Hybrid Rides and Dancing Deer

Most of my bike rides lately have been on a trainer.  I've been itching for any reason whatsoever to take one of my other bicycles for an outdoor ride.  Well, on this particular Sunday the temperature was only 2C.  But it was sunny and the roads were dry after days and days of rain.  It seemed like the perfect excuse to bust out my hybrid bicycle and hit some of the waterfront trail.

Dirt road complete with crater sized potholes.

The route I was planning on had mixed surfaces.  Some of it would be paved bicycle path.  But a lot of that pavement has buckled, cracked, broken and formed "eggs" (giant bumps in the road).  Some of it is dirt road pocked with hazardous potholes.  Some of it is stone dust with a smattering of gravel.  As the area is pretty flat there is little change in elevation.  Almost all of it follows a river and has plenty of ponds, marshes and other wetlands.  In other words, perfect for my hybrid bike.

An "egg" in the road.  Easily kill your wheel hitting it.

It was also a blast from the not-so-distant-past for me.  I started this journey on this bike and this route.

Clothing wise I had good ideas.  MEC Ardent jersey, Pearl Izumi Select Thermal Tights, thermal beanie, MEC Ace cycling liner, Mirelle trail running shoes and SmartWool socks.  I wouldn't dream of this combo at this temperature on the Valence.  But the Hybrid is a lot slower than the Valence so cutting the wind is a lot less of an issue.  I brought extra layers just in case.

Not sure why the cone is there?  I survived crossing twice.

I started to regret skipping the maintenance when I started pedaling on the bike.  I found lots of resistance but just chalked it up to being spoiled with a super light road bike.  After trying to tough it out for a while, I stopped and noticed my rear tire was really low.  I pulled out my hand pump and learned why it's so important to have a pump with you.  I also learned why people use CO2 pumps because pumping up tires with a mini pump SUCKS!

Pretty unstable ground here, back tire slid a fair amount.

On the way back while climbing a slight incline on stone dust, I saw a deer.  I have run into wildlife on a third of my rides in this area and had been hoping to see something.  When it dashed into the tree line I saw a second deer follow it in.  I noticed the tree line was actually just a line of trees blocking an open field.  One I would have access to another 10 or so meters up the path.  So I biked into the grass and aligned my video camera to see the deer...

... and I kid you not, they started leaping about playfully!  And I have some poorly recorded proof of the encounter, courtesy of my budget action camera!  It's a bit hard to see due to the sun.

Sorry about the bad sound and shakiness.  I need to get a better video editing software to clean up these clips.  I'm getting a helmet mount so the view should be more directional (and less shaky).  I also have a better camera on my wish list.

Trail gets washed out with old leaves and pine needles.

On my way back, I could see in my mind's eyes places where I huffed and puffed with exertion.  I was so much slower then.  I'd be wearing a smattering of sweaty workout clothes and a look of determination.  Now I'm more than 40 lbs lighter than the man I was; I'm leaner, more muscular, more fit than I've been in my entire adult life.  The one thing that hasn't changed an iota is my determination.

The bike ride was perfect.  I really missed riding outside and it was nice to do it again.  The deer incident really put a smile on my face.  I'm looking forward to doing it again soon.

Project: SubZero Update 3

Now I just need some ice and snow.

A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to put Project: SubZero through the paces.  I had heard about a mountain biking area nearby and went to check it out.  As I started packing for it, my wife expressed interest in coming along.  We'd have to take turns riding as we only had one mountain bike, and the trails here would have killed our hybrids.  But I'd rather spend time with my wife and share a bike than ride around solo.

The trails were pretty tough to navigate.  There was just so many fallen leaves from autumn covering the path, that sometimes the leaves were a foot or two deep.  You couldn't see rocks, roots or other obstacles.  But we found some areas that weren't too bad and had fun taking turns with Project: SubZero.  We did find there were some gearing issues so we tried to "single speed" it for the most part.

I tried messing with the derailleur when I got back.  I was able to get it shifting properly again but it just seemed off.  I'm not sure if it's an equipment problem or my inexperience with them.

I waited for an opportunity to test it properly.  Finally after several days of rain I was able to take it for a test drive on a back road.  At least, it was a dirt road last time I checked.  It ended up being thick gooey mud.  Normally the sight of a road like this would put me in a bad mood.  But I had a mountain bike equipped with fenders and big knobby tires; a thick gooey muddy road was ideal!

