Brisk November Ride

[Deacon Patrick]

We got an inch of snow last night and a brisk 4˚F at 7am, so I bundled up and headed out, hopeful of making it to the top of Lovell Gulch or perhaps Rampart Reservoir. Alas, the slick snowpack left me pondering my own mortality on the hood of a diesel truck just learning how to drive in the snow (either being from somewhere else or having forgotten in the last 6 months). So I wimped out and turned around.

All clothing systems worked beautifully except for footwear. I have yet to sort out what to wear that handles uber cold to wet and sloppy AND is minimalist. But I am home now, and can feel my toes again. They are still pink and still wiggle, so I wasn’t too stupid. Grin.

Photos show what felt like a quintessential November day in Colorado hills. (There’s 12 all told, use the left arrow to see them all.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32311885@N07/15146894563/in/photostream/

With abandon,

Patrick

www.MindYourHeadCoop.org

www.OurHolyConception.org

[Jon in the foothills of Central Colorado]

I t wasn't quite as cold here.It was a balmy 9' at our house.I was wondering if you'd go out.

I bought a pair of these I took them on a hike at 15' and my feet were  fine. Haven't tried them on the bike yet.

Something to try:

http://foxwear.net/store/hats-socks/power-stretch-socks/

[Deacon Patrick]

Thanks, Jon. I wore boiled wool socks, and won't do synthetic. The issue was the winds on the descent. 30+ mph. And my over shoes, which are thin leather running minimalist shoes with holes for breathability. The answer is mukluks, which I tried last year, but they rotted out within a month due to the freeze/thaw cycle. I have a moccasins system that works, but not as well as the mukluks, though the moccasins don't rot out. Lots more to tell about what doesn't work and why. But still in search of mukluks that don't rot out (they are designed to be highly breathable, but do not handle temps above 20˚F well, and are ideal for 0 or less.

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Philip Williamson]

Can you keep the mukluks in the freezer?
Like in a 'footwear drawer?'

Philip
www.biketinker.com

[Deacon Patrick]

Ha! To freeze dry them, I presume? Even using the outside deep freezer, I can just imagine the condescending look of disgust and vile judgement on my wife's face. Grin.

My current plan is to try a vapor barrier (plastic baggie) next to my foot with the same set up I used today and see where that gets me. 

With abandon,

Patrick

[cyclotourist]

I too risked the wet and the cold today. Went out for lunch with my S.O., riding Quickbeam and Glorius respectively. Burgers and fries at the Tartan (45th anniversary year for them), followed by a matinee showing of Fury (two thumbs up, although not a perfect film), then rush to pick up the kids at school for the ride home. 

Only pic from all that:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/15149969103/

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Cheers,
David

Member, Supreme Council of Cyberspace

"it isn't a contest. Just enjoy the ride." - Seth Vidal

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

I know all is well in the world when Deacon P is riding the Mammoth in the snow. 

--Smitty

[Deacon Patrick]

Smitty, Thanks! I can't help but wonder, however, how you reassure yourself all is right with the world the other 6 months? Grin.

David, date afternoon in the rain sounds wonderful! And your wife's Glorious is ... glorious!

With abandon,

Patrick

[cyclotourist]

I was joshin' about the rain and the cold. 72F and never going to rain again.

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[Deacon Patrick]

Ahhh. I forgot you live in the desert edition of Narnia. How's the Sandy Witch? Does she turn anyone opposing her into snow sculptures? Sardonic grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Jim Bronson]

do you have more pics of your wife's Glorius?

Keep the metal side up and the rubber side down!

[cyclotourist]

Well seeing as you asked... https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/sets/72157604628485425 

[Andy Schmidt]

The other 6 months I don't worry about the world. I just enjoy shirt sleeves and blue skies. 

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[Deacon Patrick]

My daughters loved their baskets like your wife has, David. Encourage your wife to use a different system for carrying things upfront if she gets the urge to go bikepacking. My lassies had to give up their baskets for bird nests. 

With abandon,

Patrick

[cyclotourist]

She loves her basket! It's a Peterboro, and really nice. I'm not a huge fan of the attachment system, and toy with the idea of changing it around some. Really needs to be attached to a rack and not just dangling:

https://flic.kr/p/9WNHiH

https://flic.kr/p/9xUVNo

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[cyclotourist]

Ahhh, here's what I really wanted to find: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7516215@N03/sets/72157626542404830 

If you scroll down you'll see Anton's very clever basket attachment.

I've wanted to pull this off for a while, but haven't quite got around to it...

