Steve Sawyer

Grrrrr.....

Cranky is starting to be inadequate to express what I'm feeling. Weather Underground's forecast goes out to the 25th, and there are only two days in that forecast that even touch 45*

New bike is supposed to be arriving at the LBS sometime this week, and I'm not going to be happy with this weather situation. Last winter was so mild that anything in the 30's felt cold, and even in a normal year it's unusual not to get at least a handful of 50 or 60 degree days scattered around the month of March. Last year we had a week of 70+ degree weather that devastated the state's fruit crop when the temps went south again in April, so I'm not hoping for that, but a few days (preferably weekend days) in the 50's would certainly help my mood.

Last Sunday was the only decent day this month reaching 60*, but bracketed by two 45-degree days, and I was unable to get out that day.

Grrrr.....

OldsCOOL

I have the Wunderground app and typically love their accuracy but not recently. Being about 250mi north of you, it aint lookin' much better. When it hits 40 and calm winds with sunny shining....I'm out there. It has not quit snowing up here. Crap.

qcpmsame 

You can come spend a while with us, we had our third straight day with highs in the low 70s yesterday and more in the forecast. that along with the blue-bowl skies are making for nice riding weather. Come on summer and the 95°F days so I can stop having cold toes and fingers.

Bill

OldsCOOL

Last week I got out when it was a sunny, calm 32. My fingers were icy and had me wishing for brown jersey walmart gloves. No long rides but I am finding our hilly countryside to be a shaper upper for now.....or the next 3wks by the looks of it. We dont even have a hint of a 45deg day on the long range forecast.

Steve Sawyer

Hey, Bill - I got your cold toes and fingers right here...

Sixty Fiver

Today looked like this...



Last year at this time we had no snow and held a St Patrick's day pub crawl on our summer bikes...

sotramk

I feel ya.
Have had the opportunity to get in a few nice night rides after the wind dies down.
The good days for riding have been few and far between. Curse that bitter wind coming down from Canada
Won't be long till we're crying about the heat.

Road Fan

Been seeing and feeling the same thing! "Luckily" I need so much overtime the next three weeks I'm gonna have rebuild even the meager base I have now, once the weather starts to stay above 36 or so!

qcpmsame 

S'okay Steve I am riding in 73 ° temps this afternoon and have since Tuesday

Bill

Steve Sawyer

And he keeps rubbin' it in!! Ma!! Bill's pickin' on us again!!


There IS a glimmer of springlike hope...the forecast shows highs of 48 and 50 on the 26th & 27th. Maybe we can hope for a bit of a break for Easter??

OldsCOOL

I switched over to accuweather because their forecast looked better.

But there still is not one day of near 50 temps on the 15 day forecast

Bikey Mikey

I start riding around 0430~0530 when it's hot....heck usually I ride that early unless I have the day off when it's cold. In the cold times of the year, and I have the day off, I ride in the afternoon so it's warmer and I have the sun.

Dudelsack 

Let me add another humph!

Weird weather. On St. Patrick's day last year I rode a very warm populaire. Yesterday I got sunburned for the first time in years because everyone knows you don't need sunscreen in March

Today it has rained or snowed all day.

Papa Tom

An update from New York...

Last week (March 11-15), there were a couple of days that sounded and smelled like spring. Needless to say, my energy level went through the roof just at the thought of pulling the bikes out of the basement and getting on the road again. By the end of the week, however, the temps plummeted back into the thirties and forties and are supposed to remain there for a while. We're even seeing snow flurries again here on Long Island.

My knees, at this point, feel like they've been welded at the caps. I've gotta get moving soon or there's gonna be trouble!

qcpmsame 

Steve,
Back to reality here today, front moved through last night so we have a low in the lower 40s tonight and the mid 30s Wednesday. Luckily the highs will be in the low to mid 60s so riding will be comfortable. Sounds like the Mid-Atlantic and New England members are going to get another snow event, though. I ride yesterday in shorts and jersey, it hit 86° and was comfortable, I knew it would end but it was fun.

Bill

Steve Sawyer

I never thought I'd be one of those people thinking about becoming "snow birds" spending the winter in Florida, but if this keeps up you're gonna get a new neighbor!

Temp is about 25* right now and it'll be snowing off and on today. Normal temps for this time of year is mid-40's. Then again, it seems that climate change is making it impossible to say what "normal" is anymore...

droy45

Take it out and ride regardless PAPA. As long as its not snowing or accumulating too much, I ride no matter what. Its not the most pleasant conditions but at least it wards off the cabin fever. Better weather is coming soon. Right now, another major snow storm lurks.

Steve Sawyer

I'm chronically cold (see my entry in the thread about cold sensitivity and aging) so I've been very reluctant to try to ride in this weather. At 45*, with my shorts, a pair of lycra tights, an under-armor shirt, a fleece cycling jacket, and a skull cap, it wasn't too bad. If I go out at that temp again, I think I might add another layer - maybe a light wool sweater - between the wicking and outer layers.

The worst was my toes, hands and the fact that my nose runs continuously when I get out in the cold. Thinking (silly me - what right do I have to think?!?) that the weather was going to improve last Saturday and I was going to get a chance to get out for a couple of hours, I looked at some of those booties that go over your shoes but the cheapest ones they had in the shop were $50, and the guy at the shop was a little skeptical that they do all that much (he wraps some duct tape as a wind-break around his toes!) For the record, it was 30 and we got about 2 inches of sloppy wet snow on Saturday

There's a guy that I see every morning commuting by bike in the opposite direction I do on my way to the office, in any kind of weather all year long. I've always been impressed at his skill, preparation and determination to do that....

droy45

I hear ya. Too bad the cold affects you so much. I don't like the cold either but found that if I dressed for it, it was seamless for my commute. I use 2 wicking long sleeve layers under my cycling jacket, snowmobile mitts, beanie under my helmet, hiking boots with wool socks and have been able to be in -10degF for 1.5 hours this past winter on some runs into the office. The snow is more of an issue for me than cold. If it starts to pile up, the riding is over until plows get it cleaned up. Although a couple inches of it is fun and very navigable.

Steve Sawyer

Anything special for the tires? It's always seemed to me that (unless you're riding one of those Surly Mukluks) riding a bike on snow & ice is an accident waiting to happen!

However, I see lots of people doing it, so it can't be as dangerous as it seems. While I swapped 'em out for 32mm tires, my hybrid originally came with big 2 or 2 1/4" tires, so I could easily put those back on for winter riding, though they're very smooth - no tread at all.

Barrettscv 

Riding on hardpack snow is possible with regular (nonstudded) tires but is risky. Schwalbe and Continental both offer winter tires without studs. These are better than summer racing tires or low cost city tires, but are not the equal of studded tires on ice while turning or when traveling on off-camber and crowned roads.

I'll ride in the winter without studs, but I'll be very careful of how I handle the bike.

bikejrff

This guy is "committed."

Gravity Aided

I might have a high of 29 here tomorrow. Still may try to get out and ride.

The Other Bill (The colder one.)

osco53

Vandercar the Warlock spoke to me in a dream, said, " I am tired of winter, It shall be gone"

So

Relax and watch the snow melt peeps.

jdon

Well, he should be.