Todays rides

[HAKS]

miserable 78km for me this morning. Got caught in a small downpour 20min into my ride and from then on to about the 60km mark was either constantly caught in the little downpours or getting soaked from the road spray. Turned around and at Sutton and headed home but it was too little too late. Got a bit of sun in the last 18km but by then i just wanted a warm shower!

[twizzle]

Rider down this morning - corner of Melrose Drive and Theodore street Curtin (at the bottom of the hill).

I hate that intersection. But to some degree you have to make your own luck - big front blinkies and expect the worst from other road users.

[Ross]

There was a girl that got knocked off her bike in Civic yesterday arvo just before 5pm. Didn't look too serious, she was sitting on the edge of the gutter afterwards so was concious, couldn't see any blood coming from her and from what I saw her bike looked ok. I didn't see a helmet so she possibly wasn't wearing one. Anyway, there were 3 cop cars a fire engine (may of been 2) and an ambulance in attendance. Seemed a bit over the top to me for what looked like a relatively minor incident.

[Ross]

Went for a nice ride out to Tharwa this morning and return via Tuggeranong and Woden. About 122km. Checked the temp on BOM website before I left, it said 6 degrees, I was skeptical so I went and checked for myself outside and it definitely felt colder so put more clothes on but not enough - nearly got frostbite on my fingers and toes while descending to the Cotter even though I had long finger gloves (not super-duper winter ones though) and toe warmers. Warmed up a bit climbing Pierces Creek but didn't fully warm up until coffee stop at Tuggeranong.

[twizzle]

68k's, left home around 3pm, got home at 5:45... it's taken me an hour to defrost, toes were white and numb. Arm & leg warmers were insufficient, I was freezing for the last half hour of the ride.

[nickdos]

68k's, left home around 3pm, got home at 5:45... it's taken me an hour to defrost, toes were white and numb. Arm & leg warmers were insufficient, I was freezing for the last half hour of the ride.

I went for a shorter MTB ride at Sparrow Hill (did the new 27 km loop) at about the same time and just wore shorts and short sleeve jersey. I didn't think it was too cold but temp was dropping at the end (Garmin reported 12°C). Difference must've been the wind - those pines really do protect you from most of the wind.

[cp123]

I asked my mate who works in the ambulance service whether she picked up the dude at Curtin mentioned above. She said no as she was on night duties and had just finished her shift.. She said that they are getting usually about 1 a day bike riders and taking them to hospital but she picked up a couple out near the showground the other day that apparently went "the wrong way through the roadworks" and lost it somehow. She said one of them went down and broke his pelvis. She didn't exactly know the situation, but one of the witnesses explained it to her - without her fully understanding who went where and how and why. That's gotta hurt.

[twizzle]

Frack!, that was cold! 40km, -3.4C when I left the house, ~ 4C when I arrived at work. Fingers frozen for the first 10km, O.K. after that. I'm not been doing anywhere near enough k's recently, so I won't be doing any more woosy rides straight to work in the morning, looks like freezing temps will be the norm.

I am seriously considering ripping the brifters off the Merida and fitting barcon's instead so that I can shift with heavy gloves - given that I can't find gloves that keep my hands warm and still allow me to find the dump lever without looking.

[mezla]

Yeah, f*ck this. I've just ordered a turbo trainer. My fitness is more important to me than clocking up the outside miles for Bike Journal lol. I do want to be a hard man, so will still sometimes ride in the dark before work... but I am far more motivated to spend time working my legs than I am to spend time in the cold.

Also... watching the Giro/Tour while training = win.

[twizzle]

Lol - I have a trainer, I prefer the cold. Unless it's just to keep the legs turning while doing something else... but bits of me go numb on the trainer that are fine on the road.

[twizzle]

Wanted : relocation service that can move Canberra to somewhere on the mid east coast, preferably where the temperature is never less than 10C.

60km this morning... toes went pins-and-needles about five minutes AFTER I got out of the shower at work, which was about 30 minutes after I got to my desk.

Give that it's Autumn... what the heck is wrong with the weather! Should I be checking out the catalogues for arctic trekking?

[cp123]

do you wear icebreaker socks? they make a huuuuuge difference to me.


I even coughed up megabucks and bought winter shoes. no complaints yet. but i'll never eat again....

[auskonrad]

Yeah. I'm getting super worried about the winter coming if this is May.

With La Nina ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_Ni ... mpacts.gif ), which we were forecast to have at least 1 more year of, I thought generally the idea was that we get a fairly mild winter.

Interestingly, last years May appeared to be extremely cold for the first half, ( http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/20110 ... 1105.shtml ) and then the mean for the 2nd half was actually fairly mild with some really high lows (7 or .

This morning I had thermal shoe covers, Long roubaix bib tights, merino base layer then wind vest then thermal long sleeve jersey, beanie under helmet and a neck/face cover.

