This last week of unseasonably temperatures sure gets me a case of spring fever, but we are not yet to Valentine's Day and cold temperatures will be here again in Michigan. It is tricky to find the right combination for your core and once you find that are you set? I thought so, but I found that after an hour my hands and feet would be uncomfortable. This makes sense and I remember many hikes during Boy Scouts that my feet and hands would be cold on the hike. My first remedy was to use what I had already around the house. For my gloves I used the gloves that I used for snowboarding, cross country skiing, or snowshoeing. The wind against the hands on the bars may be a little too exposed to the wind. I could use an examination gloves or food service glove as a wind barrier. These items may not be the most flexible digits to work any levers. My go to winter street ride bike was my single speed cruiser. Your bike shop or online will provide a variety of options for your hands that provide greater dexterity. Test rides will give you guidance for what you are looking for to best meet your needs. On my feet I used my insulated boots. These were plenty warm and worked well when there was snow on the ground. The wool socks were perfect too. I changed my pedals to the flat style. What type of riding would you like to do in the winter? Will you be out on roads, trails, paved or dirt? Will you enjoy it? Will you do enough to justify the costs? Will the temperatures need me to cover exposed skin? What organized rides are available? Do I want to take a break from cycling and enjoy a winter sport?
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Last spring I purchased a Garmin Instinct Watch. This is not the top of the line, but I was mainly looking for a heart monitor and something that would sync with my Strava and may work with other apps that I may add later. I also saw that the watch had application that I may use once I become more familiar. This segment will focus on the heart monitor. My heart rate is constantly monitored. I have the app on my phone and this gives me a report. While I ride I just look at my watch to see the current heart rate. I really never had any sense of my heart rate during the day. When I went up stairs, walked too fast, pedaled up a long or steep hill I knew my heart rate was high. In those situations I would know that I needed to stop or slow down to lower my pulse. Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Basically resting Recovery Tempo Lactate threshold Anarobic The watch determines the heart rate zones shown at the bottom, which are based on the personal info put into the program. This is the report from my outside ride yesterday. When I saw the report for the first time I realized that I was pedaling too hard for too long. No wonder I was exhausted after some rides. During my rides I will now glance at my display to see how I should adjust by effort. This has helped to manage my energy on long rides and to keep from dipping into the highest zone which can quickly put you out of wack for later in your ride. Do you ever remember saying, " I went out too fast." This information can help me plan my next work out. For example, today I might take it a little easier since it is early in the season. In a few months I might say that I want several sessions at this level to simulate a multi-day tour where I would be expending more energy through a longer period . Right now I am maintaining my base while I wait to go outside daily. Here is a session on my trainers. I find it easier to maintain a steady heart rate. In this moderate zone I can really go all day. At that pace the cycling feels effortless. Most days inside at this time of the year I try to go slow and steady.
Do you monitor your effort on rides? How do you adjust? You may not. I did not worry about it when I was younger. I pay more attention now at my age. I am sure that riders in race training mode are more sophisticated in their training. I am just out for the fun, but I want to be able to ride my week long tour planned for this summer. In the fall of 2016 I was planning a fall tour and decided to pick up a nano puff jacket for the colder temperatures. I looked at REI and there was a sale. Bingo! I was not keen on the sky blue color, but the good price won me over. I have grown to like the jacket because I have received many compliments. The photo below is from the catalog. The light blue color covers the dirt of eight years of wear. I keep this jacket protected so it stays dry and deep in the pack. This will be the jacket to wear after the ride around the campsite and in the cool of the morning before I start off on a ride. It packs down into the pocket and it is easy to stick in my day bag to get out during a lunch stop. When I wear the jacket without an outer shell, I do find it effective at stopping the wind. I usually will also wear a shell when out of the tent. I do this to keep the blue fabric clean. The spec mention that it is warm and I agree with this. I have worn it comfortably into the teens. I do not mind that it does not have a hood. I will wear my fleece neck gaiter and this effectively keep my neck warm. My shell has a hood and that adds protection. I like to take this jacket in my luggage for out trips to the Colorado mountain. The small packable size make it easy to fit in the luggage. When I travel I like to be sure I am able to handle cold, windy, damp conditions. There are no regrets in getting this jacket.
I cannot remember when I exactly started using Strava to record rides. I used the free app until 2023 when I paid for the subscription and I am glad that I did. Sometimes I will go back and look at previous rides. I can see photos and how well the ride went. Down below are the results from my last outside ride and you can see the times for one of the segments. I am usually looking for my consistency. This year was good for several reasons. I did not get injured and my health is steady. I completed a fun tour along the Erie Canal. I went on some routes that were new and enjoyed my favorite trails. I did many other activities besides exercise. I took many wonderful photos of beautiful surroundings. I shared my experiences with others. I raised some charity funds during some rides. I am so glad that I am exciting about continuing to ride my bike and walk.
I had a chance to get a long ride outside.A walk on Christmas Day was very nice, but the next day I was able to go out for more than two hours. This was my third ride in December. The temperatures have been well above freezing during the day and the pavement is clear of slippery spots. There was one cyclist on the the section I rode, but I did see several walkers, and dog walkers. I am always surprised that I do not see more out on these nice days. For most of this ride I stayed in the easiest gear. When I push beyond that level my heart rate goes too high. At this pace I only stopped to take some sips of water. Remember to take your water when you ride in the winter to stay hydrated. I drink a good glass of water before I head out the door and have another when I get home. I usually will only take eight ounces on the ride. I hit the level of effort that I was targeting and that feels good. When I push too hard during a session, I want to nap when I get home. I was happy to see this accomplishment. I only record the outside rides, but I do not record every ride. The thousand rides occurred over a ten year period. Look for an upcoming blog posting about my Road Id experience. Having 50 degree temperatures was a treat during the Christmas week. Now it is back down into the 40s and that is out of my riding comfort level. My bike is ready in the garage to go out on the next warm day. Getting the fresh air during the ride is so uplifting. Thanks for enjoying my ride also.
This year I decided to keep my Trek 1000 bike in my garage while I stored the rest of my bikes in a 10 foot by 10 foot storage garage. I felt that this bike could handle the winter moisture in the auto garage during the winter since it is an aluminum frame. It easily fits on the hooks that used to hold a bike that we sold. Several times I have been able to go out and ride outside since Thanksgiving. The days are so short and at this time they are getting still shorter each day. Sunset today is at 5:03 pm. On some of the good days I did not have much time to go out and ride more than 30 minutes before it was getting to dark to be safe. This bike does not have any light set up yet. I am lucky that I have a 1 K and 1 Mile loop that I can quickly get to from home. This provides a nice option to do a ride. There is enough elevation change to get my heart rate to change to give me a cardio workout. During my ride I will monitor my heart rate to not do too much threshold level. I was not trying to beat the sunset. I could be out on the ride for two hours! I have loved riding this bike. I am the original owner. The profile is a little challenging for me at my age. The drops on my tour bike gives me a more comfortable ride. The half hour rides now can work for me without stopping. Today with the two hours in the saddle, I needed a couple of breaks. These breaks help to get my heart rate down too. I did not see any activity around the nest. I was relieved. I saw several other cyclists on the trail. I am so glad that my schedule worked out for me to have a good ride. I will keep you posted on future outside rides and you know that I will be inside riding when I cannot go outside.
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AuthorI love my riding days and look to find interesting and informative items to share. Archives
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