Long Island: Good Ride Today?
#251
Senior Member
Thread Starter
OldnSlow2:
I just realized...I hate your guts.
(Kidding, but please stop making me feel like a lazy-ass loser who's ready to pack his bike away for the winter because the temperature dipped below 60 degrees, OK?)
I just realized...I hate your guts.
(Kidding, but please stop making me feel like a lazy-ass loser who's ready to pack his bike away for the winter because the temperature dipped below 60 degrees, OK?)
#252
Senior Member
What I can't believe is the clothing. I ride every day; but when it gets below 60 I can't say that I enjoy it. And when it gets to the 50s and below, I start really bundling up. Today I wore a shirt, a small windbreaker, and then three sweatshirts over it.
And fingerless gloves? Forget that. My hands are the first things that get cold. I have already broken out the winter gloves. Yesterday when it was 45 in the morning, I had two layers of gloves: one thin knit pair with the winter gloves on top. Once it gets to freezing, I will triple-layer the gloves, with two thin knit pairs under the thick winter gloves.
It just makes me realise all the more how much I love and miss the summer. I'll take it as hot as possible; I like riding when it's 95 degrees. I did the longest ride of my life, 119 miles, on the hottest day of this year, when the high was 92 degrees; and I felt great.
By contrast, riding outside the summer is just work that I do in order to stay in shape, as I dream about summer's return.
And fingerless gloves? Forget that. My hands are the first things that get cold. I have already broken out the winter gloves. Yesterday when it was 45 in the morning, I had two layers of gloves: one thin knit pair with the winter gloves on top. Once it gets to freezing, I will triple-layer the gloves, with two thin knit pairs under the thick winter gloves.
It just makes me realise all the more how much I love and miss the summer. I'll take it as hot as possible; I like riding when it's 95 degrees. I did the longest ride of my life, 119 miles, on the hottest day of this year, when the high was 92 degrees; and I felt great.
By contrast, riding outside the summer is just work that I do in order to stay in shape, as I dream about summer's return.
Last edited by Ferdinand NYC; 11-10-14 at 06:24 PM.
#253
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I'm good to the mid 40s, below that it's gets difficult.
The colder it gets the shorter the ride. Doing the summer i'm doing 40+ miles 2-3 times a week. In this weather i'm in the 20-25 mile range, depending on hos cold and raw it is.
The colder it gets the shorter the ride. Doing the summer i'm doing 40+ miles 2-3 times a week. In this weather i'm in the 20-25 mile range, depending on hos cold and raw it is.
#254
Senior Member
For those of you stalwart riders who don't hang it up when winter comes, and who tend to get cold hands, see if you can find Swiss Army surplus cold-weather trigger-finger mittens. A few years ago I picked up IIRC 2 pairs for $15, and have used them for riding and hunting. I have yet to get cold hands while wearing them, down into the single digits. If it's much above freezing, they are too warm, at least for riding. Much warmer and MUCH more robustly made than the $65 Pearl Izumi mittens they replaced. And a nice leather palm, for when it's time to change that hot maschinengewehr * barrel!
*the political correctness filter won't allow that word in English. Good Lord.
*the political correctness filter won't allow that word in English. Good Lord.
Last edited by kaos joe; 11-10-14 at 04:37 PM. Reason: spelling
#255
Senior Member
Im heading into my first winter, Im gonna try to last as long as possible....getting out on the bike is like therapy now, so strange.No matter what goes on during the day it just gets lost on the road. I never thought riding would suck me in so hard!!!
#256
Senior Member
Thread Starter
That's what it does to so many of us. I'd imagine it's the same way the automobile hypnotized so many people in the early 20th century. Looking back at old local newspaper articles, you see so many stories about the "country drives" Manhattanites used to take out to Ronkonkoma and other far away places. In those days, many automobiles had open tops, so drivers waved at each other along the road - and even stopped to talk - all the time. That's exactly what I do when I'm on my bike now. Somebody ought to lock me up.
#257
Senior Member
That's what it does to so many of us. I'd imagine it's the same way the automobile hypnotized so many people in the early 20th century. Looking back at old local newspaper articles, you see so many stories about the "country drives" Manhattanites used to take out to Ronkonkoma and other far away places. In those days, many automobiles had open tops, so drivers waved at each other along the road - and even stopped to talk - all the time. That's exactly what I do when I'm on my bike now. Somebody ought to lock me up.
#258
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Just finished a 82 mile ride with 2750' of climbing. Longest ride, most climbing for the year.
Too nice to not be outside. Not many nice days left.
Bully
Too nice to not be outside. Not many nice days left.
Bully
#259
Senior Member
Hello darkness my old friend....(not this time)
I put on the fleece and mounted the light for my first impromptu night MTB ride of the year. I started just before dusk & went north on the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt trail, being overtaken by nightfall at the start of the Tower Loop. Turned on the light and soldiered on, and after a while realized that I had missed a turn and was re-riding trail I had already covered.....and got myself thoroughly confused for about half an hour! Oh well, we've done that in broad daylight, so I don't feel too bad. Still pretty cool, saw a doe for the first time in that area. I've always loved being out there as night falls.
