on sunday it was like 70 degrees here
yesterday i went riding in the morning.
as long as its sunny here, its not that bad
-45? Fuck that noise. Why anyone would live in a climate like that I’ll never understand.
You sound like my dad. True Southern statement there.
Because you get used to it.
It hasn’t gotten there yet this winter, but last winter we had like three weeks where it was around -35 give or take ten degrees in each direction.
Didn’t you also get a freak 100 inches of snow last year? Having just moved here from VA I’ll admit I’m slightly worried, but I just keep reminding myself that I used to live in Germany and Wisconsin is the same latitude as Croatia, cold fronts and Mediterranean climates be damned.
It puts hair on our chests.
it doesn’t get super cold here, it just snows a lot. it’s not uncommon to get a storm that will dump at least a foot over night every week or so. Sometimes we get hit big and get like 3ft in a 24 hour period, others we get a slight dusting.
yeah, in madison we got slightly over 100 inches, which broke a long, long standing record. but, there was rain and melting in between, which sucked.
also, i think i need some of those spats (that what they’re called, right?).
Yesterday I blew off school and went up into the Lammermuir Hills, my favourite place in lowland Scotland. In Edinburgh it’s been relatively warm and dry but up there, 200-300 m higher, there was about 6 cm of fresh snow. I took my Pasela TGs down to 30 psi in the front and 50 in the back, and gingerly picked my way through. It was awesome. I was the first human through most of the roads up there but did not get first tracks—foxes, rabbits, pheasants, deer and sheep had all been there before me. In the silence of the snow I was able to sneak up on a lot of sheep, which basically have the run of the place up there and are often in the road. I also saw a tiny deer, not more than four feet tall. I got to check out the White Castle Fort, an Iron Age hill fort site from which you can see two other seats of Iron Age clans’ power, Traprain Law and North Berwick Law, that poke up out of the lowlands below. I had to adjust my route through the hills because the road I planned to take was too steep for my smooth tires to handle—this definitely renewed my interest in getting some cyclocross knobbys. On my way out it started snowing like hell. I was worried about low siding with my bald tires when descending a 17% section with a switchback at the bottom, but keeping my weight well over the back tire and feathering the brakes saw me through. This was my first ride in snow this year and i’m excited for more.
I love winter.
I feel like I was physically made for cold weather. My average healthy body temp is around 100 degrees.
Oh, this is totally true. Since the first snow last week, the trails on my commute have become the sole domain of the hardcore. As such, everyone I pass on a bike gets a nod and a ring of the bell.
[quote=“kjohnnytarr”]I use these:
[/quote]
What are those called?
They’re called gaters in the parlance of mountaineering.
Or spats. Called spats too.
i too know them as gaters, but from nordic skiing
:jealous:
Any pics? Sounds beautiful.
Oh, this is totally true. Since the first snow last week, the trails on my commute have become the sole domain of the hardcore. As such, everyone I pass on a bike gets a nod and a ring of the bell.[/quote]
I love the ol’ nod n’ ring that becomes so much more meaningful in this season. Got the particular pleasure of nodding to a fellow on a pugsley with front and rear racks heavily loaded with firewood or something. He was way hardcore. It was awesome.
Oh, this is totally true. Since the first snow last week, the trails on my commute have become the sole domain of the hardcore. As such, everyone I pass on a bike gets a nod and a ring of the bell.[/quote]
i love the comradery(sp?). today this guy i passed turned around, and called after me. i stopped and we both introduced ourselves. he recognized me from the cycling club’s meeting the night before, and i think we’ve both seen each other around. we had a nice little chat - he works for the only courier service around, and i do bike delivery at night… so we had quite a bit in common.
-edit-
i guess my post didn’t go through the first time, and elderberry beat me to it. so much love i guess…
So much love.
Another life ago I had gaters when I hiked all over the Whites Mountains
I haven’t thought about them in years and never thought of them for riding until now.
Thank you Tarck Bike!