What is the worst thing about Winter



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"Lee" <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote

> As we approach the cold nasty days of Winter I wondered what you guys
found
> to be the worst part of winter cycling?
>
> Or maybe you enjoy it more so than summer (weido's!)

I started looking forward to riding in the dark mornings back in July.
 
"Lee" <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As we approach the cold nasty days of Winter I wondered what you guys
found
> to be the worst part of winter cycling?

The hail beating down on my head. Ow ow ow.

Wait a minute - that was in July, so probably doesn't count. (and in the northern hemisphere)

The real answer is slowing down - my legs work better when warm.

cheers, clive
 
Lee wrote:

> As we approach the cold nasty days of Winter I wondered what you guys found to be the worst part
> of winter cycling?
>
> Or maybe you enjoy it more so than summer (weido's!)
>
> Lee

The worst thing about winter is the autumn before it and the spring after it!

The trouble with autumn & spring is that they're often too cold for a t-shirt in the mornings, and a
tad too warm for a long-sleeved top in the afternoon. So either one half of my commute is
uncomfortable, or I have to go against my 'travel light' philosophy and pack and extra top.

Say what you want about winter, but at least you know where you stand! (and the answer's generally
'cold, wet, outside & begging to be let in')
 
In article <[email protected]>, Tony W wrote:
>
> Having to think about it months before it happens on a bright and sparkly late summer's day
> because someone is depressed enough by his foresight to post such questions :~)
>

Though it seems to not last as long nowadays, for better or worse. Good snow used to be quite
fun (though not on a bike). We just seem to have had floods and black ice as winter problems
lately. Must invest in some of those waterproof socks, though I got some thermals in the end of
winter sales.

Its feeling colder now. How long before it starts feeling warm again?

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Stevie D wrote:
>
> The fact it gets dark so early that almost any ride could well need lights and the prescience to
> foretell what other drivers are going to do because they are too blinded by the ******** behind
> you's fog lights to notice you at all.
>

There's nothing like (as a car driver) seeing an image of the underside of your car projected onto
the road in front of you by the light of the person behind's fog lights, even though as the one in
front you have full beam. Presumably fog light alignment isn't checked in the MOT, as a few people
seem to use them as not really full beam I'm on dipped honest full beam. At least, that close to
you, it doesn't shine into the rear mirror.

Could be a problem on the recumbent though, as I'm lower down, and as I've already found out, these
things do have mirrors so you can be blinded from behind. Must invest in some shades ;-) Or save
that little more and go for the very bright new Limicycle light.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>> A 25 mph headwind at the same time as a sleet downpour.
>
>
>
> Definitely the wind. And the wuthering, of course. It's invisible touch can trespass on my
> goodwill rather. But I won't lie down like a lamb on Broadway, no sir! It can Foxtrot Oscar as far
> as I'm concerned - in fact the wind in winter was the genesis of my journey to the dark side.
>
> And the word was... Recumbent!
>
I dont know whats sadder. You posting that or me knowing all the references. :)

Stan Cox
 
In article <[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of "Lee"
<gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote:

> As we approach the cold nasty days of Winter I wondered what you guys found to be the worst part
> of winter cycling?

(1) Someone said dark.
(2) Someone said icy roads.
(3) Faffing about with layers of clothing, and having to carry raingear or risk
cold+wet=uncomfortable..

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)
 
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 09:20:26 +0100, Lee wrote:

> As we approach the cold nasty days of Winter I wondered what you guys found to be the worst part
> of winter cycling?

Low recumbent + slush down middle of road + overtaking car = face and cycling top full of salty
gritty slush

> Or maybe you enjoy it more so than summer (weido's!)

Mostly, I do: no sweat that tingly face feeling frost in teh tree-branches on my off-road commute
route cycling in teh hard clear, silent nights after a late shift fresh air coming out of stale
heated office

and most of all:

ice + low tricycle recumbent = lots of grinning

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|
 
"Andy P" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Lee" <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote
>
> > As we approach the cold nasty days of Winter I wondered what you guys
> found
> > to be the worst part of winter cycling?
> >
> > Or maybe you enjoy it more so than summer (weido's!)
>
having no organised rides (virtually ) so you have to think "why am I doing this?" rather than "I'm
only doing this because I'm following a route sheet and someone's going to give me a cup of tea and
some bread pudding at the end" (assuming that you've bothered to get out of bed in the cold/wet/dark
in the first place)
 
I've noticed that this news group tends towards a depressingly negative view of life, but whingeing
in advance about the worst aspects of the coming months is going too far!

