I broke down; I put on the balaclava.

Single digits and a daily morning headwind finally did me in.

With the temperature, and somewhat sloppy conditions (we had a dusting of snow a couple of days), I needed to adjust my strategy.

You know the old saying; "Great race bikes make the best commuters"

Neither do I; they don't, but sort of do.

Blu.2 has been put into the service of the greater good.
I started off with a 63" gear, but with the headwinds or hills to avoid the headwind knocked it down to a 60".

The 35mm Panaracer Cinder X tires I have set up on it tubeless are like Velcro.
This is a Happy/Sad kinda thing.
Great on snow, ice, sand and other assorted road grim; slow as something really slow on dry pavement.
But that's okay; my theory being I have to work hard which will keep me warmer.

It's nice having the the control of an mtb in avoiding road side 'gnar, but even with the stem flipped, and a flat bar you can only got so aero on it.

This post has been brought to you by the semicolon; the punctuation mark of kings.

This week I must admit has been testing...but doable.
Friday morning was the worst.
The weatherman had promised milder temps (if you consider low 20*Fs mild), and lighter winds.  They arrived but after my morning ride in.  Not only was I riding straight into a stiff wind, wishing I had given my balaclava a try, I forgot my  headlamp (again!) and had to turn around adding a mile to my commute.

The ride home @ 21*F seemed balmy in comparison.

It looks like today will be a similar affair, but hopefully I'll beat  some of the daylight warmup wind by starting an hour earlier.

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but it's hard to bring myself to drive if there isn't precipitation.

At work today I jinxed myself; I commented how my bathroom pipes hadn't frozen.  When I got home and went upstairs, I commented to Mrs CB2 how cozy our bedroom was.  "I'm trying to thaw a frozen pipe" was her reply.

Doh!

Yes Winter is here, but that doesn't have to stop you from riding.

Here's what I've been wearing these past few days are:

• Polypro t-shirt
• wool socks
• bib shorts
• Pearl Izumi Elite Amfib bib tights
• Windstopper® jacket
• Pearl Izumi PRO Softshell gloves
• Shimano MW81 boots

The Shimano boots and the two Pearl Izumi pieces really are the standouts of my ensemble.  For me the Amfib's are too warm for anything but the most extreme weather (I have a somewhat freakish indifference to temperature*).  Warm and dry is the name of the game, and the Elite Soft Shell and Elite Thermal Fleece fabric deliver.

The Pro Soft Shell gloves have kept my hands comfortable this week.  They are as warm as some lobster gloves I've tried.  The primaloft® insulation provides a cozy yet not bulky anatomic habitat for your paws.  Tonight one of my pinkies was beginning to feel the chill by the time I got home, but single digits + 16 mph for an hour will do that.  I've worn them into the 40*F's without overheating but I haven't (fortunately) had the opportunity to test their water resistance.

**I started wearing the Shimano MW81 boots in October when the the temperature began dipping into the upper 30's on my commute and as the weather has gotten more "challenging" they have proven themselves time and time again.  The Gore Tex liner works well to to keep moisture out while breathing enough to keep my feet from over heating.  Yet even on the coldest rides this year the fleecy lining has kept my feet   indifferent to temperature.  The Velcro closures seem to be some sort of Super Velcro fastening the boots securely from the neoprene ankle wrap to the toe strap.  The sole is stiff enough for efficient power transfer, while the widely spaced lugs offer plenty of traction for off the bike excursions.  I'm skeptical of any claims of water resistance (or waterPROOF), but when a friend trying to be helpful sprayed me with the hose after a muddy ride, they remained impervious to the blast.  The comfort range I've experienced so far has been single digits to mid 40's.

There's an old saying "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing".  I don't know if I'd go that far, but with the right gear I've comfortably stayed on the bike and out of the car this Winter.

*when I'm exercising; sitting at home, sure I'll take another blanket

**Yeah, this rehashes the shoe review, but I needed something for work, but stop by and you'll see I'm using all of the above daily

Happy Feet

"The path to an enlightened sole is traveled in comfortable shoes"

                                                                                          

                                                                                             -The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama didn't really say that, but I bet he was thinking it.  Maybe?

Anyhoo...

Happy feet make for a happy rider, and with the Winter's chill happy feet can be found within Shimano MW 81 Winter cycling boots.

I started wearing these in October when the the temperature began dipping into the upper 30's on my commute.  As the weather has gotten more "challenging" they have proven themselves time and time again.

The Gore Tex liner works well to to keep moisture out while breathing enough to keep my feet from over heating.  Yet even on the coldest rides this year the fleecy lining has kept my feet   indifferent to temperature.  The comfort range I've experienced so far from has been sub 20's to mid 40's.

The Velcro closures seem to be some sort of Super Velcro fastening the boots securely from the neoprene ankle wrap to the toe strap.  The sole is stiff enough for efficient power transfer, while the widely spaced lugs offer plenty of traction for off the bike excursions.

I'm skeptical of any claims of water resistance (or waterPROOF), but when a friend trying to be helpful sprayed me with the hose after a muddy ride, they remained impervious to the blast. 

You might be asking yourself "Self, sure Winter mtb boots might be great for Charlie, he mountain bikes, why would I need such a boot?"

First I've worn them more on my daily commute than offroad, and if Winter comfort isn't good enough for you they offer convenience.  A booty can provide you  adequate protection from the elements  (MW 81's are warmer), but if you are riding every day it is so much easier to put on a boot, than put on your cycling shoes then a booty.  

There is also the cheapskate factor.  Cheapskate?  At $230?  

Yes.  

They are the best constructed Winter boots I have come across, so they are an investment in the future.  Quality booties run about $100, and are great if you are just going to be wearing them on the weekends.  If you are riding more often even the best booties will wear out.  Once you've gotten a few seasons out of the MW 81's that $230 starts looking pretty cheap.  

Heck, I've only got 4 months on mine, and I already think they are one of the best cycling investments I've made in the past year.

Nothing Special

I don't know what it was but something was just right about my commute yesterday.
Everything just went smoothly and I felt great.

Effortless.
My headlight even seemed brighter.

Nothing special, but special.

Fun With GPS

Let's see, looks like someone stopped at the bank, got a bagel, used the bathroom at MacDonald's and bought a dollar coffee before work Saturday morning.

All About the Experience

Everyone has their quirks.

An online conversation drifted from broken components to modern v. classic bikes.

One side felt the performance advantage of modern carbon bicycles and state of the art components were superior, whereas the other  felt there are some intangibles of aesthetics that no amount of technology can compensate for.

Who's right?

They both are.

If the latest and greatest is what gets you excited about riding your bike that's awesome!

If  a hand-brazed (or tig'd) frame made by a local artisan is what gets your blood pumping; spectacular!

It's all about the rider, their perceptions and what makes them happy.  What makes me happy might not ring your bell.  I'm pretty lucky in that I'm not very particular.  It just has to work, and work silently.  I don't worry about aero-advantage or gram counting (well, not too concerned with grams); those things just aren't going to improve the experience for me (and let's face it, it's all about ME).  I want to flow, man and machine as one (hippy); what exactly that machine is is of less importance, but again, that's ME.

Go ride YOUR bike and have FUN.

RIP Burry

U23 World Champion

World Cup Winner

2 time Olympian (5th in London)

Singlespeed World Champion

with the tattoo to prove it

you will be missed.