Saturday Biking Fun!

Saturday, TNT hosted their first group bike ride.  Unfortunately, it snowed Thursday night/Friday morning.  The trails were still icy and snowy.  Rather than turn the 9am ride into a run, the coaches decided to keep the ride on, by riding the local roads of Vienna.  The morning was clear, 27 degrees with  12.7 mph north westerly wind.  It was COLD!  Unfortunately, due to the challenges of riding on local streets and traffic, my ride was cut short, so instead of riding 50 minutes, I only road about 35 minutes for about 9 miles, which was fine with me because my toes were about to fall off.  So, what can you do to keep warm on some of your coldest riding days?  These are my suggestions.

Cover your head! A beanie is great, but when riding outdoors on a cold and windy day, the face can get really cold.  I have a beanie I wrote about in a previous post that I wear for running, and wear on cooler rides, but for a windy cold day like Saturday, I chose to wear the Under Armour (UA) Hood or balaclava, that covers the head and face.

(Courtesy of Sports Authority)

By the end of this post, you'll think I'm some Under Armour spokesman :P  The hood keeps the head and face warm, while allowing you to wear your helmet.  To keep my arms and torso warm, I wear UA Cold Gear longsleeve mock, a regular short sleeve bike jersey, and the Cannondale.

UA Cold Gear Longsleeve Mock

 

Cannondale Enduromax LE Jacket

I can't say enough great things about this jacket.  The guys at Conte's Bike Store in Bethesda, MD suggested this jacket, and as I was paying for it, people in line kept commenting on the jacket saying - "ooo, you're getting a good jacket" or "ooo, you'll be warm."  The jacket is not cheap, it will set you back anywhere from $180 to $210, but it will keep you dry and warm.  I have worn a sweat suit top before to block the wind, but the problem with that is, it doesn't break, and its too thin.  The UA longsleeve and this jacket is enough to keep my body amazingly warm without a ton of layers.  The jacket sports two zipped pockets and two zip vents in the front, an open pouch in the back and a zipper pocket in the back.  I'll be honest, I was a bit hesitant about my purchase, but after being out on the bike with the jacket, I am now a believer.

I wrote about the Pearl Izumi Barrier Lobster Gloves that Christine got me for Christmas.  Saturday was my first day out in the cold with these gloves on.  They were super warm, kept my fingers close together.  The material and thickness keep the wind off my fingers, and the fleece interior kept my hands and fingers warm.

All I wore below my waste was a pair of Sugoi bike pants and UA compression long pants, with wool socks and bike shoes.  It is was the lack of proper gear below my waste that made the 35 minute bike ride not as comfortable as it could have been in the 27 degree cold.  The wind would pierce through my UA pants because the pants were not wind proof.  The legs though were bearable, because they were getting worked.  It was the feet that started to make the ride tough.  I would suggest getting a pair of insulated booties like

Castelli Narcisista Shoecover

 

or a pair of insulated toe covers like

Castelli Dolomite Toe Warmer

Just for the record, I haven't tried either ones.  Just make sure, if you're getting it for the winter to get insulated ones.

That's all for now! Next group ride will be about an 80 minute ride, I'm hoping the weather is better, meaning, no snow or rain!