Keeping warm and dry in the cold and wet
Fay
the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up. It's even
harder to find something reasonably rain proof which doesn't make me
wetter than rain because of sweating inside it.
I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
clothes. I'm sure my grandmother, who cycled most days into her 70s
with a wicker shopping basket on her ancient bicycle, knew answers to
this problem. I'm sure that with today's modern materials there are
even better answers to this problem than she knew. But going into
bicycle shops staffed by muscular teenagers wearing cycling tights I
don't seem to heading in the right direction to find an answer :-)
Fay
wafflycat
"Fay" <fay4...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1136393044....@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
> is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
> but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up. It's even
> harder to find something reasonably rain proof which doesn't make me
> wetter than rain because of sweating inside it.
>
Hello from another middle-aged woman who cycles :)
> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> clothes. I'm sure my grandmother, who cycled most days into her 70s
> with a wicker shopping basket on her ancient bicycle, knew answers to
> this problem. I'm sure that with today's modern materials there are
> even better answers to this problem than she knew. But going into
> bicycle shops staffed by muscular teenagers wearing cycling tights I
> don't seem to heading in the right direction to find an answer :-)
>
> Fay
When cycling I wear RonHill Bikesters (I wear a pair of padded Lycra cycle
shorts under the Bikesters).
See
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/ronhill%20bikesters%2006%20new.jpg
I wear the all-black ones. I don't mind the thin reflective stripe on the
back, but if you really didn't want it there, it would be easy to remove. I
know Wiggle calls them tights, but they are actually looser than thights -
more like a sort of loose ski-pant with a higher back then normal to stop
your back getting cold when cycling.
The answer to colder weather is layering. Several thin layers are useful as
you can shed or put on layers as necessary.
Cheers, helen s
David Martin
Fay wrote:
> My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
> is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
> but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up.
How far are you riding and on what sort of terrain? I ride to work
about 1.5 miles and don't bother with anything special. During the
winter I wear a fleece and a raincoat (cycle specific cut but an
ordinary one does fine) when the weather demands. If it doesn't demant
I put it in the pannier bag. In summer I dispense with the fleece and
usually the raincoat as well.
This is the typical layering problem. You have two options:
1. cycle slowly so you never get too warm. Not really an appropriate
option in anything other than very flat lands.
2. Take a jumper/cardigan that you can take off when riding and put
back on when you stop.
> It's even
> harder to find something reasonably rain proof which doesn't make me
> wetter than rain because of sweating inside it.
A modern fleece with the appropriate cover/lining will provide
showerproof cycling wear. There is no option but getting wet from
exercise in a downpour except to wear waterproofs and slow down.
> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> clothes.
Cycling or running tights will provide appropriate warmth in the winter
and can be disguised easily with a skirt or baggy shorts/trousers as
appropriate.
> I'm sure my grandmother, who cycled most days into her 70s
> with a wicker shopping basket on her ancient bicycle, knew answers to
> this problem.
She probably cycled at a 'ladylike' pace and carried a spare pullover
in the basket.
> I'm sure that with today's modern materials there are
> even better answers to this problem than she knew. But going into
> bicycle shops staffed by muscular teenagers wearing cycling tights I
> don't seem to heading in the right direction to find an answer :-)
Find clothes that are comfortable. Avoid cotton. Be prepared to be cold
as you start off and warm up underway. Take clothes off and put them on
as appropriate.
Sorrry I can't give you any specifics. It depends on how far you are
riding, for how long, how prepared you are to change clothes, what sort
of things you are happy to wear to go shopping and so on.
..d
Clive George
As a female lady-type person, I'd say you have a distinct advantage over the
other half of the population, in that black tights are acceptable dress (not
that it stops me anyway - I'll happily go shopping in full lycra). Winter
cycling tights - ones with a slightly fleecy feel - are jolly good in both
cold and wet. Then a skirt over the top takes care of the looks.
Top is harder though - I've never really solved the sweat vs rain problem,
although my rather expensive goretex XCR jacket with pit zips is getting
closest. I wear a wicking t-shirt type thing underneath, and try to warm up
by pedalling.
The traditional granny solution of a big thick coat and pedalling slowly
enough that sweat isn't an issue wouldn't work for me.
cheers,
clive
Andy Leighton
> My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
> is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
> but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up.
[snip]
> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> clothes.
Well wool is pretty good - so I usually wear a woolly jumper in the
cold weather. Another thing to look at is a windproof/showerproof layer
- which can be a fleece or something like the Montane Featherlite.
If things have zips you can unzip them as you begin to heat up.
It all depends on how cold you feel - there is a big difference between
comfort levels from individual to individual.
--
Andy Leighton => an...@azaal.plus.com
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_
Peter B
> the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
> is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
> but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up. It's even
> harder to find something reasonably rain proof which doesn't make me
> wetter than rain because of sweating inside it.
I think that you have to accept being cold on some points of a winter bike
ride if you want to avoid getting too hot <1>.
Based on my own experience when I first go outside I'll feel cool but as
soon as I start cycling I'll feel cold until my body generates heat from
work due to wind chill.
