# Anyone else dig riding this time of year?



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

I always look forward to riding in the fall and winter. There's something about bleak and blustery North Texas (not Panhandle) weather that makes me want to get out and ride. Today was a great example. I rode the Lake Benbrook route twice, 40 miles -- 20-mph wind, misty, cool, gray, forbidding weather. I enjoyed every minute of it. Am I a nut?


----------



## kk4df (Aug 5, 2006)

I love riding this time of year. It's been really nice weather lately. Glad we don't get all the messy winter weather down south. ;-)


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

Today is great... mid 70's for the high!! I'll be out this afternoon, don't know if you call that bleak and blustery! I don't much like riding in the cold, but luckily the winter here has been mild so far.... 

But now though I'm kind of on a break, just finished up riding El Tour Tucson, which was great, but now I'm on much needed recharge time from the real long rides...


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

pedalruns said:


> Today is great... mid 70's for the high!! I'll be out this afternoon, don't know if you call that bleak and blustery!...


Not bleak, just blustery!! Wind WNW, 20-30 this afternoon. I'll be out too. Have a great ride!


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

fougasg said:


> Not bleak, just blustery!! Wind WNW, 20-30 this afternoon. I'll be out too. Have a great ride!


What a great day for December.... 81 for the high, didn't mind the wind with that temp... in fact the wind was perfect for riding at WRL, since it was coming mostly from the West there were only a few sections directly into it... 

But I feel that cold already, what a difference in just a few hours! 

Hope you had a good ride fougasg


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Thanks, ped...

I chose the Trinity Trail. I wanted something easy since I put in a lot of miles the previous 3 days -- bad choice! Talk about exposed! At one point I pushed my HR into the 150s to maintain 12 mph on level terrain... Didn't exactly have a recovery ride, but got a good workout!


----------



## theone29 (Aug 13, 2007)

Its in the low 30's here in Kent, WA. Here is a picture of the sun set in front of my house. It snowed yesterday and rain today. I wish i was out riding. 

View attachment 109976


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

theone29 said:


> Its in the low 30's here in Kent, WA. Here is a picture of the sun set in front of my house. It snowed yesterday and rain today. I wish i was out riding


Okay, I'll pity you for a day or two, but don't expect any pity for the other 363 days. You're in a cycling mecca! I bet you'll be on the bike within a week! :thumbsup: 

BTW, isn't low 30s a little colder than normal? Usually you guys can ride pretty much year-round, right?


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

theone29 said:


> Its in the low 30's here in Kent, WA. Here is a picture of the sun set in front of my house. It snowed yesterday and rain today. I wish i was out riding.


Very nice photo..... Looks like a pretty area. 

The Dallas area isn't very pretty, but the mild winters are nice... The forecast is for mid-70's for the coming weekend, but that pesky wind will be back...


----------



## culdeus (May 5, 2005)

Nothing gets me more down than a cool sort of misty rainy day. Not just a downpour, but wet enough to make the streets wet and enough breeze to push the wind chill below 30 add in the 90% humidity and I just want to stay in and drink whiskey. It seems like since Saturday that's all it's been and all it will be for the next couple weeks with few breaks.


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Well, there does come a point that it's just too effin' miserable to ride. Today was certainly one of those days. Hopefully the weekend is better.


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I haven't ridden outdoors since Sunday, this sucks... I'm riding tomorrow come hell or high water......


----------



## t. swartz (Mar 15, 2007)

weather's good, but the red tide's causing significant sinus, pulmonary, etc. irritation...


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Dave Hickey said:


> I haven't ridden outdoors since Sunday, this sucks... I'm riding tomorrow come hell or high water......


High water is likely, actually...

Do you ride at night? If so, where? Trinity Trail? Benbrook?


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

Well... did anyone ride today in the 30+mph winds and cold temps??? 

I was in the safe confines of my living room riding on the trainer with coach troy on a virtual dvd climbing gates pass in Tucson... wasn't too bad... 

maybe tomorrow will be good for outside riding....


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I ran 5 miles this morning and took the dog on a long walk this afternoon.....It looks like tomorrow will be good for riding... I'm hoping for 50+ miles


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

pedalruns said:


> Well... did anyone ride today in the 30+mph winds and cold temps???
> 
> I was in the safe confines of my living room riding on the trainer with coach troy on a virtual dvd climbing gates pass in Tucson... wasn't too bad...
> 
> maybe tomorrow will be good for outside riding....


Tomorrow's s'post to be great. I rode 51 yesterday in 39F, fog, and rain -- but no wind. I did 24 today and I'm so wiped out I wonder if I'll be able to ride tomorrow when it's nice. At one point I was on a 2% grade, pedalling straight into the wind, struggling to maintain 9 mph in a 39-23. The grade was downhill.

Have a great ride tomorrow!


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

fougasg said:


> At one point I was on a 2% grade, pedalling straight into the wind, struggling to maintain 9 mph in a 39-23. The grade was downhill.


