F Word

February is my new "f-word". Last weekend there was hardly any snow, mild temps and I got about 50 miles in on the road bike. I even got out for an hour after work last night and did some tempo and hills. Woke up this morning to a fresh blanket of white and ice. The next 6 weeks or so are my least favorite time of year. It's sunny and 50 one day, slushy and 20 the next. Wake me up when it's June. Winter can go February itself.

Theo

Hit Theo yesterday morning. It was another cold Minnesota day with temps hovering around the zero mark. The windchill wasn't much of a factor since I was in the woods. Somebody must have been out on Pugsley's that morning, because there were fresh tracks and the trail was groomed to near perfection. Everything was rideable, including the skinnies (although the expert loop at the beginning was pretty choppy and kind of tough with normal mtb tires). Theo is the perfect singlespeed trail in the summer, and in the winter it's even better. Those little ups become more challenging at slower speeds and with less traction, providing a good workout. Got 3 laps in and headed back to the parking lot, where I ran into the legendary John Schmidt. He claims to be in his early sixties, but I need to check his driver's license because he skis and rides like a man in his thirties. Good guy and a hell of an endurance athlete.

Another January Ride

Got out for about an hour and a half today, despite the Wind Chill Advisory. It was a balmy -2 with -20 to -30 windchills. I was a bit chilly starting out, but once I hit the unplowed section of Rice Creek I warmed up in a hurry. The path was covered by about a foot of super-compressed, choppy hardpack, making it feel almost like riding the singletrack at Leb. Riding the singlespeed meant keeping a high cadence and lots of weight shifting to maintain forward momentum. On the way back I saw this family of deer resting by the creek. Cool. My feet got a little cold towards the end of the ride, but the hands were super toasty with the ATV handlebar mitts. Best $20 I've spent in a while.

Winter Riding

Since the rain stopped in November and the cold and snow moved in, I've been riding outdoors 2-4 times a week. Here are a few things I have learned about riding outdoors in the Minnesota winter...

Bike Paths Don't Suck as Much (but they still suck)
In the summer, they suck. The only thing worse than riding on a bike path would be having to do it while watching the Rachel Ray show. They are filled with people like "takes up the entire width of the path rollerblader guy", "innattentive dog walker couple" and "iPod cranked so loud he can't hear your repeated shouts of 'on your left' and then yells at you when you pass for not warning him guy". Again, bike paths suck. But, in winter, they are mostly deserted, and provide an excellent route free of drunk drivers (but not necessarily free of drunks) and all that road salt and sand. String together a few trail systems and connector loops and you can get hours of traffic-free riding that won't destroy your drivetrain or components. Be aware that not all cities clear the paths of snow. You can be cruising along having a great ride only to run into an impassable suburban glacier. Have alternate routes planned, just in case. Studded tires are a good idea.

Your Favorite Summer Trail Probably Still Kicks Ass in the Winter
I've hit Lebanon Hills about 5 times this winter. 4 out of 5 times were absolutely killer. The last time out not so much, due to a pretty sizable snowfall. Riding on the paved paths or roads is ok to a point for fitness-purposes, but nothing feels as good as singletrack. When it's packed down just right, it's as fast and fun as summer. You get more of a workout due to the extra weight of your winter gear, plus the extra energy you have to put into body position and handling. Also a great way to work on balance and core strength. Bring a lunch -- you're gonna burn some calories. For the most part, no special gear is needed. Studded tires are great if you have 'em, but regular knobbies with low pressure work just fine. Bring a pair of snowshoes with as your backup plan if there's been a recent snowfall. If you can't ride you can go pack down the trail with the shoes to help get it in better riding condition. Good workout and good karma.

Your Summer Cycling Shoes Are No Match for Old Man Winter
For temps below freezing you can pretty much forget about it. If you want to keep all of your toes you're gonna need to invest in some SPD winter boots, or wear regular boots and run platform pedals. If buying SPD boots, get them a size larger than normal to accommodate a thicker sock. I picked up a pair of the old-style Lake boots for $50. Smart wool socks for near-freezing temps work fine. Rag wool for temps in the teens and 20's, and for the nasty stuff I'll also wear neoprene booties. Keep your fingers functional with lobster mitts and removable liners. For those truly arctic days I bought a pair of ATV handlebar mitts at Fleet Farm for $20. They even have pockets for chemical warmers if you need 'em. I've ridden a few times in -5 to -10 air temps with windchills in the -30 to -40 range with this setup, and I was fine.