If I then cycle slowly up a hill I'll get very warm but feel colder
descending the other side fast.
Maybe Grandmother was just more accepting of being cold and didn't expect
the ambient temp to be a constant 22c which we now come to expect ;-)
On a longish ride it's not a problem to use the layering technique: Base
layer to wick perspiration, mid layer for warmth and shell to keep out wind
and/or rain but this isn't cheap and may not be practical for a short
commute, I'll leave the commuters on the group to provide tried & tested
solutions.
<1> When winter mtbing we might drive in a snug car to somewhere remote
then have to get out into the cold and sort out bikes and stuff, the
temptation is to over-dress which results in a mass strip half way up the
first climb :-)
--
Pete
http://uk.geocities.com/pet...@btinternet.com/Stuff
Cheryl
<cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
>I'll happily go shopping in full lycra
Quote of the year and it's only the 4th of Jan. :)
C.
Chris
You're not the only one to feel nervous in some cycle shops!
There's a teensy weensy flaw in your logic that I can see. Cycling
to/from work in the winter (which is a Good Thing!) will inevitably mean
cycling in dark/dim/foggy/wet conditions, not to mention busy roads.
Under those conditions you don't want to wear "normal" clothes - at
least on the outer layer - you want something that shouts "I AM A
CYCLIST, KEEP OUT OF MY WAY". Something bright, Hi Vis, and reflective
will do it. You can get gillets that are so thin they're hardly there so
will go over everyday clothes, and will shine up like a bugger in car
headlights.
I'm assuming we not talking any great distance here. Anything more than
5 miles or so, and I would think you'll want to use separate clothes.
Modern fabrics have come a long way since your Grandmothers time - the
trousers that Helen mentions will go from sodden to dry in about half an
hour on a warm radiator, and are warm enough even for sub-zero conditions.
I'll give way now to others here who know much more than I do about this
stuff :)
Good Luck
--
Chris
wafflycat
"Clive George" <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:43bc0008$0$82665$ed26...@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...
> I'll happily go shopping in full lycra
I do go shopping in full Lycra....
Cheers, helen s
John Hearns
> My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet.
Wear a scarf. Seriously - it keeps cold draughts going down the neck,
and keeps the carotid arteries warm.
Even better, get a fleece neckwarmer. I have one from Decathlon which
turns into a bobble hat using a drawstring. Costs a few pounds.
Sorry - I can't suggest a jacket which doesn't say 'cyclist'.
Try maybe Marks and Sparks, or the Hawkshead web page.
For cycling clothes and jackets, I like the Parrot range of clothes.
John Hearns
>
> I wear the all-black ones. I don't mind the thin reflective stripe on the
> back, but if you really didn't want it there, it would be easy to remove.
> I know Wiggle calls them tights, but they are actually looser than thights
> - more like a sort of loose ski-pant with a higher back then normal to
> stop your back getting cold when cycling.
Seconding what Wafflycat says, if you don't want to look like a cyclist
think 'skiing'.
Must be plenty of ski stuff at Marks and Spencers.
In Tchibo I got a microfibre ski jacket before Christmas for £20.
Everyone who saw it commented how good it looked.
Going with what others have said - wear a reflective Sam Browne style belt
if you go for dark ski clothes.
Also for jackets think windproof more than waterproof. A 'showerproof' ski
jacket would be just fine for cycling.
dkahn400
> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> clothes.
Unfortunately cycling-specific is best, particularly for your jacket.
This is both for the cut and for visibility. A cycling jacket will be
cut longer in the back and the sleeves to make sure your lower back and
wrists remain covered. The pockets will be positioned so things in them
won't get in your way as you reach forward for the handlebars. It will
also have reflective strips built into it that will help you to be seen
at night. These can be quite discreet so it doesn't have to shout
"cyclist". There are styles that are quite wearable off the bike.
I understand the problem with being intimidated by the lads in the bike
shop, so why not have a look on-line? Go to <http://www.wiggle.co.uk/>
and then pick "Waterproofs - Cycle Jackets" from the bar on the left.
Then have a look, for example, at the Altura Womens Nevis Jacket. Both
the blue and grey versions could pass for ordinary leisure jackets in
spite of the relective piping and zipped rear pocket. It's a well
respected make and currently at a very good price.
Underneath you should wear wicking layers. Avoid cotton. Polyester is
good.
But then I'm just a bloke so I really have no clue what you'd feel
happy wearing.
--
Dave...
dkahn400
> Fay wrote:
> > My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> > the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> > middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> > I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races.
Fay, you don't have to be an athlete to be fit for life. That's exactly
the kind of fitness that utility and leisure cycling will give you.
> > I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> > which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> > clothes.
>
> Cycling or running tights will provide appropriate warmth in the winter
> and can be disguised easily with a skirt or baggy shorts/trousers as
> appropriate.