[George Schick]

Patrick - I recall trying something like a bag between by sock and my shoe some 40 years ago thinking it would isolate the wind and cold from the skin.  Your test might wind up differently, but in my case I wound up freezing my feet worse than if I'd had on just plain socks; the plastic keeps the sweat from evaporating and it builds up inside the sock after which the the wind cools it down even more quickly than without.  Having worked in an outdoor service type of job for a while after that I learned that the only effective way I could keep my feet warm was to wear regular socks and work boots and then a rubber overboot on top of everything.  So nowadays when I ride in Winter I just wear socks and running shoes and then these over the shoes:  http://www.gemplers.com/product/G31100/Servus-PVC-Overboots?icid=Recent_Prod_1

They're wide and sort of clumsy and you can forget about using anything but platform pedals w/o clips or straps, but they work like a champ.

[true]

Deacon Patrick,

 

I enjoy your posts and pics and continue to be inspired by your minimalist life style, hopefully enough to minimalize more myself.

 

Paul in Dallas (only about 32 degrees here this morning.

 

===========

 

 

 

 

Deacon Patrick <lamon...@mac.com>: Nov 11

[Deacon Patrick]

Och! It's -6˚F this morning and my brain's too buggered to head out (the threshold for venturing out in extremes is higher than when it's warmer). Feel free to ask me any questions on the how or why with floor living or shoes, or other nutty things I do, Paul (off list is best).

With abandon,

Patrick

On Wednesday, November 12, 2014 8:26:40 AM UTC-7, truegolden wrote:



[Tony DeFilippo]

Patrick,

Great photo's, love that head tube on the Hunq.  I'm bracing for the cold but nothing like what you deal w/ on a regular basis.  Keep sharing these great photo's and stories!

Tony

[ascpgh]

Some of that traffic you met may be there for elk season. 

A friend sent me a shot of the snow front coming over the divide at sunset with the Papoose burn and Trout Mountain in the background the other afternoon. They are at Spar City, Mineral County,west of Creede, on foot in the Weminuche Wilderness area, hiking and scouting ahead of the season. Content related because in the primordial days of bikes ridden off roads, we used to ride in there (on the lunar surface created by pack animals' 6-8" deep hoof craters) to fly fish and camp at the encouragement of managers. We would be treated quite harshly for such a deviant incursion now. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Deacon Patrick]

Tony, it's all about the clothing and breathing through your nose, never your mouth (sinuses do a wonderful job warming/humidifying frigid air.)

Andy, spot on. Hunting is common north of the reservoir I was heading for. It won't be long before we get a near constant line of cars hunting Christmas trees. I won't be riding up there then. Sardonic grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[lungimsam]

 

My problem in winter riding is:

Thighs and knees seem to complain after 30-50 miles. I don't know what to use for windstopping so the old legs will stay protected and warm.

Thinking of windstopper tights, but I feel there must be a cheaper home-made, reliable remedy for this besides 75$-and-up cycling gear.

Maybe thicker wool long johns.

The gray/blue MUSA long pants would be great if they had some windstopping stuff on the front, but then they would probably be over 100$ then.

[Deacon Patrick]

I wear Rivendell's not-tights under ventile gators with MUSA knickers or ventile knickers. I'll wear wool calf warmers also as needed, plus socks that come up half way on my calves. I find the nylon MUSA knickers block the wind fairly well (not like the ventile though).

In my experience, the biggest trick to warmth in extremes is keeping the head warm and the core warm. Achieve that and the blood going to your extremities is going to be very warming at an aerobic effort. Then, the layers you need legs and feet, arms and hands is less than when standing still. This also contributes to keeping sweat down, critical for when I stop. Then it's a simple matter of thickness of the wool underlayer and whether or not a windproof lay is needed on top. Then the trick is to have an insulate layer to put on when you do stop. Down is my choice.

For example, climbing at these temps I try not to wear windproof layers (except on my legs, as I don't take my knickers on and off). Windshells when climbing are too warm and I sweat too much, in general. If I don't have steam evaporating from all around my body as I climb, something is wrong with how I'm dressed. Boiled wool is your friend. I ride in boiled wool mittens and socks. I then add a shell over the mittens for descents.

With abandon,

Patrick  

[Mark Reimer]

Regarding footwear, I know most are not a fan of clipless shoes, but I would suggest at least looking at a pair of 45NTH Wolvhammer boots. They have 100% changed winter cycling for me. I went on a 12 hour ride last year in February, -25C, and never had cold toes. Not even cool toes. They have a proper Vibram sole and are quite comfortable to walk around in, so I'm sure they could be used with flat pedals as well. They are, in my opinion, the only option for longer distance winter riding. Plus they are very light weight!

[Deacon Patrick]

Thank's Mark. Those look great, except for my desire to not use synthetics as well as I will never grasp why people doing things outdoors need to wear high heals. Is everyone trying to attract the deer, elk, and bears? Sardonic grin.

With abandon,

Patrick