I didn't get in too far as it was starting to get dark.  I turned around and churned up the mud some more.  I found myself laughing as I watched my bike spray mud everywhere.  I felt my rear tire slip a few times as the mud started giving way into puddles.  I managed to stay stable and got out of the mud trap.

Riding a mountain bike is a completely different experience in comparison to road biking.  But I'm learning the one big thing they have in common is they're both fun as hell!

Next stop was another nearby dirt road.  This one didn't turn into gooey mud so I was able to pay more attention to how the shifts were going and other various noises coming from the bike.  While it was shifting there were obviously some problems going on.  I also noticed that my rear wheel was out of true.

The mud spray looks neat when lit up.

A few days later I rinsed off the bike as best I could, then packed it up in the car and headed down to the LBS.  They'll be going over both derailleurs to see what the problem is.  They'll also fix up my wheel so it is true again.  Last, but definitely not least, the studded tires are going on!

Still eagerly awaiting snow and ice.  For the first time since I made snow forts as a kid.

Cold Test Ride Conclusions

So after testing out my gear for three rides, I feel like I've learned a lot.  I've compiled my findings below.

I'm sure this won't be the last time I do some testing.  I will probably have to record and make minor revisions every time the mercury drops another 5-10C.

Wind
Whenever I plan a ride, I try to watch the forecast for how strong the wind is and where it is blowing.  It can normally have a big impact on your ride.  I've discovered that in colder weather its even more important.  The wind can make the ambient temperature feel a lot colder.  It can happen abruptly when you change direction.  Based on my experience with wind so far, I will definitely prioritize wind-proof gear in my cold weather planning.

Velocity
Another thing I noticed is how cold it gets when you simply accelerate.  Its like having your own personal "wind chill factor".  It's not simply a linear matter of faster = colder.  Hard pedalling will generate heat.  So you have to balance things.  I have a feeling this will be a bigger deal while road biking in the fall.  In the winter I'll be on a mountain bike, and I simply won't be able to achieve speeds where it'll be a huge problem.

Air
Cold air is denser air and I can really feel it as I move through it.  I feel like there is more of an aerodynamic drag on me when the air is much colder.  I also feel like its harder to breathe the denser air when I'm pushing myself.

Jacket
The rain jacket really saved the day but it has one big problem.  It's not "breathable".  There's no fancy material or vents on it to let the heat release.  I sweat a lot in the arms.  Mind you, much prefer sweaty arms over frozen arms.  Might be better to use when its really cold or when I have thinner base layers on underneath.  I've been shopping around for something that is water resistant and breathable, or something waterproof with zipper vents on the back/underarms.

Cold Feet
Feet get cold fast!  The first set of socks were meshy and breathable so I wasn't surprised to be cold.  My thicker sports socks seem to do well until 15C and below that my smart wool seem to be pretty good up to 10C.  Any lower (including with wind chill) and they seem to have an issue.  I can either get toe covers to put under the shoe covers or I can use my MEC Drencher covers over the top of the shoe covers (the latter is really bulky but I already own some).  Either way, this is strictly an autumn road bike issue as I won't be using the cycling shoes for outdoor winter cycling.

Cold Hands
My gloves have zero thermal properties.  On all three days I found my fingers cold the entire time.  Anything below 15C and they're just useless.  I will have to get some better gloves.

I also discovered that my cycling gloves can be adapted for colder weather simply by wearing  pair of blue nitrile gloves underneath.  It does end up making your hands sweat.  But that sweat is kept close against the hands and it ends up heating up the sweat.  So in other words, you feel warm, but its pretty disgusting when it comes off.  I can't recommend the blue nitrile gloves as a regular or long term solution.  But they are great in an emergency.  I've started keeping a pair on my bike just in case.

Pit Stops
Throughout the summer I did lots of rides and the issue of urinating just never came up.  I liked to joke that it was because I was sweating so much, my body didn't need to.  Maybe it is true; since I've been sweating less due to cold, I've needed to pee a lot more.  Every cold ride I either needed to have a private pit stop moment, or I am charging at the bathroom once my ride ends.  If this continues like this I'll have to avoid bib tights or anything else that makes it difficult to have a pit stop.