How about a skort over plain Roubaix tights? For example there's an
Endura one at Evans
<http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=20281> or this Sugoi one
from Team Estrogen in the States
<http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=12096>. Again I have no
idea whether that's something Fay could wear but it would work very
well on the bike but not look too bike specific off it.
Wow, I'm really going out on a blokey limb today. :-)
--
Dave...
Tosspot
<snip>
> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> clothes.
<snip>
Buffalo jackets used to work well. Theres probably more modern, better
stuff about these days. http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/dpthumbs.htm
Danny Colyer
> As a female lady-type person, I'd say you have a distinct advantage over the
> other half of the population, in that black tights are acceptable dress (not
> that it stops me anyway - I'll happily go shopping in full lycra).
But would you go shopping in full *red* Lycra? I have, on occasion :-)
I wonder if Helen goes shopping in full celeste Lycra.
> Then a skirt over the top takes care of the looks.
I must say I'm a little surprised by this confession.
Anyway, Fay, John recommended Parrot but I didn't see a link. I will
second that recommendation and provide a link:
<URL:http://www.daleswear.co.uk/>
You will find that it is currently of little use, but after following it
you'll be able to phone them up and request a paper catalogue. Whatever
you get, look for woman-specific clothing. I know that Parrot sell some
woman-specific items, but I haven't actually tried them (they probably
wouldn't fit me terribly well). ISTR I bought a Parrot top for my
middle-aged mother a couple of years ago, though.
<URL:http://www.mwdyason.ltd.uk/> is also well worth a look for plain,
VFM clothes that won't make you look like a billboard on wheels.
--
Danny Colyer (my reply address is valid but checked infrequently)
<URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine
wafflycat
"Danny Colyer" <danny_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:43bc3626$0$1469$ed26...@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
>
> I wonder if Helen goes shopping in full celeste Lycra.
>
Akchewalee, I have no Celeste Lycra. An omission in my wardrobe. I do,
however, have a wide spectrum of yellow shades of Lycra. But one always has
a balck bottom, so to speak.
Cheers, helen s
Mike Civil
wafflycat <w*a*ffŁyŁcat*@Łbtco*nnŁect.com> wrote:
> But one always has
>a balck bottom, so to speak.
Um, is this some female type medical complaint?
Mike
wafflycat
"Mike Civil" <mi...@duncodin.org> wrote in message
news:dphgtb$3h5$2...@lucy.duncodin.org...
> In article <dphd2k$mt9$1...@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>,
> wafflycat <w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com> wrote:
>> But one always
>> has
>>a balck bottom, so to speak.
>
> Um, is this some female type medical complaint?
>
> Mike
Aye, affects the fingers when using a keybaord ;-)
Cheers, helen s
Pinky
"wafflycat" <w*a*ffŁyŁcat*@Łbtco*nnŁect.com> wrote in message
news:dph0d7$ja0$1...@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
terribly fashion conscious!
I have spent the last 3 weeks bikeless after mine was stolen and I was
suddenly wearing "normal clothes" instead of being more or less permanently
in my bike gear. Well I prefer the bike gear -- lighter and warm without
being so cloying and confining! I take delivery of my new bike in a weeks
time and then it is back on the road for my daily runs thank goodness.
I must also admit that I found walking on pavements beside busy roads on
which I normally cycle made me feel very exposed and uncomfortable -- I
feel much safer on the road on my velo.
--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
Pinky
"dkahn400" <dkah...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1136397755....@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
The Altura Nevis is a very reasonably priced Waterproof jacket which has
seen me through two winters and two long cycle camping tours. I bought a new
one just before Christmas ( at a discounted price of £38 from Wiggle) which
I shall wear after this winter is over and take on the road when I travel
down the Rhein in April/May this year. It is light enough to travel with and
distinctly wind/waterproof in severe conditions
( I haven't written up my journal for 2005 but my journal for 2004 to Spain
has some photos of me in full "winter warfare kit!
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk -- I encountered some snow on four days in
Northern Spain!)
David Martin
Pinky wrote:
>
> The Altura Nevis is a very reasonably priced Waterproof jacket which has
> seen me through two winters and two long cycle camping tours.
I have one of these. It is a good piece of kit though the front zip
could be a more robust design.
Done me just over a year, and still going strong. Currently worn every
day as I ride to the lab.
> ( I haven't written up my journal for 2005 but my journal for 2004 to Spain
> has some photos of me in full "winter warfare kit!
> www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk -- I encountered some snow on four days in
> Northern Spain!)
I heard about the pilgrimage. It is something I would like to do at
some point.
..d
Nick Kew
It's brought on by envy of bibshorts.
--
not me guv
POHB
Mine has done me fine for 2 years of daily commuting.
Mind you, it isn't as hi-viz as it used to be.
"David Martin" wrote
POHB
Back in the days before central heating and air-conditioned cars there
wasn't the expectation that you'd always be at a comfortable temperature,
you just got on with it. We sent our boys to fight in the trenches in
midwinter in far worse clothing than a lot of folks would now deem
neccessary for a walk down the high street.
The requirement to take a shower the moment you raise a sweat is relatively
new too.