More info on clothing in the next issue. Go ride.

Subzero singlespeed tempo ride

-6° with -20° windchill when I left the house. Went with an extra layer of shoe cover, but it wasn't enough. About 40 minutes in my feet were frozen. My hands were getting cold as well, but started to come around. The pogies are working well. Almost got t-boned by a deer, scared the crap out of me. Managed about an hour ride before heading home for a hot shower and some Guinness stew.

Saturday Leb Hills ride

Hit Leb at noon on Saturday. Temps were mid-teens and sunny, so not too bad weather-wise. Rode the singlespeed (32x16) and had a blast. Ran into Janet and friends at the start of the second section. I went up ahead and could see and hear them along the switchbacks, but after waiting for a while at the start of the next section I kept riding to stay warm. I was riding pretty well, grinding it out on some of the climbs, but riding everything. I decided to hit the X and XX loops, and was glad I did. The trail pack was about half as wide here as on the outer loop, but still 100% rideable. Most of the rock gardens were buried, so they were pretty easy to ride. Even Tedman's Curve was no problem. The only trouble spots were the log ladder climb and the stupid gnome tree. Exit loop was fast and fun. Got to the parking lot, grabbed a gel and did another lap (outer loop only this time).

Second time around fatigue and calorie deficit were setting in. Not nearly as smooth as first lap. I kept straying off the hardpack into the snow. Just about went OTB on the Exit Loop, but somehow saved it (but smacked the top of my thigh into the top tube repeatedly, making for a nice bruise). All in all, about 2-1/2 hours of riding and another trainer-free day.

Cold Bear

With a -4 air temp, -25 windchills and zero sleep from another night of screaming baby boy, it was a perfect day to race. Got to Hillside just in time to register and get the pre-race 411. I signed up for the advanced class which meant 2-laps. There were 3 of us, everyone else was on Pugsley's or doing sport (1-lap).

The pirate flag dropped and we made our way to the singletrack from the parking lot. As soon as I hit the trail I knew it was going to be brutal. I rode Leb yesterday and it was super packed down and very easy to ride. No such luck today -- very loose, deep snow the whole way. I stopped about 2 minutes in and let out as much air from my tires as I could. Even with studs it didn't do much good. Riding the singlespeed (32x16) wasn't the best idea either. So, I did a LOT of walking. Pretty much any incline meant hopping off and hoofing it.

Did I mention it was -4? About a quarter of the way through Lap 1 my fingers were stinging from the cold. I sat for a minute and thought about calling it a day. My Camelback was frozen solid, my fingers were frozen solid and this had turned into a long walk that was briefly interrupted by occasional bursts of biking. The part of my brain responsible for reasoning was frozen, so I continued the slog. My hands suddenly felt better, and now I was roasting. I finally made it to the pay lot and Section 1, meaning I was halfway back to the start/finish. Lots more hike-a-bike, then into Section 2, which I was able to ride most of. If the whole race had been like this it wouldn't have been so bad. I got to the lap/exit sign and looked at my watch. What would be about a 40 minute lap in the summer was today about an hour and 45 minutes. I took the exit and downgraded to sport (which was an option presented in the pre-race meeting). The reasoning part of brain must have thawed, because I did not have the energy, desire or need for a 4-hour day on the bike (well, mostly on my feet). Saw one of the other advanced riders I started with throw in the towel after attempting a second lap.

Next time I need better gearing on my singlespeed or a geared bike. Otherwise, it's not a lot of fun. Think I finished 5th or something like that, but my overall concern was just to finish one lap, and keep all my fingers and toes. Managed that much.

