Pedalphile

[redsash]

Biked in every day this week so far. OK, so that's just twice but I'm giving myself points for that bumpy field with the 50kph wind in my face. I'll need some eye protection if I'm going to keep at it into the Fall

Comments

[mikepictor]

hmm....you just made me think of my swimming goggles for biking. I haven't been liking them, since I can't get a good seal while swimming...but for biking they may be ideal.

[tehjos]

I've been looking into getting some kinda goggles for cycling... not necessarily ones for swimming, but perhaps the type for snowboarding or motorcycling... Maybe try a pair and see how they suit. :)

[redsash]

I generally buy a cheap pair of terminator wrap-arounds. I lose them all the time anyway.

~r

[redsash]

See below, but I do have a similar pair of swimming goggles. Might help cut down on fog...

~r

[psychedelicbike]

Totally agree on the brutality of the wind. And not just the speed. It was also the coldness of it, and the fact that it was carrying light rain. Ugh. Made for a long, tough, unpleasant slog into work.

After five minutes, I was wishing that I'd broken out the headband. Normally, that doesn't come out until the temperature dips to freezing (as do the crab-gloves), but I guess I need to take wind-chill into account.

After seeing a comment in much_ado's journal, I'm desperately hoping that the snow holds off for another few weeks at least (though I'd prefer a few months). As soon as the first flakes fly, and the first salt hit's the road, the Rocket gets put in the shed for the year. I'm not dedicated enough to wash the salt off my bike every evening.

[redsash]

Oh the crab gloves were critical. As it was I briefly lost feeling in both pinkies :-)

The only thing that made the headwind bearable was my baseball cap. I did take off my hood -- and eventually the cap -- as my temperature rose.

~r

[tehjos]

Neat! So you are another of my crazy all-seasons cycling kin?

I biked all through last winter, but I was dreadfully ill-equipped due to a total lack of budget. This year, I've got some money to spend, but I need to make it go as far as possible- any tips? :)

[redsash]

You talking weather gear or hardware?

I got my Giant Boulder at a police auction for cheep, so I don't mind thrashing it into the winter. (Although as psychadelicbike points out, the salt will probably kill it if I don't wipe it down.)

~r

[tehjos]

Weather gear was what I was thinking of- but bits-n'-bobs hardware advice would be super, too. :)

My bike came with the house... it had been abandoned by a former tenant. It's a frankenbeater, kinda junky and put together with other cheap bike parts. I've since added a lot of stuff to it (lights, reflectors, a back rack, a milk crate on top of that, a bell...) and it's served me well so far. I just know, however, that one of these days, it's gonna collapse into a heap of reproachful rust from being stored Wherever and being cleaned and tuned up maybe once a year. I keep forgetting!

[redsash]

Well, the clamshell mitts are essential. I use the fold-back ones that expose the fingers when needed, but add a liner glove underneath as it gets colder