Mammals are pretty well equipped to maintain a constant body temperature and
skin is waterproof.
One of the great things about cycling is that you notice the weather and the
seasons rather than trying to hide from them.
- Pat
P.S. Of course I wear a fancy modern cycling jacket etc. and shower when I
get to work.
"Fay" wrote
James Annan
Clive George wrote:
> Winter
> cycling tights - ones with a slightly fleecy feel - are jolly good in both
> cold and wet. Then a skirt over the top takes care of the looks.
I''ll take your word for it!
James
PS No, I know I didn't have anything useful to add, but just wanted to
play with a bit of context-altering snipping...:-)
wafflycat
"Nick Kew" <ni...@asgard.webthing.com> wrote in message
news:b26u83-...@asgard.webthing.com...
No, envy is not the accurate term ;-)
Cheers, helen s
Fay
David Martin wrote:
> Fay wrote:
> > My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> > the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> > middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> > I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
> > is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
> > but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up.
>
> How far are you riding and on what sort of terrain? I ride to work
> about 1.5 miles and don't bother with anything special.
My ride to the office is about 1.5 miles too. Shopping sometimes sees
me going as far as 3 or 4. Visiting friends can take me up to about 6.
That's getting to be the kind of distance that in this winter weather I
prefer to do on four wheels.
> During the
> winter I wear a fleece and a raincoat (cycle specific cut but an
> ordinary one does fine) when the weather demands. If it doesn't demant
> I put it in the pannier bag. In summer I dispense with the fleece and
> usually the raincoat as well.
>
>
> This is the typical layering problem. You have two options:
>
> 1. cycle slowly so you never get too warm. Not really an appropriate
> option in anything other than very flat lands.
Edinburgh. Need I say more? :-)
> 2. Take a jumper/cardigan that you can take off when riding and put
> back on when you stop.
>
> > It's even
> > harder to find something reasonably rain proof which doesn't make me
> > wetter than rain because of sweating inside it.
>
> A modern fleece with the appropriate cover/lining will provide
> showerproof cycling wear. There is no option but getting wet from
> exercise in a downpour except to wear waterproofs and slow down.
>
>
> > I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> > which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> > clothes.
>
> Cycling or running tights will provide appropriate warmth in the winter
> and can be disguised easily with a skirt or baggy shorts/trousers as
> appropriate.
Sounds like the local outdoor shops would be a good place to look.
There's plenty of middle aged skiers and hillwalkers who don't want to
look like an explosion in a paint shop.
> > I'm sure my grandmother, who cycled most days into her 70s
> > with a wicker shopping basket on her ancient bicycle, knew answers to
> > this problem.
> She probably cycled at a 'ladylike' pace and carried a spare pullover
> in the basket.
I've been trying to remember. I think she wore a general purpose coat,
not thick, showeproof rather than waterprrod, and I think she did cary
a cardigan in the basket!
I have a metal shopping basket on my city hybrid bike, attached with
metal hooks. I'm sure it's heavier than my gran's wicker basket, which
was attached by leather straps. It's also about half the size of her
wicker basket. That doesn't look like progress to me!
> > I'm sure that with today's modern materials there are
> > even better answers to this problem than she knew. But going into
> > bicycle shops staffed by muscular teenagers wearing cycling tights I
> > don't seem to heading in the right direction to find an answer :-)
>
> Find clothes that are comfortable. Avoid cotton. Be prepared to be cold
> as you start off and warm up underway. Take clothes off and put them on
> as appropriate.
>
> Sorrry I can't give you any specifics. It depends on how far you are
> riding, for how long, how prepared you are to change clothes, what sort
> of things you are happy to wear to go shopping and so on.
The answers in this weather seem to be rarely more than a few miles or
forty minutes. With better clothes, and if I got fitter, I might go
further. I remember as a young girl I was quite happy doing a 30 mile
round trip on a summer's day.
I'd prefer to be able to open and close things rather than change. I'm
too old to be bothered trying to look glamorous. So long as I look more
like someone who likes being out in the weather rather than someone
with no choice, like a bag lady, I'm happy. I'm more bothered with how
I feel than how I look. Undermeath my outdoor stuff I have to be
wearing office suitable clothes. Since there's others in the office my
age who wear T-shirt and jeans or what I call old gypsy gear that's not
too demanding. "Old gypsy gear" means long brightly coloured skirts and
enough clanking beads and brooches to scare off birds :-)
Fay
John Hearns
> Granny was probably more used to getting cold and wet than folks nowadays.
> Back in the days before central heating and air-conditioned cars there
> wasn't the expectation that you'd always be at a comfortable temperature,
> you just got on with it. We sent our boys to fight in the trenches in
> midwinter in far worse clothing than a lot of folks would now deem
> neccessary for a walk down the high street.
I remember reading in one of Lynne McDonalds books that greatcoats were
forbidden in the trenches.
I've never worn one, but I would imagine that the British Army greatcoat
of the time would function as a pretty good improvised bivvy, ie, troops
would be able to sleep outdoors in them.