I suffered most with my hands. I've sunk over $300 in some gloves and a jacket from Vermarc titled the Flanders Classics Technical Winter Jacket.

[Ross]

Wanted : relocation service that can move Canberra to somewhere on the mid east coast, preferably where the temperature is never less than 10C.

60km this morning... toes went pins-and-needles about five minutes AFTER I got out of the shower at work, which was about 30 minutes after I got to my desk.

Give that it's Autumn... what the heck is wrong with the weather! Should I be checking out the catalogues for arctic trekking?

You need to ride harder. If a skinny runt like me can stay warm in the -5 deg temps then you shouldn't have a problem. What do you wear?

[cp123]

if you're a skinny runt (your words not mine... lol ) maybe you've just got a hypermetabolic rocket powered system.
whereas I'm probably just a slug.



Today I had on icebreaker socks, winter shoes, overshoes
knicks, long johns, tights
thermal top, jersey, jacket
no ear muff or beanie
i pair of 15 year old gloves.

I was TOASTY!



Can anyone local recommend a new pair of -8 proof gloves (I would recommend mine but don't think they make them any more). I just don't want to waste lots of $$$ on ones that say warm but aren't, as others have done. And people who ride here would know honestly what works and what doesn't. My old faithfuls are starting to look a bit sad.

[auskonrad]

I ordered these http://www.probikekit.com/au/sealskinz- ... inger.html - which a reviewer rates down to -5... will report back when they arrive - but for $40ish i thought they might be a decent compromise.

[twizzle]

Wanted : relocation service that can move Canberra to somewhere on the mid east coast, preferably where the temperature is never less than 10C.

60km this morning... toes went pins-and-needles about five minutes AFTER I got out of the shower at work, which was about 30 minutes after I got to my desk.

Give that it's Autumn... what the heck is wrong with the weather! Should I be checking out the catalogues for arctic trekking?

You need to ride harder. If a skinny runt like me can stay warm in the -5 deg temps then you shouldn't have a problem. What do you wear?

Nicks, leg warmers, bib-longs over the top, jersey & arm warmers with UNO executive wind jacket over the top, two Buff's over the head and another one around the neck and covering the chin and my latest glove fail, $80 Manzella windstoppers with merino liner gloves, and UNO booties over the shoes.

Fingers burning for the first 15 minutes, quads wouldn't function and ended up with a sore back from too much load on the glutes, HR shows I was working hard for low endurance power. I didn't start to pick up until the temp got up to about -1C. Left the house at about 6:10am when it was < -4C.

[cp123]

bloody hell. that sounds awful.



Auskonrad - would love to know what you think when you get those gloves and if they're good for -5 weather then I'll buy some too. Meanwhile if anyone knows a current brand of gloves that you can ride comfortably in in Canberra winter then let me know and I'll shout you a beer.


Twizzle obviously hasn't found them. I have but they're about 15 years old and on the way out.

[twizzle]

do you wear icebreaker socks? they make a huuuuuge difference to me.


I even coughed up megabucks and bought winter shoes. no complaints yet. but i'll never eat again....

Forgot to mention socks - snowboarding ones this morning, long merino ones.

I naturally have cold hands and feet... just ask my wife.

[cp123]

you have to peel her off the ceiling?

[Ross]

I left home at 5am and rode around until 7.45am. I had bib shorts under my long DHB thermal bib tights ($51 Wiggle), thin socks (Woolies) with Louis Garneau neoprene booties ($60 Ride Shop), poly propylene LS base layer ($40 Workin Gear), short sleeve roubaix jersey ( $? ebay?) under my winter roubaix jersey ($25 (AT) Lonsdale St Cyclery carpark sale) , a thin Aldi gillet,($15) a thin skull cap ($20 PBK) and Dents ski gloves ($15 Clints). I was borderline too hot, especially when doing Red Hill reps.

I have warmer winter jackets, poly propylene balclava and thin poly propylene glove liners at home for when it gets real cold.

http://www.cellbikes.com.au/CELL-3-Pock ... ing-Jacket

[HAKS]

all that whinging......... been blue sky and high 20's for the last few days here in Beijing

[mrgolf]

I was fairly toasty on our Stromlo attack this morning. Dhb shorts and unpadded roubaix longs, Kathmandu Altica thermal LS with a Giordano winter jacket. DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks and Tuff covers, Sugoi winter gloves, Kathmandu fleece beanie. Fairly nice morning actually. I didn't think it was that cold. When I got home and dressed for the commute, I had even less on.

I think this is going to be a cold winter, though.

[twizzle]

Should I also have mentioned that the ride was endurance level power? I'm sure I would have been sweating like a pig doing hill reps... not sure about the feet though, probably would have stayed ice like.

[twizzle]

:shock:



you have to peel her off the ceiling?

There have been some choice words. She gets her revenge - cold hands on my stomach while saying "I love you" with a big grin on her face.