Felt antsy enough last night that I figured I had enough warm clothing to brave the cold. Around 8:30pm it was 24F according to the Planet Bike Computer. Upper body I had on an Underarmor shirt, heavy wool sweater, and the Illuminite jacket. Lower body I had on a pair of Polartec pants and wool socks.
After the initial 10 minute brain freeze I warmed up and was able to assess how I was doing. Upper body felt good. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I had been sweating pretty good. Otherwise, the moisture wicked away from my skin and I was pretty comfortable. I can probably get away with a lighter weight wool sweater.
Lower body was cold. I should have kept the wind pants. Ultimately my crotch area went numb and was all pretty red by the time I got home. Also the Polartec without a padding or liner gets a little abrasive after a while. I found an old pair of wool tights that I’ll try next time under a pair of wind pants.
The cheap wool Thinsulate gloves that I have are probably the best investment I’ve made, and the Nike balaclava continues to work great.
It was a dark night, and the thought occured to me as I was slogging along that it must get pretty boring during brevets when riding through the night. There is no scenery and few points of reference. I’m not sure I could do it.
Oh, and my bike needs lubed.
Mileage: 12. 6 miles 2008: 1577
1 response so far ↓
John // December 4, 2008 at 11:28 am |
Winter riding is surely different. Adjusting the layer to match the weather can be a challenge.