WOW...... I was looking at the trees bending back and forth while I was on my trainer thinking I'm glad I'm not outside.... 



Dave Hickey said:


> It looks like tomorrow will be good for riding... I'm hoping for 50+ miles


Today was good, still a little cold for me but I got just about 30 miles in on my fixed, felt good to get outside...


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

pedalruns said:


> WOW...... I was looking at the trees bending back and forth while I was on my trainer thinking I'm glad I'm not outside....
> 
> 
> Today was good, still a little cold for me but I got just about 30 miles in on my fixed, felt good to get outside...



I managed 40 miles fixed...It was a little cold but much better than yesterday


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Dave Hickey said:


> I managed 40 miles fixed...It was a little cold but much better than yesterday


I did 37 on the road plus 3 hours on the trainer. I'm jealous of your fixie -- very nice. I'm planning one of my own; don't know much about gearing philosophy. Your's look pretty stout. I missed an ebay chance at an 80s Colnago frame today while either riding or on the trainer.


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

fougasg said:


> I did 37 on the road plus 3 hours on the trainer. I'm jealous of your fixie -- very nice. I'm planning one of my own; don't know much about gearing philosophy. Your's look pretty stout. I missed an ebay chance at an 80s Colnago frame today while either riding or on the trainer.


Are you training for something.... 37 miles on the road and 3 on the trainer, and that is a day after riding in all that cold wind?? 

Very pretty bike Dave, one of your many very pretty bikes... your gearing looks huge!!

Speaking of gearing philosphy, my fixed gearing is much smaller than what Dave's look like... I have a 44x17, up from a 42x17 that I started with, for me the 44x17 is perfect, but I'm more of a spinner than most. I love riding my fixed gear bike, something about the feel and simplicity of just spinning however fast or slow you want to go.


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

*Just trying to reach goals, peds...*

And I did 51 in the rain Friday as well.. but, anal-retentive engineer.. I set a goal of 4,000 miles outdoors and 7,000 miles total "equivalent," giving myself credit for 16 mph on the trainer plus whatever I do outdoors. My status is 3,940 and 6,850 respectively -- so I'm honkin' it! Only a few days left! :thumbsup: 

Your gearing is about what I was thinking for a fixie: I ride 39x15 easily up smaller hills and can tolerate it on flats -- so a 2.6 ratio seems about right to me. Dave's looks like a track bike...


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Gearings not that bad......I have a large front ring (50T), but I'm running 19T in the rear so it's still right around 70 gear inches..

The bike is a Panasonic Keirin frame....Here is a better pic....

Quiz time...where was the picture taken???


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Dave Hickey said:


> Gearings not that bad......I have a large front ring (50T), but I'm running 19T in the rear so it's still right around 70 gear inches..
> 
> The bike is a Panasonic Keirin frame....Here is a better pic....
> 
> Quiz time...where was the picture taken???



Another great pic! Thanks for the clarification on gearing.

Trinity Trail at Southwest Blvd, near a freeway underpass I've flatted twice under...


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Wow...you are good.....we have a winner


----------



## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

fougasg said:


> I always look forward to riding in the fall and winter. There's something about bleak and blustery North Texas (not Panhandle) weather that makes me want to get out and ride...........


So what does the "(not Panhandle)" mean?

We had 8 in our group and saw another 20-30 people riding just west of Amarillo last Sunday. The wind blowing off the snowbanks made it a little cool but that's what jackets are for.

There is no telling how many mountain bikers were down in Palo Duro Canyon. Of course it's less windy and warmer down there!


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

MerlinAma said:


> So what does the "(not Panhandle)" mean?
> 
> We had 8 in our group and saw another 20-30 people riding just west of Amarillo last Sunday. The wind blowing off the snowbanks made it a little cool but that's what jackets are for.
> 
> There is no telling how many mountain bikers were down in Palo Duro Canyon. Of course it's less windy and warmer down there!


"Not Panhandle" is meant to distinguish FtWorth-like weather from Amarillo-like weather. Non-Texans don't always know we consider the Panhandle to be different from "North Texas." North Texas can be cold and blustery in the fall and winter; the Panhandle is colder and downright windy! I enjoy riding in North Texas in the winter; not sure I'd feel the same about the Panhandle. I'd do it for sure; but who knows if I'd like it. In fact, Panhandle weather can be pretty harsh year-round, compared to Cowtown. It's a matter of perspective: my parents and my girlfriend both think the weather in Fort Worth is harsh. My parents live in Houston, my girlfriend in Denver. I think the weather in Amarillo is harsh, but if I lived there I'd get used to it... I guess...


----------



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Dave Hickey said:


> Wow...you are good.....we have a winner


I'm not all that good... it's just that I've seen that particular spot several hundred times. I moved to Fort Worth from Houston over 32 years ago, and have ridden the Trinity Trail ever since. :thumbsup:


----------