I put on the fleece and mounted the light for my first impromptu night MTB ride of the year. I started just before dusk & went north on the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt trail, being overtaken by nightfall at the start of the Tower Loop. Turned on the light and soldiered on, and after a while realized that I had missed a turn and was re-riding trail I had already covered.....and got myself thoroughly confused for about half an hour! Oh well, we've done that in broad daylight, so I don't feel too bad. Still pretty cool, saw a doe for the first time in that area. I've always loved being out there as night falls.
#260
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I saw exactly one bicyclist out on the road today (Saturday 11/22). I'll bet it was you, oldnslow2!
By the way, have they finished the renovation at Sagamore Hill, or is that an old photo?
By the way, have they finished the renovation at Sagamore Hill, or is that an old photo?
#261
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Did a partial loop on the mt. bike at BP this morning. Not too cold at 30, a bit of a west wind, but not an issue at 8mph in the woods !.
Conditions were very good, was surprised to not see the usual hordes of mt. bikers in the picnic area lot, just 4 or 5 of the Massapequa BC folks.
I was with 2 riding buddies that I haven't ridden with in 2 months, nobodies been riding much, we are all out of shape.
Great ride with friends though.
On a drive out to Bayshore, took Ocean Parkway and saw 2 roadies heading east to Tobay on the path. They were going to have a stiff and cold ride back to Jones !.
Conditions were very good, was surprised to not see the usual hordes of mt. bikers in the picnic area lot, just 4 or 5 of the Massapequa BC folks.
I was with 2 riding buddies that I haven't ridden with in 2 months, nobodies been riding much, we are all out of shape.
Great ride with friends though.
On a drive out to Bayshore, took Ocean Parkway and saw 2 roadies heading east to Tobay on the path. They were going to have a stiff and cold ride back to Jones !.
#262
Senior Member
There were 8 more of us on the MPBC AA ride. We meandered our way from Bethpage to Locust Valley and back, managing to stretch it out to 47 miles. Bit of a headwind sprang up coming home, but not a bad ride at all. At least we didn't get lost like I did on my last ride the other night!
#263
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Awesome day, did 42 mile with a NW wind. Temps in the 50s so I had shorts on.
#264
Senior Member
Very nice morning for a ride in the woods. The ground was frozen pretty solidly, making for excellent traction. We got out just as the usual spots started to soften up. We tooled around Bethpage for a while, then headed north, did the Tower loop, and then back for 17 miles total.
#265
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Did a short 20 mile ride today with the expectation to do a longer one tomorrow.
not many days left.
not many days left.
#266
Senior Member
50 degrees and sunny! Very large group out today for MPBC ride to East Island. a windy and fast 44 mile ride and great day to get out.
#267
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35 miles in shorts and short sleeves. Who would of thought it would be 60* on December 1st.
#268
Senior Member
FFFIINALLYY, a great day to ride! Actually, a bit colder would have been nice, the trails were unfrozen and still a bit soft. But I won't complain. 2 loops around Cathedral Pines, one with all the black diamond options taken, and one just sticking to the main loop. A great way to spend a couple of hours. Saw one doe and the tail of a raccoon just as he was disappearing into his hollow log. Now back to the raking of leaves.
#269
Senior Member
Jeez, is nobody else on this list getting out? About a dozen guys and 2 fair ladies did a nice AA 48 miler from Bethpage this morning. We saw a lot of other roadies out there. It's really not bad.
#270
Senior Member
Thread Starter
There have been a few recent days I felt like riding to work, but all my "stuff" is put away for the winter. I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but once my water bottles are cleaned and packed, the batteries are out of my lights and other gadgets, and my work supplies have been transferred from my panniers to my briefcase, the whole spontaneity of getting up and getting on the bike is gone. It's too much of a hassle (probably a whole five minutes in reality, but a mountain in my mind) to get on the bike now.
For some reason, though, this year more than ever, I am really loving experiencing winter rides vicariously through others on these forums.
For some reason, though, this year more than ever, I am really loving experiencing winter rides vicariously through others on these forums.
#271
Senior Member
Once, riding our tandem down in Maryland, my wife & I passed another couple riding theirs. The woman was pedaling with one leg. The other was in a cast. The broken leg was attached to a scaffold-like structure they had built onto a rear rack, to support the weight of the cast. We spoke for a bit and I remember her saying " I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to sit on my ass for 2 months".
#272
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Once, riding our tandem down in Maryland, my wife & I passed another couple riding theirs. The woman was pedaling with one leg. The other was in a cast. The broken leg was attached to a scaffold-like structure they had built onto a rear rack, to support the weight of the cast. We spoke for a bit and I remember her saying " I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to sit on my ass for 2 months".
#273
Senior Member
Yes, Steve, that's me. We had that bike rigged with pink and silver streamers on the stokers handlebars, too. We still have the bike, but the streamers are gone.
#274
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#275
Senior Member
Steve,
Should I put the streamers on my Kona?
Should I put the streamers on my Kona?