Two's Company
I think I need to stop making cycling such a solitary activity.  I do ride with my wife but in the winter she has no intentions of going outdoor cycling.  I've been thinking it could be very hazardous if I take a bump on the head and freeze to death in the woods, because I was too much of a loner to have someone around.

Daylight
Winter means shorter days.  While I had full days to myself for my test rides, my normal weekdays are eaten up by things like work.  The sun rises too late and sets too early for me to avoid night cycling.  I may start riding shorter rides on the road bike in the autumn; I really don't like riding in the dark on rural roads.  In the winter I'll be off-road and I will have to have enough lights to be seen by off-road vehicles.

Head-wear
The headband really didn't work out.  But I have a feeling it will work just fine when I wear it with goggles.  So it's not great autumn wear but it will work out in the winter.

Bicycle helmets aren't great winter design.  They've got great big cooling vents in them.  Throughout the testing, my thick ginger hair kept my head mostly warm but I need a solution for when it gets colder.

My sunglasses worked out fine for the testing.  But I know eventually it will get too cold and I will have to switch to goggles.

Mirror
I have a mirror set up right now that I like.  Unfortunately it mounts to my sunglasses.  When it starts getting very cold and I switch to goggles, I can no longer use my mirror.  I need to find a good alternative.

Measuring Effort
There are a lot of ways we measure our progress.  Some people measure by how far they've gone or how fast they've traveled.  In my case I need to not focus on how fast I'm going.  Quite frankly I'm not going to be setting Strava segment records in the cold weather.  But if my cadence is high (80-100) and my heart rate is going (140bpm or higher) then I'm doing good.  No need to beat myself up about going slowly through cold dense air with a headwind!

Cold Test Ride 3 / 3

Sunny days not requiring sunscreen = priceless.

Conditions
I was doing my third ride on Sunday.  The route was the same as test ride #1, 37.5km.  The forecast was mainly sunny with a bit of temperature variance; it was going to start at 10C (feels like 9C, 6km/h SW) and finish at 12C (feels like 11C, 8km/h SW).

Layers
Base: MEC Ardent jersey, MEC Rapide cycling shorts, Pearl Izumi Select thermal tights, Smart Wool sports socks,  MEC Vivace gloves.
Extra: DeFeet SlipStream shoe covers.

It looks beautiful.  But it is cold!

The Ride
The weather felt pretty good when I left.  It was cold out but the sun made a big difference.  A lot of the clothing I had on was black and I felt like the material was just soaking up the heat.  Which is great as the temperature increase ended up being a bit of a wash; it would get warmer but the wind would blow harder and it would feel the same.

Between the shoe covers and my Smart Wool socks, I thought my feet would be warm for sure.  They did start out warm but eventually my toes got cold. I noticed them getting cold right away, due to the wind.  It got better later in the ride when I wasn't riding directly in the wind.  It has me thinking that this is entirely a wind-related issue.

I wish autumn would leaf me alone!

The jersey did a great job again but I did notice I was a bit cold at the end of the ride.  It sounds odd but I would say it was just my skin that was cold.  My torso was pretty warm inside.  I think its because I was at the limit of the jersey keeping me warm.

Cold Test Ride 2 / 3

Conditions
Saturday was my second ride.  I had to run some errands first so my ride ended up being later in the afternoon.  The forecast called for rain later in the day; since I really hate riding in the rain I opted for a shorter route of 25km.  The window I was looking at was mainly sunny with a temperature of 10C, with a "feels like" of 9C.  Wind easterly about 5km/h.  Temperature and wind looked steady for the duration of my ride.

Layers
Base: MEC Ardent jersey, MEC Journey cycling shorts, Pearl Izumi Select thermal tights, generic sports socks.  MEC Vivace gloves.
Extra: DeFeet SlipStream shoe covers.

The Ride
This ride would be a little shorter than the first ride.    Since it seemed less risky, I didn't bring any backup clothing.  Almost everything I wore was the same as my last ride except I changed my liner for shorts and I had ditched the headband.

The biggest difference I noticed on this ride was the wind.  The previous day's ride had wind of 25km/h, today only had 5km/h.  It doesn't look like much difference but in my mind it was the difference between "slightly chilly" and "Hoth cold".