Looking for some confirmation from the group, the reason for banning them
might be something do do with 'fighting spirit' and being ready at all
times. Seems ruddy cruel to me though to deprive men of the means to keep
warm. Henc
Fay
Peter B wrote:
> "Fay" <fay4...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1136393044....@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
> > the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
> > middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
> > I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
> > is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
> > but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up. It's even
> > harder to find something reasonably rain proof which doesn't make me
> > wetter than rain because of sweating inside it.
>
> I think that you have to accept being cold on some points of a winter bike
> ride if you want to avoid getting too hot <1>.
> Based on my own experience when I first go outside I'll feel cool but as
> soon as I start cycling I'll feel cold until my body generates heat from
> work due to wind chill.
> If I then cycle slowly up a hill I'll get very warm but feel colder
> descending the other side fast.
> Maybe Grandmother was just more accepting of being cold and didn't expect
> the ambient temp to be a constant 22c which we now come to expect ;-)
I'm more traditional than that. Like my grandmother I live in a
traditional old house which is ventilated by draughts. The temperature
rarely exceeds 19C in a warm room unless I've invited some centrally
heated friends round for dinner :-)
> On a longish ride it's not a problem to use the layering technique: Base
> layer to wick perspiration, mid layer for warmth and shell to keep out wind
> and/or rain but this isn't cheap and may not be practical for a short
> commute, I'll leave the commuters on the group to provide tried & tested
> solutions.
Sounds an interesting technique . It wouldn't be practical for my
office, but if I'm going further I wouldn't be going to the office.
Fay
wafflycat
>
> David Martin wrote:
>> Fay wrote:
>> > My New Year resolution is to return to the cycling to work I enjoyed in
>> > the summer, and in future not to stop when it gets cold and wet. I'm a
>> > middle aged woman just cycling slowly to the office for some exercise.
>> > I'm not concerned to build up super fitness or enter races. My problem
>> > is that it's hard to find clothes which are warm enough when I'm cold,
>> > but cool enough that I don't sweat a lot when I've warmed up.
>>
>> How far are you riding and on what sort of terrain? I ride to work
>> about 1.5 miles and don't bother with anything special.
>
> My ride to the office is about 1.5 miles too. Shopping sometimes sees
> me going as far as 3 or 4. Visiting friends can take me up to about 6.
> That's getting to be the kind of distance that in this winter weather I
> prefer to do on four wheels.
>
1.5 miles, even I, a devout follower of the church of cycling attire, would
be happy to do in 'normal' clothes :) Mind you, I adore RonHill Bikesters as
they are incredibly useful attire. Remove the reflective strip from the back
of each leg and you would not know they are cycling attire.
snippity..
>
> Sounds like the local outdoor shops would be a good place to look.
> There's plenty of middle aged skiers and hillwalkers who don't want to
> look like an explosion in a paint shop.
>
There's several Edinburgh cyclists post here, who could prolly tell you of
decent shops. Mind you, there's the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op at
8 Alvanley Terrace, Whitehouse Loan. Not all cycling attire is coloured for
those of us who have a leaning for the highly coloured :)
When this middle-aged overweight woman first got back on a bike a few years
ago, I couldn't cycle the 5 miles into town without getting off for a
breather several of times... The key is to cycle often and gradually work up
the mileages. I find that tea shops provide suitable points to aim for and
encouragement in getting to the next one :)
> I'd prefer to be able to open and close things rather than change. I'm
> too old to be bothered trying to look glamorous. So long as I look more
> like someone who likes being out in the weather rather than someone
> with no choice, like a bag lady, I'm happy. I'm more bothered with how
> I feel than how I look. Undermeath my outdoor stuff I have to be
> wearing office suitable clothes. Since there's others in the office my
> age who wear T-shirt and jeans or what I call old gypsy gear that's not
> too demanding. "Old gypsy gear" means long brightly coloured skirts and
> enough clanking beads and brooches to scare off birds :-)
>
And you are worried about brightly coloured Lycra? ;-)
Cheers, helen s
Fay
dkahn400 wrote:
> Fay wrote:
>
> > I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> > which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> > clothes.
>
> Unfortunately cycling-specific is best, particularly for your jacket.
> This is both for the cut and for visibility. A cycling jacket will be
> cut longer in the back and the sleeves to make sure your lower back and
> wrists remain covered.
I hadn't thought of that. I suspect it's not so important if you're an
old fashioned lady cyclist who sits up. I haven't noticed that kind of
problem with the ordinary street clothes I wear on the bike.
> The pockets will be positioned so things in them
> won't get in your way as you reach forward for the handlebars. It will
> also have reflective strips built into it that will help you to be seen
> at night. These can be quite discreet so it doesn't have to shout
> "cyclist". There are styles that are quite wearable off the bike.
Those are good points. I haven't noticed pockets getting in the way of
my reach. I have noticed heavy things in my pockets bumping up and down
on my legs as I cycle. Obviously the wrong pockets.
