Old man winter is upon us!

Since my last post I have been enjoying riding in 50-ish degree weather with the occasional dip into the high 40s with a bit of wind. Nothing that some arm & knee warmers, along with a good wind vest/jacket and some embro for the exposed legs couldn’t handle.
That was until this weekend when the temps dropped and the high of the day was about 39 degrees, although the rides started much closer to the 35 degree range. This mean full leg warmers, long sleeve jersey, warm jacket, toe covers, gloves and skull cap.
Saturday I managed about 20 miles with a midway stop for some hot coffee. I actually rode to a nearby park which has some open fields and single track in the woods to practice some ‘crossing skills. It was a bright sunny day out so it really didn’t feel all that cold out when you were in the sun.
Sunday, however, was a different story. The temps were about the same but the sun was hiding and it really felt brutal cold out there. After about 13 miles my toes were protesting, the light insulation of the toe covers just were not cutting it sans the sun. I called it quits earlier than anticipated but it was still a good ride exploring some new roads and climbs. This the highlights my need for some proper insulated shoe covers as well as insulated gloves. I have windstopper long finger gloves with a light insulation but while my digits weren’t suffering like my toes they could of been warmer.
Today we are supposed to be back into the 40-50 degree weather but it’s raining cats and dogs outside. Monday is usually my rest day anyway so no great loss. Unfortunately the temps wont stay that high for long as tomorrow the “real-feel” temp will be in the teens. When it’s that cold I’ll pass on the outdoor rides and will be hitting the trainer instead. I have a DVD of a century ride in CO which is fun to ride to, but I really can’t wait until I can use Zwift!