My Ardent jersey really did the trick this time.  I felt like it was sufficient for my entire ride.

I noticed my feet getting cold, despite the shoe covers.  It was only in the front part of the toes, but it made me feel uncomfortable.  Almost always when I had a headwind or crosswind, even a slight one.

I found the gloves to be a disappointment.  They don't seem to cut the wind very well and they don't seem to keep my fingers warm at all.  I really feel like a better set of gloves will be required for any autumn or winter runs.

Cold Test Ride 1 / 3

7C is just not as fun as 30C

Conditions
The first day was Friday.  I'd be heading out around noon and temperature was 10C with a wind chill making it feel like 7C.  The wind was forecast to be 25km/h easterly.  It was partly cloudy.  I was doing a 37km loop that I normally run.

Layers
Base: MEC Ardent jersey, MEC Ace Cycling Liner, Pearl Izumi Select thermal tights, generic sports socks.  MEC Vivace gloves.
Extra: MEC Calefaction head band, DeFeet SlipStream shoe covers.
Backup (in rack trunk): Windriver red rain jacket, MEC Drencher pants, polyester long sleeve thick shirt.

The Ride
I made sure that when I left, I felt cold.  Just pedalling on a bike is enough to generate some pretty serious heat.  Everything I was wearing on my base layer, I had used before.  This was a first trying out the headband and shoe covers.  I brought along a rack truck with some extras in case things were colder than I thought.

The headband was a bit of a disappointment.  It never did seem to sit well with my helmet and sunglasses.  I'm not about to forgo either at this point so I ended up removing the headband early on the ride.

Downhill is so much colder!

For the first 15km, everything felt great.  I was warm enough from exertion that I didn't feel cold at all, but not so warm that I was gross and sweaty.  I thought I had found the perfect layer combo.  Then I headed north and started to feel just how strong the wind was!  I had to concentrate on not getting blown over.  And it was cold.  I could immediately tell that my tights were windproof but my jersey was not.  It is a really nice, warm jersey but it was just not up to wind like that.  I ended up braving it out for a while as there was a lot of climbing (which means more heat).

The moment I turned west I got a taste of how cold it was.  I knew I wouldn't hold up long it that.  I pulled over and got out my rain jacket.  It was windproof and waterproof and I thought it would make an excellent "shell" layer.  My tights felt warm enough so I skipped on the Drencher pants.

I was headed west for a long clip so I got a good chance to test things out.  I discovered that 25km/h wind makes you feel really cold.  And the faster you rode into it, it got exponentially colder.  My legs finally did get a bit cold but not unbearably so.  My feet, which had been perfect up until the moment I was riding against the wind, were a bit chilly in the toes.  Sometimes that wind gusted and I felt like I was being pushed backward.

The rain coat worked well in keeping the wind off me.  But I ended up getting so warm with it that my arms were all sweaty.  Could have been a big problem if I had to make an extended stop outside (cold + wet = yuck).

Cold Test Rides Introduction

Getting ready for days like this.

When I noticed the forecast getting cold and unpleasant, I thought it would be the best time to do some cold weather testing.  Right now I don't have any practical experience when it comes to layering clothes (or for that matter, any experience cycling in the cold).  By putting some useful data together I might be able to figure out what combination of clothing to wear.

The tests themselves are pretty simple.  I would need to record the weather conditions, what clothing I was wearing and how I felt in it.  After a few days I would try to glean important details and adjust my strategy for cold weather riding.

For me this is a multi-part process.  Currently I'm riding a road bike in the autumn.  At the end of the month I will be using the road bike indoors (spin class).  At that point my outdoor bikes will be my hybrid and mountain bike.  Once the snow hits the hybrid will go into storage and the mountain bike is the full time outdoor rig.  So I'm trying to figure out the things that will help now on my current setup, as well as details that will help when its -30C and I'm riding across frozen rivers.

The next 3 posts will be the tests, then I will post my conclusions.

Dress for Autumn Success

I usually try to plan my rides around the weather.  When I checked the forecast for the next few days, I found that we were in for a fair amount of rain.  The only solid open window when it wasn't raining was this morning.  Since I don't have much outdoor season left for the road bike, I got packed up to go.

The forecast called for 10C (with "feels like" 7C).  I was looking forward to the opportunity to try out some of my cold weather gear.  So I got out my cycling liner, tights and long sleeve jersey.