> I understand the problem with being intimidated by the lads in the bike
> shop, so why not have a look on-line? Go to <http://www.wiggle.co.uk/>
> and then pick "Waterproofs - Cycle Jackets" from the bar on the left.
> Then have a look, for example, at the Altura Womens Nevis Jacket. Both
> the blue and grey versions could pass for ordinary leisure jackets in
> spite of the relective piping and zipped rear pocket. It's a well
> respected make and currently at a very good price.
I don't mind buying on-line, but I do want to try clothes on before
buying them.
Fay
David Martin
Fay wrote:
> dkahn400 wrote:
> > Fay wrote:
> >
> > > I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> > > which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> > > clothes.
> >
> > Unfortunately cycling-specific is best, particularly for your jacket.
> > This is both for the cut and for visibility. A cycling jacket will be
> > cut longer in the back and the sleeves to make sure your lower back and
> > wrists remain covered.
>
> I hadn't thought of that. I suspect it's not so important if you're an
> old fashioned lady cyclist who sits up. I haven't noticed that kind of
> problem with the ordinary street clothes I wear on the bike.
There are plenty of designs available. most aim to not have front
pockets, and to minimise the amount of loose material so are a
reasonably snug fit (more so for me than most). A normal coat would be
fine if it is not too long, and less of a problem if you are quite
upright.
> > The pockets will be positioned so things in them
> > won't get in your way as you reach forward for the handlebars. It will
> > also have reflective strips built into it that will help you to be seen
> > at night. These can be quite discreet so it doesn't have to shout
> > "cyclist". There are styles that are quite wearable off the bike.
>
> Those are good points. I haven't noticed pockets getting in the way of
> my reach. I have noticed heavy things in my pockets bumping up and down
> on my legs as I cycle. Obviously the wrong pockets.
Big patch pockets on the front of an outdoors coat? Not a problem if
you don't put stuff in them ;-)
That is what the basket is for on the front. It can be useful to have a
bungee (elastic clip) to ensure that what you have put in the basket
stays there. I tend to try to use a small rucksack rather than having
stuff in pockets- are you a handbag sort of person?
> > I understand the problem with being intimidated by the lads in the bike
> > shop, so why not have a look on-line? Go to <http://www.wiggle.co.uk/>
> > and then pick "Waterproofs - Cycle Jackets" from the bar on the left.
> > Then have a look, for example, at the Altura Womens Nevis Jacket. Both
> > the blue and grey versions could pass for ordinary leisure jackets in
> > spite of the relective piping and zipped rear pocket. It's a well
> > respected make and currently at a very good price.
>
> I don't mind buying on-line, but I do want to try clothes on before
> buying them.
Nip along to a cycle shop or outdoors shop and try stuff on. You sound
like the sort of person who can tell a spotty oik in lycra what you
wnat to do and what colours/styles you find acceptable.
Key thing with any coat is ventilation control - stopping the wind
getting in the front but letting it out everywhere else. The Altura
Nevis has 'pit zips', underarm ventilation. I opened mine when I first
got it and have never needed to close them since.
As for trousers/legs, it depends what you want to wear. A pair of
legwarmers (visions of Fame! all over again) can be good to keep legs
warm on a short trip and are easily removed. For wet/cold heavier
weight trousers are fine but try to avoid things like cotton (eg jeans)
which are relatively uncomfortable to cycle in and awful when wet.
..d
Ambrose Nankivell
> P.S. Of course I wear a fancy modern cycling jacket etc. and shower
> when I get to work.
>
modern cycling jacket would be frowned upon. For one thing, I'd get the
books wet.
That said, despite the fact that I benefit from 4kW of heating all to
myself, I'm normally working in an ambient temperature of about 10 celsius.
When on the bike, my technical clothing consists of a merino polo neck I
bought by mistake 6 years ago, which is warm but dorky, and some sheepskin
gloves of the same vintage. It seems to do the job.
--
Ambrose
Clive George
news:dpish6$gbu$1...@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> Mind you, I adore RonHill Bikesters as they are incredibly useful attire.
Not as warm as roubaix-type cycling tights though - have you tried them?
Wife rather likes the ones she's got - non bib. And you can wear ronnies on
top!
cheers,
clive
wafflycat
If it's really cold, I just stick a pair of longjohns under the Bikesters.
Cheers, helen s
p.s. Glad to see your better half has the correct attitude ;-)
John Hearns
>
> That said, despite the fact that I benefit from 4kW of heating all to
> myself, I'm normally working in an ambient temperature of about 10
> celsius.
Get round the back, and start running something CPU intensive. Toasty warm
then. And wear those ear plugs. I SAID WEAR THOSE EAR PLUGS.
Peter B
> I'm more traditional than that. Like my grandmother I live in a
> traditional old house which is ventilated by draughts. The temperature
> rarely exceeds 19C in a warm room unless I've invited some centrally
> heated friends round for dinner :-)
Stop it! You're making me feel cold ;-)
--
Pete
http://uk.geocities.com/pet...@btinternet.com/Stuff
dkahn400
> My ride to the office is about 1.5 miles too. Shopping sometimes sees
> me going as far as 3 or 4. Visiting friends can take me up to about 6.
