As I said a couple of weeks ago, I have gotten back into the groove of riding most days. While I enjoy the ride, some conditions make it easier to enjoy than others. Cold is fine. Cold and Sunny is great. Cold and windy, not so much. Cold and rainy is manageable, but this whole cold and snowy thing? that is a completely different flavor.
I live in the south, you know 'Hotlanta' and all that. There is only one problem. It is not Hot. It isn't even warm. Yesterday, the commute was 24 degrees, winds gusting over 30 mph, overcast, with snow flurries blowing around. Oh and then there is me being a dumbass and rocking the underarmour cold gear pants with draggin jeans a turtle neck and sweater under the armored jacket. I didn't even think about picking up the over pants or balaclava. You can bet I was thinking about that bad choice by the time I got to the office.
It is pretty rare for me to really grumble about the weather, it is what it is, but last Saturday and Sunday it was like spring, with temps in the mid 60's. I spent both days out in the yard, trimming trees and bushes, throwing a Nerf football with the kids and getting the pool prepped for spring. To have snow flurries blowing in your face a couple of days later is just cruel.
It also raises an important issue though. Riding when cold and undergeared is dangerous. It introduces an additional distraction, and diminished control. The cold induces shivering and as the body temperature goes down, so do reaction times. So while I made a bad decision in the morning, I made sure that on the way home I added the appropriate layers. In this instance, I put on my winter rain gear as an additional layer (I carry rain gear all the time on the bike). While it was not an ideal solution, it reduced the impact of the wind and the snow flurries upon the body temperature to a point where the rest of the gear could maintain the body heat.
But, yeah, I will honestly say that I will be glad to see these sub-30 degree days retreat into a memory for a few months.
On a technical / site note, my old comment provider has shut it's doors. I have moved the comments on the site to a new provider, but I am not sure how the import of the old comments into the new provider is going to work out. If you don't see any comments on older posts that is why. I am working to restore them ASAP.