TGIF Friday commute

Amazing what few degrees makes.  This morning I commuted to work left the same time 6:45, as yesterday. It was 44° when I left, compared to 27 yesterday. This is what I wore today which kept plenty warm......capris, long socks, wool base layer with a short sleeve jersey over it. Arm warmers, a beanie cap under my helmet, one pair of gloves, and no shoe covers! It was great, really makes me itch for spring :-) Loving this weather.

What a difference a few hours make on temps

I had a nice commute to work today, and an even better commute home! When I rolled out of my driveway this morning it was about 27° in Littleton.  I was comfortable with the exception of my hands which is not atypical for me. It was a totally different story in the 50 degree temps on my way home!! I was able to shed most of my gear and wear a short sleeve jersey (our commuter jersey of course), arm warmers, lined tights which I could've easily done without, one pair of gloves and no headband, it was beautiful this afternoon :-). 

I am going to try experimenting with putting small handwarmers inside the bar mitts on my next cold morning commute and see if that helps. Two pairs of gloves today really did not keep the hands warm. I am wondering if my base layer glove is too tight, cutting off the circulation a bit and  causing more numbness and tingling than normal? If you remember I have Raynauds so it can be a bit uncomfortable. Any suggestions on a good thin base layer glove that has worked for others? 

Happy commuting ! 

Carrie 

1st Commuter of 2016

Last night after Megan's Wednesday class the thought of packing up and riding to work in the cold was exhausting. Oh the sun shining this morning was saying "Hey gal, get that breakfast in and hit the pavement!" If drivers could have seen my face, I was grinning ear to ear. It's a short ride in (7.7) but reminds me how nice it is to clear the brain ahead of the fickleness associated with daily life.
Notice the PINK gloves? Ladies gotta' match.

Quick Grocery store stop :)

I underestimate how great it is to keep work clothes and shoes on, jump on the bike and throw a helmet on.  Down to the  grocery store I go for some quick groceries. Such a fun thing to do, and so much more enjoyable than riding 1.5 miles in my car!  Happy Friday! 

Great day to bike to work !!!

Layering so as not to arrive all sweaty was key. Jeans ...light sweater ...a down vest and scarf did the trick ! 

Gorgeous views. And my dog loves the commute too. 

At the office ready to kick off this day !! 

First commute to work in 2016 :)

Well, I started my morning at 420 as usual. ARan with my pup, had breakfast and got the bike ready and all my winter gear. I was excited to try my new bar mitts, and they did not dissapoint!  Let me tell you they are a game changer. I have Raynauds syndrome and my fingers are always cold and painful when riding in the winter. But these little guys really make a difference.  

My commute to work was uneventful. I was careful to watch for ice patches and was suprisingly warm. My gear included full shoe covers, bar mitts , gloves, lined tights, a wool base layer with a vest and a cycling jacket with a headband and of course my helmet with a bike light.  I got there quiet bit early, so I biked to the grocery store then went to work.  

My commute home on the other hand was very slow,....holy head wind!  I learned a very valuable lesson....sometimes it is just safer for me to jump on the sidewalk when the wind is so strong I am having a hard time controlling my bike. Especially when there is no bike lane available. I have to say I made it home safely and had a great time commuting today.  Oh, and of course the best part, I didn't have to sit in traffic :-)

I May Be A Bit Dramatic

I never quite realized how much freedom my bike gave me until I had it taken away. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. I’ll set the scene for you and let you decide whether or not I’m being overly dramatic.

 I'm lucky. My grandparents have a vacation home in Naples, Florida. It’s a big house in a gated community. Picture your typical sitcom where all the houses are pristine, well decorated and have perfectly manicured lawns. The HOA fees must be astronomical because behind the closed gates are miles upon miles of trails, golf courses, a river with kayaks and canoes at your constant disposal and paddle boards too. In my opinion, the best part about this cloistered community is the private island. Yea, that’s right, they have an island. And, yes the community has a boat that takes you to and from the island every half hour.

 Since 1992 I have had a bike that I could ride around the community and gawk at the fancy houses, and the fancy cars and the fancy ladies wearing fancy jewelry driving the fancy cars. I also rode my bike to the boat dock where I could depart for what we have aptly named Gilligan’s Island. I love the little island. I was married on the island. I think of it as my island even though its shared by thousands of residents. 

 Now, getting to the point. I was down in Florida for Thanksgiving and I avidly rode my bike everywhere. I rode around the community, to the grocery store, to the gym and to the boat dock. I left for only 1 month and came back for Christmas.  Now, you may have noticed that I am writing this in the past tense. That’s because when I returned for Christmas I learned that my grandpa had “donated” all 3 of our bikes.  And no, this was not a Christmas surprise where he  replaced the “donated” bikes with new bikes. He wanted more room in the garage for his new Cadillac. Needless to say, I  was not happy. Asking  to take the car whenever I wanted to go anywhere brought back old struggles from high school  that I was not willing to resurface. With no bike I was trapped.  The community I once loved had become a prison. A white collared crime kinda prison, but still a prison.

Their house is 2 miles from the nearest gated entrance, so when my grandma asked me to run up to the grocery store to pick up some milk – I ran. It’s hard to run with a gallon of milk. Shortly thereafter we set out to buy 2 new bikes. And when I say we, I mean my entire family, all 6 of us, piled into the new Cadillac in search of new bikes. 

After a bit of shopping, I learned that pawn shops are not the ideal place to purchase bicycles or anything else for that matter. But, Craigslist had a great selection of beach cruisers.  So, in the end we’re upgrading our circa 1992 hybrid bikes with some pretty cool new beach cruisers which are perfect for trips to the grocery store or facilitating your escape plans.

If you ride a bike ...

This is a great read !! 

http://www.voicewritings.com/if-you-ride-a-bike/

Excited about our new kask helmets!

The ladies will be styling this year in white kask helmets. Lightweight and fancy these helmets rock ! 

Bill models one at our team launch at Treads ;) 

I Should Have...

I should've ridden my bike to the grocery store yesterday. Shoula, coulda, woulda... 

All I needed was a damned onion. One single, solitary, stupid onion. I THOUGHT about riding my bike. But then I thought about all the steps I had to go through to do that: check tire pressure, air up tires, make sure I have my lock, put on my helmet and gloves, figure out appropriate clothes since it's not currently summer, find it all, and put it on... 

So I got in my car. My neighbor had parked in her spot behind me, so I had to do some crazy maneuvers to get out of my driveway. I had to wait for pedestrians to cross the street. The grocery store is only a few blocks, but I managed to catch EVERY red light.... 

It took me just as long to drive as it would have to ride my bike, and all I got for my efforts was frustrated. And, of course, when I got back home, I realized I'd misread the recipe and didn't need the stupid onion after all. 

I should've ridden my bike.

Too Cold

I had all the gear ready and mind set to commute to work while Inlighten Studios was closed over the Holiday's to do some remodeling. The remodeling went great but the idea of commuting was quickly abandoned as the ice and snow packed roads proved useless.
Hope others were able to get out and about on those nice Fat Tire bikes I've seen! On a good note, I did get in a New Year Threshold test at Defined Fitness Training. If you're planning on racing this season and missed the 1st test, another one is planned for 1/27; it's a great starting point for the training needed to have a great season.