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2013-11-26 4:32 PM
in reply to: leapdog

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

It's been far too long since we've used this thread.  I find the biting wind to be especially tough this Fall.  Am I getting soft? 

I spent all summer getting used to the heat   I can't win!!!



2013-11-26 6:14 PM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

I wussed out and skipped my run tonight because of the wind.  The sad part is that it was only going to be 20min or less!  What a slug.

2013-11-26 7:59 PM
in reply to: dbrook1

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Originally posted by dbrook1

I wussed out and skipped my run tonight because of the wind.  The sad part is that it was only going to be 20min or less!  What a slug.

Yeah, this might have happened to me too...

2013-11-27 8:14 AM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Originally posted by BikerGrrrl

Originally posted by dbrook1

I wussed out and skipped my run tonight because of the wind.  The sad part is that it was only going to be 20min or less!  What a slug.

Yeah, this might have happened to me too...

I'm Uber pathetic; I haven't trained outside since the last time it was in the 50s...

2013-11-27 10:56 AM
in reply to: rdailey1

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

I actually got out last week on Thursday when it was really cold.  Got to try out my new clothing, which worked really well.  Haven't been out in any biting wind yet though.

We'll see as winter comes for real which I prefer less.  Running in the cold and snow or running on the treadmill.  I'm hoping to be outside much more than inside.

2014-02-06 10:30 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

It's taken me a while to acclimate to the cold, but I finally did it.  I have this one fancy running jacket with a fleece lining and wind proof panels that has gotten a LOT of use this year.  More than in the last 5.   I still don't go if it's under 0, but I try not to look at the wind chill.  If it's 3 with -17 windchill, but I can find a place with wind protection, it's ok!  Sun really helps.

However, I have also been using the BEST indoor track. This has come up on the forum before, but I finally tried the Lindbergh Center indoor track.   If you're on the west side and need an indoor space, I recommend it.  6 laps to a mile.  $5/day or an annual membership.    It can be busy and this week I was running during some class of kids doing timed sprints.  I think it actually made the time go by faster as I had to weave around them, etc.  I went later in the week and it was almost empty and really more boring.  Anyway, here's a link:  http://c5.hopkinsschools.org/lindberghcenter/

And now for my whine:  The average highs for February are in the low 30s.  This SUCKS!



2014-02-06 2:41 PM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
I will say... last spring I was a big sissy about biking in the cold. I pretty much refused to go out if it was below 50. This year I've managed to bike at least a few days (outdoor) each month. If I can bike when it's 5 degrees, 25 degrees is going to feel amazing.

With that said, I'm really hoping the warmth comes earlier than last year.
2014-02-06 3:18 PM
in reply to: frizbplaya

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Originally posted by frizbplaya I will say... last spring I was a big sissy about biking in the cold. I pretty much refused to go out if it was below 50. This year I've managed to bike at least a few days (outdoor) each month. If I can bike when it's 5 degrees, 25 degrees is going to feel amazing. With that said, I'm really hoping the warmth comes earlier than last year.

Wow, I am impressed!  I see a surprising number of folks riding and I can't imagine it. I went one day on the mountain bike, but it was short and not athletic.

2014-02-06 5:02 PM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Originally posted by BikerGrrrl

Wow, I am impressed!  I see a surprising number of folks riding and I can't imagine it. I went one day on the mountain bike, but it was short and not athletic.




It's definitely a different beast. It feels like a mix between mountain biking and cross country skiing. Dressing properly and having studded tires make all the difference.
2014-02-10 12:45 PM
in reply to: frizbplaya

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Dress right w/ the right equipment, and winter cycling is awesome. Let's face it. We live in MN. Winter is long in MN (usually). After slogging through the snow on a 26" mtb, I finally picked up a fat bike last year. It is honestly the most fun you can have on two wheels. Well, at least wheels you pedal yourself. It's also one of the hardest types of riding you will ever do. You might as well leave the garmin behind, as anything over 5mph is considered fast. If you stay upright during the whole ride, that's bonus points. Slap on a set of lights,and you open up yet another new riding frontier. It's pretty cool to be rolling through the woods at Leb or Murph at night in the winter. It's really the only time where you can find complete silence in the city.
2014-02-10 2:33 PM
in reply to: cooutdoors

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Well, I did buy some too expensive pants at the bike expo this weekend.   They have fancy wind blocking panels.    I am thinking about bringing my bike to work so I can ride it home.   It's 14 miles and with the wind/snow it's too much to go both ways on the mountain bike.  I would like to get out more. I wish I could justify buying the fat bike, but I really want a cargo bike among other things.  It gets a bit ridiculous after a while, not just including money but storage space!



2014-02-10 3:33 PM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Ski gear actually doubles pretty well as cycling gear. I thought about throwing down a bunch of coin for cycling-specific winter gear. Before I did that, though, I figured I'd give my Swix/Salomon XC gear a chance. I'm glad I did; they rock. Perfect amount of heat retention w/out getting super sweaty and pretty much all ski gear has some kind of wind-barrier in the front panels. I don't even bother with winter cycling boots either. A pair of legit winter boots like Sorels and a cheap pair of flats are almost impossible to beat. And at about 1/2 the price of a set of Lakes. Like any winter sport, the key is just to use layering and avoid the dreaded "soaker" situation when you over-heat and all your gear sweats out. I've found that if you leave your house and don't feel the cold when you first get started, chances are you're overdressed. In addition, I actually keep a log of winter riding setups to keep track of the layers I wore and the riding conditions. It helps me dial in my gear over time. If you're new to things, it's probably best to err on warm side and bring a pack/bags to stuff gear if you start burning up.

