Sub 20 degree riding

I guess I could fire up the Halogen work light and put it near my feet. I might make a warm column of air rising up.

Opposite the fan thingy for the indoor trainers.

Umm.........18 F converts to - 7C right?

In my world that is a balmy winter day. 

This is me going for a ride at - 30C....which is about - 22 F .

Put your trainer in the house?

No reason to get so cold riding on a trainer. Riding outside in the cold is totally different animal and quite fun.

Ummmmm...Aquagirl....do you have a problem?  The first step in getting over it is admitting it.

Why yes...yes I do!!

When I was getting ready to do this ride (bundling up in about 10 layers) , my son came up to me and said " Mom, you need an intervention".  

running2far - 2011-12-19 3:27 PM Wool Socks and gloves...problem solved, at least you don't have the wind!

Awesome.

Tell me.....looks like a road bike on packed snow? Or is it a cross bike? What kind of tires?

They use so much road salt here that the roads are totally bare.......but I would love to ride on snowy trails. Figured I needed a mtb for that.

If I were riding when it was that cold I'd have my wetsuit on!!!

Oh baby! Nice!!  

More snow riding photos... first on driveway showing depth of snow trying out my new studded snow tires I got for Xmas

My brakes didn't work so I avoided down hills and dragged my feet much like kids do when riding. I have since replaced my brakes to ones that work better and actually slow me down.

Riding in the snow is truly a blast.

No no no!

Don't ever say that!!

Some of those pictures are bringing back memories of delivering newspapers in fifth grade, in January, in 5F degree weather.

I can still feel the cold pain from that in my toes and fingers.  The rule in the house was, below zero and Mom would drive me.  It got to 5 degrees often, but below zero maybe five times in my whole life.

I never had a pair of ski goggles.  Would have been nice.  Sometimes between the tearing and breath fog, my eyelashes would freeze together.  There I am riding down a ridiculous hill as slow as a can with one eye frozen shut, on a bike where the brakes are ceasing to operate. The brakes would make a squealing noise like a dying raccoon.

I get too bored on a trainer no matter what the temps...

I've ridden as low as 10 degrees F and with the exception of my toes, all else including the lungs were fine....

And I've run in -5F although that was much harder on the knees and joints as they felt like they were not operating properly....I also breathed through an under-armor cold gear top and scarf.....