Ice Ride

It got up to the 40's the other day, so everything melted and then froze. I would have been better off with hockey skates than a bike today. Definitely could have used studded tires. Only went down once but man that hurt. Tried out some new "pogies" today. Bought some ATV handlebar mitts at Fleet Farm for $18.99. Wore my lobster mitts underneath and was toasty warm. We'll see how well they do when the mercury drops again (low 20's today, not too bad). Anyhoo...I managed to slide around for about an hour and 20 minutes or so. Sketchy, but good to be outside.

Solstice Singlespeed Slog

It was the shortest day of the year, and maybe the shortest ride of the year as well. It was -7° with 25mph winds making it feel like -35°. I decided to change tires after I was about 90% dressed, so I was cooking by the time I got out the door. I got to the bike path and found it tough going. Parts had been cleared but the highway was plowed afterwards, creating several stretches of hub-deep, thick and choppy snow. Riding downhill in this stuff felt like riding uphill. Then, I'd hit some packed down snow and ice which felt like riding on greased-up rollers. Before too long, being cold was not an issue as I became a rolling Cannondale sauna. Dropping my balaclava below my chin helped cool me down a bit, but it was so cold I could only do that in spurts or my face would start to freeze (literally). I had planned on doing a couple of laps around the park, but the portions near the road were impassable. I was on borrowed time with my lights so I didn't dare ride on the road. I headed for home, back UP the section that was a struggle going down, and around the block to cool down. That's right -- -35° wind chill and I needed to cool down after a 40-minute ride. It was worth it. I got a "thumbs-up" from a hiker and with my red-tinted goggles on, the sunset was awesome. And once again, I successfully avoided the trainer...

Nightride

Got out for an hour tonight on the singlespeed. It was a balmy zero degrees with a negative 15 wind chill. The homemade pogies aren't sewn yet so I didn't get a chance to test those out. Instead I layered as follows:

Feet: wicking bike socks, wool socks, Lake MTB boots, 5mm neoprene booties
Legs: fleece long underwear, Cannondale windproof winter tights (old school), Castelli Y-Pro shorts
Core: wicking long-sleeve base, Castelli Zone 2 winter jacket, thermal race jacket
Hands: Gore-Tex mittens, Burton snowboard mittens with fleece liner
Head: Gore-Tex balaclava, Giro snowboard helmet, Smith goggles

I think my clothing outweighed my bike, but even in the driving snow and cold, I was pretty toasty. The snowboard helmet and goggle made a huge difference. Only bad part came when my glasses fogged up inside my goggles. Took the goggles off to get the glasses off and the goggles fogged too. So, I rode with neither -- a little blind and a little painful getting pelted by the frozen snow, Next time I'm wearing contacts.

Hillside Snow Ride

Hit Hillside in Elk River on Sunday with Clayton. Fresh layer of snow and temps in the 20's would provide ideal testing conditions for the Lake Boots. We did two full laps, and I was toasty warm. I only ate it once when I hit a pile of leaves buried in the snow on a fast corner. The bike and the boots faired well. It's amazing how fast the fitness disappears. Lap 1 felt good, but by the end of Lap 2 I was dragging.

Rich and the DirtWirx crew have done a phenomenal job on this trail. It's open 24/7, 365, thanks to their nonstop work. Go check it out.

Miles

Spring is all about base miles. Saturday was cold, blustery and snowy, but at this point I'd rather ride into the 25 mph headwind for 45 minutes (and enjoy the 35 minute tailwind home) than ride one more minute on the trainer. Sunday was still a little chilly and windy, but sunny. Got 41 miles in, about 75 total for the weekend. All on the mtb.

Note to dumbass drivers: if you're going to mouth off to cyclists make sure you don't do it right before you come to a stoplight. I hope you enjoyed our conversation while waiting or the light to change. I sure did.

Spring?

Looks like I'll be on the trainer all weekend. Outstanding.

Statement as of 4:36 AM CDT on April 10, 2008

... Winter Storm Warning in effect from 4 PM this afternoon to
7 am CDT Saturday...

The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued
a Winter Storm Warning... which is in effect from 4 PM this
afternoon to 7 am CDT Saturday. The Winter Storm Watch is no
longer in effect. This includes the Twin Cities metropolitan
area... Rice Lake and Ladysmith.

