There are Days When A Ride Must Happen

This has been a rough couple of weeks, but especially this last week.  Immediately after the Super Bowl, my GI tract revolted and the resulting nastiness kept me off the bike all week.  Getting on the bike was long overdue this morning.  Add to that the fact that Dan is now back on the bike, taking it easy after his knee surgery.  He put out an invitation last evening for anyone wanting to ride an easy pace.  I couldn’t let him ride alone.

So, taking the option of staying in bed completely off the table, I set out this morning in 39° F and steady rain!

After this ride, I’ve resolved to find solutions to 2 glaring deficiencies.

1. I must purchase rain pants or chaps.  My wind resistant tights still absorbed water at an alarming rate, and by the time I stripped them off at the end of the ride, my legs were a bright red.
2. I must determine how to keep my hands warm and dry.  I left my wool glove liners home this morning, not thinking that I would be riding with gloves that were completely soaked.  They may have helped some, but I need a more waterproof/resistant glove solution.  My hands were painfully cold at the end and my fingers looked like red sausages.  They worked as well as sausages too.

I thought I had the shoe situation solved: wool socks, winter boots, gaiters, tights over the gaiters.  Half way through the ride, my little piggies were swimming.  These boots have no drain holes and I was accumulating water somewhere.  At least most of the time they stayed warm in the water that was collecting.

Before I left on the ride, I staged a towel on my front porch.  Boots, tights socks, gloves, helmet, jacket, and a few other things all got stripped off before I entered the house.

The plastic bag on the head under the helmet worked well.  At least my head was dry.

Oh, and the ride was good.  Great conversation.  Comfortable speed.  It felt good to get back out there.

This Ride: 18.3 miles
Month: 43 miles
2013: 459.1 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,232 miles