very cold and uncomfortable ride home one evening (and a sick day the next day). I put a lot of cold weather "gear" (more on that later) on my Christmas wish list, and figured I'd start back up in the new year. Then the new year came along with near record low temperatures and very high winds, making the wind chill something frightening. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I have no idea how Dottie manages. I was half frozen just cycling around town--I can't imagine an hour-ish commute in 10 degrees with wind! Eventually, the weather went back to normal but I was being a bit lazy in my Metro routine but finally, today I got my act together and rode in to work.

I also finally got to give my new stuff a proper try--I've been using it all here and there, but never as how I'd intended it to be used (ie--the commute).

First--my helmet:

 

It's a Bern Berkley helmet, with a liner/ear flaps for warmth. It also has a little place to plug in an iPod, and speakers in the ear flaps. I've had this helmet for at least a month but because I don't like the idea of riding on the streets with music going and planned on the iPod feature to be an "trail only" thing,  I hadn't had the chance to try out the speakers. Until today. It's awesome! I suppose it's the same feeling as headphones, which I never used on the trail before. It really makes the trip even more fun than it already is. And because the trail was nearly abandoned this evening, and I'm kind of silly, I was singing right along with my music (and I'm pretty sure no one heard me).

Next: my coat.

 

It's Eddie Bauer's Insulated Girl on the Go Trench. It's some waterproof breathable material with a removable down liner (that's the insulated part). If I hadn't really wanted something for waterproofing AND warmth, I'd have gone with the Belted Girl on the Go Trench because I like the shape of it better, and it's longer and would maybe mean I wouldn't have to use the "mountain guide" waterproof pants I also got (more on those when I use them--only for rainy commute days though). This thing, plus the Under Armor I'll talk about in a minute, and an old Brooks Brothers cable knit pink wool sweater kept me nice and toasty the whole way (a little TOO toasty by the end).

Under Armor

 

My top is like day-glow lime green though. These things are amazing. Like wearing little toasters. I've never been a super-athletic person (and the closest I ever was to being super-athletic, I was a swimmer), so all of this "runners gear" stuff just never seemed to apply to me. But I'm a total convert, it's amazing. I was even sleeping with this stuff under my nightgown during that terrible cold snap I mentioned earlier.

On top of the Under Armor, I had regular yoga pants and the wool sweater I mentioned. Two pairs of SmartWool socks, sneakers, some North Face fleece type gloves under an old pair of leather gloves (all stretched out). Then, the coat I showed you and my helmet. Total success, except for the feet which were very very cold but not frozen or frostbitten or anything. I think I need to rethink the sneakers. The rest of me felt totally fine, even pretty overheated at times. Not bad for the mid/high 30s. I will need to find a better foot solution, and I know that if I give the 20s a whirl again, I will need something better for my hands. As it is now, I'm back in the winter commuting game!

Comments

[Dottie]

Good for you! The helmet and trench are super cute. Built in speakers are funny. Music on the trails is one of my favorite parts of cycling when it's not crowded. I actually did not ride today due to -15 F windchills. Smartwool socks are the best, aren't they? Perfect in every way. Sneakers are crazy, though. Definitely get some boots and your feet will thank you.

[welshcyclist]

Glad to hear you're out there again, on the winter commute, in gear that does the important job of making it comfortable and fun. That's what it's all about.