Precipitation will move into the area this morning and begin as a
mix of rain and snow. This mix will turn over to all snow this
afternoon and increase in intensity late this afternoon and this
evening when heavy snow is expected. However... the cutoff from
snow to rain will be in close proximity to southeastern portions
of the Twin Cities Metro area and along the Highway 8 corridor in
west central Wisconsin. These areas may see precipitation
oscillate between rain and snow... and possibly sleet... this
evening which will dramatically reduce snow accumulations.
Visibility in the heavy snow this evening will be reduced to a
quarter mile or less at times with the possibility of several
inches of snow accumulating over a short period of time. This will
make travel hazardous this evening and tonight. Snowfall intensity will
decrease Friday... but additional accumulation will occur.

Snowfall amounts from Gaylord to Minneapolis to Cambridge and
eastward to Rice Lake and Ladysmith are expected to range from 6
to 12 inches by Friday night... with lower amounts possible to the
southeast of this line where there is a better chance for mixed precipitation.

In addition to the snowfall accumulations... there will be very
strong northeast winds with speeds of 25 to 35 mph with higher gusts. This
will cause considerable blowing snow and poor visibility in open
areas Thursday night and Friday.

The heavy snow is in response to a low pressure system moving
northeast from the Southern Plains. The low pressure system is
forecast to reach southern Wisconsin by early Saturday.

A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow...
sleet... and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also
possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

March Madness

Saturday was nice, yesterday it was in the 50's. I got about 55-60 miles in outside this weekend. Today we are supposed to get 8 inches of snow. When will it end? I could really use a Moab trip right about now...

Trainer

I just started my Build 1 phase this week. I cannot wait to be done with the trainer -- my mind is officially numb. I really can't crank out the watts indoors while watching tv. I need a rabbit to chase and I actually need to be moving to stay focused and motivated. I just can't get a true feeling of my fitness level on the trainer, so I really don't know where I stand right now. Desperately need a group ride, outdoors, soon.

Whrrr whrrr whrrr

2 hours outside on the mountain bike today. Wasn't too bad. Toes got a bit cold and I was a bit tired towards the end, but considering yesterday was a pretty hard day, not too bad. Long way to go before race day, but getting there.

2 days in a row

Got out again yesterday for about an hour and a half on the mountain bike. The whir-whir-whir of knobbies on pavement kind of puts you in a trance. The big meats came in handy: major ice and slush everywhere. With all the potholes, sand, snow and ice, an already crowded shoulder (or extreme right side of the lane) gets even smaller. On the mtb you can plow right through it and stay to the side, instead of having to swerve into the lane on a road bike. Even with the fat tires my average speed was only slightly lower than it would have been on the road bike.

Thought about a group ride but this time of year for me it's about base miles. The "easiest" group rides always degenerate into a hammerfest. That and the constant sludge in the face from the bike in front of you makes going solo worth it. Back to the trainer for the next 5 days or so.

Outside

Got out for about an hour on the mountain bike this afternoon. Mostly spinning and tempo, with a couple of hill repeats. Sucks riding knobbies on the road, but better than riding in the basement. It would have been a crashfest on a road bike, lot's of ice and major puddles.

Getting tired of the trainer...

I'm getting really tired of riding in the basement. Spring cannot arrive too soon, but it's Minnesota, so that could be 2 months from now. Unless the weather goes completely pear-shaped this weekend, I'm riding outside, even if it's on my singlespeed on the road.

Cold, with a chance of death

Statement as of 3:00 AM CST on January 30, 2008

... Dangerously cold wind chills continue through this morning...

A wind chill warning remains in effect until noon CST today.

Brisk northwest winds and bitterly cold air will persist across the
region this morning. Wind chills of 35 below to 45 below can be
expected.

A wind chill warning means the combination of very cold air and
strong winds will create dangerously low wind chill values. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

This is why I laugh every time I read an article on "winter" riding or see "winter" cycling clothing in the magazines. All that stuff is aimed at California winter, where 60 is chilly. Come up here and test your equipment or go for a 3 hour training ride, then write your articles. Gotta love living in a place where the weather forecast includes a chance of death.