> That's getting to be the kind of distance that in this winter weather I
> prefer to do on four wheels.
<snip>
> The answers in this weather seem to be rarely more than a few miles or
> forty minutes. With better clothes, and if I got fitter, I might go
> further. I remember as a young girl I was quite happy doing a 30 mile
> round trip on a summer's day.
I think it's quite important to solve this clothing problem. It's only
by extending your distance that you will get fitter, but that won't
happen if your clothing doesn't let you do that comfortably. In the
first paragraph I quoted you seem to be suggesting that your clothing
only needs to cope with very short rides. In the second you admit that
with better clothing you would be tempted to go further and so get more
benefit from your cycling, which means you'd enjoy it more and go
further still, and so on.
It's a problem only you can solve but to me it seems to be pointing in
the direction of cycling gear that will pass when off the bike rather
than ordinary clothes that you can cycle in, which would be perfectly
OK if you were definite about short rides only.
You shouldn't feel limited by no longer being a young girl either. Some
of us round here are not exactly spring chickens but we seem to manage
reasonable distances.
--
Dave...
wafflycat
> Fay wrote:
>
>> My ride to the office is about 1.5 miles too. Shopping sometimes sees
>> me going as far as 3 or 4. Visiting friends can take me up to about 6.
>> That's getting to be the kind of distance that in this winter weather I
>> prefer to do on four wheels.
>
> <snip>
>
>> The answers in this weather seem to be rarely more than a few miles or
>> forty minutes. With better clothes, and if I got fitter, I might go
>> further. I remember as a young girl I was quite happy doing a 30 mile
>> round trip on a summer's day.
>
> I think it's quite important to solve this clothing problem. It's only
> by extending your distance that you will get fitter, but that won't
> happen if your clothing doesn't let you do that comfortably. In the
> first paragraph I quoted you seem to be suggesting that your clothing
> only needs to cope with very short rides. In the second you admit that
> with better clothing you would be tempted to go further and so get more
> benefit from your cycling, which means you'd enjoy it more and go
> further still, and so on.
>
As a middle-aged woman cyclist, I agree that if the clothing is right, in
the sense that it is 'fit for purpose', then cycling any sort of distance
becomes much a much more plesant experience.
> It's a problem only you can solve but to me it seems to be pointing in
> the direction of cycling gear that will pass when off the bike rather
> than ordinary clothes that you can cycle in, which would be perfectly
> OK if you were definite about short rides only.
>
> You shouldn't feel limited by no longer being a young girl either. Some
> of us round here are not exactly spring chickens but we seem to manage
> reasonable distances.
>
Oh indeedee, we middle-aged ladies can manage distances we never thought
possible when we first got back on a bike. I never thought I'd cycle round
Paris in the rush-hour, do the Paris bit of the Tour de France, cycle along
the Rhine, round Bordeaux region... I am *so* glad I got back on a bike.
Even if it does mean I inflict thge sight of me wearing acres of bright
and/or fluorescent yellow upon the retinas of the general public ;-)
Cheers, helen s
> --
> Dave...
>
Chris Malcolm
> Fay wrote:
> <snip>
>> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
>> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
>> clothes.
> <snip>
> Buffalo jackets used to work well. Theres probably more modern, better
> stuff about these days. http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/dpthumbs.htm
For winter cycling of distances greater than about 4 miles (my office
commuting distance) I wear a Buffalo shirt over a Helly Hansen
half-merino half-polyester wicking T-shirt. With tights and trousers
that keeps me warm and not feeling wet while able to sweat a lot. I
control the difference between varieties of cold by headgear. As it
gets colder I switch from a woolly hat to a warmer wind-stopper hat
plus ear muffs. When its very cold I install the optional extra
buffalo hood. When it rains more than lightly I switch from fleecy
gloves to waterproof.
That kit was my introduction to the modern concept of sweat-permeable
non-waterproof garments which are only showerproof, but keep you warm
when wet and dry out while being worn very quickly. A real revelation.
When hillwalking the same combination works well while I'm moving, but
in frosty windy weather is too cold for standing about, so I carry a
light mountain coat to put on top when I stop moving and start cooling
down.
I've been so impressed by the utility of this sweat-permeable
non-waterproof idea, that I've taken an old woolly windcheater I've
had for years, and treated it with showerproofing which makes rain
bead and bounce off. Without that it simply soaked up rain like a
sponge. With this showerproofing it has become transformed into a
useful non-sweaty cycling to work and walking about garment which
takes rain of less than than half an hour's duration in its stride.
--
Chris Malcolm c...@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
John_Kane
Cheryl wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 17:04:04 -0000, "Clive George"
> <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> >
> >I'll happily go shopping in full lycra
>
What's wrong with shopping in full lycra? One of the owners of my
local pub actually didn't recognize me for a moment because I was not
in full lycra!
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
John_Kane
This reminds me of some advice I heard a man say that he had given his
daughter as she left Canada for year at a British university. He said,
" And remember dear, there is usually no difference in the temperture
in the house or outside in the UK."