Most cyclists cycle for fun, so what are the best bits? Let's have some happy winter memories or
expectations

For example, going to Coed y Brenin a couple of Christmases ago, and finding ourselves the first
bikes on the MBR route after a fresh fall of snow.
 
In news:[email protected], Richard Goodman
<[email protected]> expounded sagaciously:
> "Martin Bulmer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> In news:[email protected], We stood up, and couldn't walk on the road, the ice was
>> so slippy. The fourth member of the group, however, got down the hill without incident, but he
>> couldn't walk back up it to see where we'd got to.
>> --
>
> So what was his secret? How did he manage that?
>
> Rich

He was much more experienced than we were - he didn't try to brake until he reached a clear bit.
--

Martin Bulmer

Pie Conservation Threat
 
Geoff Bowles must be edykated coz e writed:

> I've noticed that this news group tends towards a depressingly negative view of life, but
> whingeing in advance about the worst aspects of the coming months is going too far!
>
> Most cyclists cycle for fun, so what are the best bits? Let's have some happy winter memories or
> expectations
>
> For example, going to Coed y Brenin a couple of Christmases ago, and finding ourselves the first
> bikes on the MBR route after a fresh fall of snow.
>
>
Cycling across a frozen river a few years ago, that people were ice skating on, that was a buzz.

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk
 
> Most cyclists cycle for fun, so what are the best bits? Let's have some happy winter memories or
> expectations

So far I think we've had a great summer, it's September and still the weather is fine. Cycled home
in a T-shirt last night, beautiful night, was like the middle of July! Winter? What winter, not
yet at least.

This will be my first winter where I will endevour to cycle to work. The only thing I'm worried
about is black ice and strong winds.
 
"Geoff Bowles" <[email protected]> writes:

>Most cyclists cycle for fun, so what are the best bits? Let's have some happy winter memories or
>expectations

Commuting from Longforgan to Dundee last winter, after I had just moved to Scotland, starting off in
the dark, cycling towards the Tay, seeing the sunrise at Kingoodie when the tide is out and there
are lots of little rims of water reflecting pink, crisp winter air. And a bit later: the geese who
stopped by on their way North.

Best thing about this winter: counting the days to the new Grasshopper 'bent is released :)

Roos
 
"Geoff Bowles" <[email protected]> wrote: ( Most cyclists cycle for fun, so what are the
best bits? Let's have some ) happy winter memories or expectations

Not getting overheated, not having to worry about running out of drinking water when you are too far
from the nearest tap, and not having sunscreen getting into your eyes. Good grief, it is eighty
degrees out there, in real money. I thought this was meant to be September.
 
In article <[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of
"Geoff Bowles" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Most cyclists cycle for fun, so what are the best bits? Let's have some happy winter memories or
> expectations

Hmmm ... I think it was '88 - my last year in Bath - I went most Sundays on the CTC rides. Every
week we enjoyed fine weather, and had a cafe or pub lunch outside. Every week we thought could be
the last we'd do that. But right up to christmas, every Sunday was great!

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)
 
In article <BB8DC3A4.106EF%[email protected]>, Ian wrote:
> Cycling across a frozen river a few years ago, that people were ice skating on, that was a buzz.

Would that have been the Cam, or another one. It certainly did freeze well, until some joyriders
took a car onto it. The ice held, until the heat from the engine melted through it.

Feeling safer, playing around on the grasslands upstream that had shallow flooded, then frozen
solid. With grass below a couple of inches of ice, no fear of falling through.

- Richard (looking forward to recumbent trike and ice, but wondering if slicks may be a bad move
over winter, or I'll have to invest in some cheap nobbly BMX tyres.)

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Roos Eisma wrote:
>
> Commuting from Longforgan to Dundee last winter, after I had just moved to Scotland, starting off
> in the dark, cycling towards the Tay, seeing the sunrise at Kingoodie when the tide is out and
> there are lots of little rims of water reflecting pink, crisp winter air. And a bit later: the
> geese who stopped by on their way North.

I keep thinking to myself I really ought to take a camera at that one time of year where my journey
passes over a certain scenic part as the sun rises.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.
 
Richard Corfield wrote:
> - Richard (looking forward to recumbent trike and ice, but wondering if slicks may be a bad move
> over winter, or I'll have to invest in some cheap nobbly BMX tyres.)

Get some old tires and put drawing pins through from the inside.
:)
--
Mark
 
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