I had just purchased some Pearl Izumi Select Thermal Tights.  Go ahead and laugh.  No really, go ahead.  I've been laughing at myself too; I don't like tights and these are the first set of tights I've owned in my entire life.  Here are links to Pearl Izumi men's tights and women's tights on Amazon.ca and here are links to men's tights and women's tights on Amazon.com.

The cycling liner I am using is the MEC Ace Cycling Liner Shorts.  They were the very first item of real cycling clothes I purchased.  It was back when I wanted the benefits of a chamois without having to resort to dressing in spandex.  They are very thin so it is great for wearing under other clothes.  Even tight form fitting clothes like tights.  Here is a link to them at MEC.  If you are looking for the ladies' version, click here.

For a jersey I went with the MEC Ardent jersey.  It wasn't the style or the reviews that won me out on this; to be quite honest it was the price.  It was on sale for $29CAD when I purchased it.  Here is a link to it at MEC.

First thing I noticed as I started biking was WOW IT IS COLD!  I knew cycling was going to make me warmer so I resisted the urge to return for more layers.  This turned out to be the correct maneuver as my icy cold ears got hot very fast.   Also will remember to stick to luke warm water as icy cold water on an icy cold day feels like an icy cold dagger to the stomach when you drink it.

I couldn't believe how well the tights worked out.  When I started, my legs weren't cold at all.  They stayed that way for the entire ride.  Even when I made a brief stop and started getting cold, my bottom half was warm the entire time.  As soon as I'm not broke, I am literally running out to buy another pair.  And in conjunction with the cycling liner, my derriere felt well padded and comfortable.

I was equally surprised by the jersey.  I wasn't expecting spectacular results for a $29 jersey but they really impressed me.  I was so warm in the jersey I had to unzip it a bit.  I'm tempted to pick up another one as they would also make excellent base layers.

The ride itself was both excellent and gruelling.  There was very little traffic but there was a pretty strong wind pushing east.  Part of it is covered by Strava segments in both directions.  So I got an awesome performance in the one segment.  The other segment went so slowly you could swear I just walked the bike down the road.  This wind was impervious to both my physical efforts and my curse words.

I think if I would have done anything differently, I would have went with some shoe covers as my toes were chilly.  I'm sure we'll be getting plenty of cold weather for me to experiment in.

Just In Time for Autumn

I injured myself the week before vacation and didn't ride.  On vacation there was some cycling but it was a lot less than I'm used to riding at home.  Then a couple of solidly booked weekends with a mostly rainy week where I only rode twice.  Then I got really sick for over a week.  So I've been looking forward to my regular routine.

Ontario rural county road, limit of 80kph.

My enthusiasm was tempered when I heard about a cyclist who got killed recently.  It happened in rural Ontario, along a county road much like the route I take.  It was a nice smooth road, had a big paved shoulder and generally seemed pretty safe.  At least, I thought they were pretty safe.  It has me watching the road (ahead and behind me) with a renewed vigilance.  I find having a glasses-mounted mirror helps.

Sunsets are beautiful when they aren't trying to blind you.

I feel like autumn always sneaks up on me.  I don't notice the signs until they really stand out and surprise me.

One of the more unpleasant surprises is the sun setting much earlier.  As a cyclist this has multiple impacts.  The weather gets colder, which means you need to dress warmer.  Some of the area is wetland and river, so there are lots of bugs at dusk; which is now a lot sooner.  Heading west at any part of the ride is pretty blinding.  Gotta pack 2 pairs of glasses too; a tinted one for sunset and a clear one for when it gets too dark for the tinted ones.

The local wildlife.

Last but not least, my province's HTA insists on both lights and reflector-covered forks when it's near dark.  Also, it is easier to be seen during daylight.  So I just avoid the 30 mins prior to sunup/sundown.  That has been happening a lot sooner.  Eventually I will have to do my weekday rides in the early morning instead of after work.

As I was peddling down a road, a local runner was smiling and flagging me down.  As I approached he pointed out some deer at the side of the road.  There are three in the picture but the third one is a bit hidden.

It felt really good to get back on the Valence again.  I'm hoping with a bit of luck, a little help from DST and layering, I will be able to extend the Valence right into the end of October.