And you only really need a fat bike if you plan on busting ground off-road (and often times, the mtb trails are groomed/packed enough that standard "skinnies" work just fine) or hitting the roads after a big dump. Just air down and don't do any sudden braking (studs are added protection, but really only needed if riding over solid ice or up steep hills). Most people tend to over-air in the winter, which leads to either bouncing around or slips due to sliding off-camber in ruts. You won't set land-speed records, but that's not the goal of riding outdoors in the Winter. We spend like half the year in MN under the cloak of crappy, cold weather that forces us indoors. Go get that half-year back!
2014-02-10 3:46 PM
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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

I have your cheap boot solution beat - I actually wear a small pair of men's plain black winter boots from Target (look like Totes) for $12!  They have a great rigid sole and are fur lined.

I agree - ski wear is great.  I love my ski helmet and goggles for biking.   I have worn my actual ski jacket (very standard Burton) on super cold days or layers with a rain coat on warmer/snowier days.  But, the one thing that's eluded me is pants that are comfortable and warm.  I probably should have looked at Dick's in the ski stuff, didn't think of that.  I only own very basic snow pants, which works for me skiing since I am slow and fall a lot and it's not "athletic."  I did wear them once on a below zero day for a very very very short ride.  I was WAY to hot within a matter of minutes.

Here's one from a rain jacket kind of day.   It was snowing so hard we finally turned back because my tires got too mucked up with snow under the fender, and I stopped making forward progress.  I find this picture frustrating because it was  much more of an epic ride than this picture really depicts!

2014-02-10 4:46 PM
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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
That's pretty much how I look too. Snowboarding goggles and helmet along with un-lined windbreaker jacket and pants. I just wear jeans and whatever shirt I'm wearing for the day under it and I've been great. I also wear bike shoe covers - something like this:

I have platform/clipless pedals but so far worn my bike shoes and clipped in every time.

I've only tipped over one time. I was going up a hill and my back tire just spun on each downstroke. It was nice to land in sever inches of snow. It's far more traumatic to fall over in the summer when you hit pavement or a tree/brush/rock/cliff.

@BikerGrrrl - You can try a bus and bike combo if you work and live near buses. Sometimes I'll bike 3 miles to a bus stop and take it the rest of the way to work. Or I'll bus to work and ride home. The bus can hold 2 bikes on the front, it works out great.

Edited by frizbplaya 2014-02-10 4:48 PM
2014-02-11 11:23 AM
in reply to: frizbplaya

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Excuse me people....but this is 'whine about the weather thread,...not an 'embrace the weather' thread.

Agreed. This winters cold temps have SUCKED.
2014-02-11 11:37 AM
in reply to: leapdog

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Originally posted by leapdog Excuse me people....but this is 'whine about the weather thread,...not an 'embrace the weather' thread. Agreed. This winters cold temps have SUCKED.

Sorry dude!

I went for a run on Sunday and my ridiculous layers choked me every time I started to breathe hard. I hate that!  You can't tell if there's too much going on in the neck area just standing around at home, but within minutes it's terrible.  Normally I love a 2 mile run, but that one really sucked.



2014-02-11 4:33 PM
in reply to: leapdog

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Originally posted by leapdog

Excuse me people....but this is 'whine about the weather thread,...not an 'embrace the weather' thread.

Agreed. This winters cold temps have SUCKED.


One of my favorite motivational posters ever exclaimed "Embrace the Suck!". So, I'll argue that this weather can be both embraced, and very, very sucky.

That said, I knew it was time to turn around during this morning's run when my eyelashes started to ice over.

2014-02-11 4:42 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Haha Leap! Thanks for keeping us honest :-)

Edited by sparco 2014-02-11 4:42 PM
2014-02-17 3:48 PM
in reply to: sparco

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Go ahead an snow all you want, weather. It's going to be above freezing most of the week. You can't get me down.
2014-02-24 12:37 PM
in reply to: frizbplaya

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
Originally posted by frizbplaya

Go ahead an snow all you want, weather. It's going to be above freezing most of the week. You can't get me down.


You had to go and taunt Mother Nature. Now it's gonna go below zero every night for two weeks!
2014-02-24 2:06 PM
in reply to: gonzobob

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

The average highs in March go from mid-30s to high-40s by the end of March, usually.  Somehow I think we'll be pulling down the average this year...



2014-02-24 8:56 PM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Originally posted by BikerGrrrl

The average highs in March go from mid-30s to high-40s by the end of March, usually.  Somehow I think we'll be pulling down the average this year...

Does this mean it's not going to hit 80 for the Get Lucky again this year? Crap...

2014-02-25 10:01 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread

Originally posted by rdailey1

Originally posted by BikerGrrrl

The average highs in March go from mid-30s to high-40s by the end of March, usually.  Somehow I think we'll be pulling down the average this year...

Does this mean it's not going to hit 80 for the Get Lucky again this year? Crap...

I'm guessing it will be more like Get Lucky in 2013 - cold as heck (20 degrees).  That was probably the most miserable race I have ever done.  I've done colder, but the streets were wretched and the wind by the river was painful.

2014-02-25 10:15 AM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
I'm planning on doing the Get Lucky half as well.

teen's and below - a tough run
20's - doable
30's+ - desired

I think I am cursed for doing halfs. The first one I tried was the Red, White and Boom and 7/4/2012. They cut the race down to 5 miles due to excessive dew point (81+ degrees) and a temp of 80 degrees. That was a hot run. This year I skipped the winter based halfs hoping the Get Lucky in March would be somewhat warm but it is not looking good.
2014-02-27 7:28 PM
in reply to: TooTallRunner

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Subject: RE: Whine about the weather thread
I have a feeling the temp won't be the worst part. Traction on this packed snow/ice does not promote pushing the pace
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