Simon Brooke
('newswit...@hayward.uk.net') wrote:
> Let's hear it for the Altura Nevis!
> Mine has done me fine for 2 years of daily commuting.
> Mind you, it isn't as hi-viz as it used to be.
And another vote. Excellent piece of kit. Mine must be at least two years
old.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
I shall continue to be an impossible person so long as those
who are now possible remain possible -- Michael Bakunin
Simon Brooke
('nos...@nospam.com') wrote:
H'mmm... yes... I remember when I was a research fellow working in a lab
with a lot of kit and no air conditioning. It used to get a little warm.
One summers e was a knock on the door, and in walked the professor of
computing, the vice chancellor, and the minister for information
technology. I _was_ wearing a pair of boxer shorts, honest...
But nothing else.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Perl ... is the Brittney Spears of programming - easily accessible
;; but, in the final analysis, empty of any significant thought
;; Frank Adrian on Slashdot, 21st July 2003
Simon Brooke
Annan ('still_th...@hotmail.com') wrote:
> Clive George wrote:
>
>> Winter
>> cycling tights - ones with a slightly fleecy feel - are jolly good in
>> both cold and wet. Then a skirt over the top takes care of the looks.
>
> I''ll take your word for it!
Believe me, Becky of this parish can make that combination look very easy
on the eye.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; 99% of browsers can't run ActiveX controls. Unfortunately
;; 99% of users are using the 1% of browsers that can...
[seen on /. 08:04:02]
Simon Brooke
John_Kane ('John...@tricolour.queensu.ca') wrote:
>
> Peter B wrote:
>> "Fay" <fay4...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1136456612.8...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> > I'm more traditional than that. Like my grandmother I live in a
>> > traditional old house which is ventilated by draughts. The
>> > temperature rarely exceeds 19C in a warm room unless I've invited
>> > some centrally heated friends round for dinner :-)
>>
>> Stop it! You're making me feel cold ;-)
>
> This reminds me of some advice I heard a man say that he had given his
> daughter as she left Canada for year at a British university. He said,
> " And remember dear, there is usually no difference in the temperture
> in the house or outside in the UK."
Should there be?
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Sending your money to someone just because they've erected
;; a barrier of obscurity and secrets around the tools you
;; need to use your data does not help the economy or spur
;; innovation. - Waffle Iron Slashdot, June 16th, 2002
Simon Brooke
John_Kane ('John...@tricolour.queensu.ca') wrote:
>
> Cheryl wrote:
>> On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 17:04:04 -0000, "Clive George"
>> <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> >I'll happily go shopping in full lycra
>>
>> Quote of the year and it's only the 4th of Jan. :)
>
> What's wrong with shopping in full lycra?
Nothing. Practical and comfortable.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting
me down. I think I'll upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that
comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're crawling with bugs.
Simon Brooke
('fay4...@gmail.com') wrote:
> I don't mind buying on-line, but I do want to try clothes on before
> buying them.
Since you live in the city which is the home of the Edinburgh Bicycle
Co-op, go there. Go there morning weekday when it's quiet. It's not a
small shop, but it can get very crowded.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
X-no-archive: No, I'm not *that* naive.
LSMike
wafflycat wrote:
> I do go shopping in full Lycra....
>
> Cheers, helen s
But not bibs***ts. IIRC the PSF is happy with biblongs though.
Marvellous invention for the winter.
LSMike
>
> H'mmm... yes... I remember when I was a research fellow working in a lab
> with a lot of kit and no air conditioning. It used to get a little warm.
> One summers e was a knock on the door, and in walked the professor of
> computing, the vice chancellor, and the minister for information
> technology. I _was_ wearing a pair of boxer shorts, honest...
>
> But nothing else.
>
> --
> si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
ROTFL! Or is it now cloff?
Peter B
"John_Kane" <John...@tricolour.queensu.ca> wrote in message
news:1136577374.7...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> This reminds me of some advice I heard a man say that he had given his
> daughter as she left Canada for year at a British university. He said,
> " And remember dear, there is usually no difference in the temperture
> in the house or outside in the UK."
Was true. In 1977 we made an Xmas trip back to the UK from Winnipeg and
stayed with in-laws. The temps in Winnipeg at Xmas were -15c to -30c (colder
still later in Jan) while those in England >5c (guessing, a long time ago)
but we were perished during most of our stay and glad to get back to
Winnipeg, at least the interiors were warm! Outside a different matter
though!
It was the norm to have motor racing on the frozen river in town and
northern communities otherwise lacking roads had truck deliveries over roads
built on frozen lakes.
BTW, we had a stay in Kingston, visited Fort Henry and did the Thousand
Island boat trip.
--
Pete
http://uk.geocities.com/pet...@btinternet.com/Stuff
wafflycat
"LSMike" <mikes...@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:1136584008.6...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Oh no... b*b anything is to be avoided.
Cheers, helen s
James Annan
> "Fay" <fay4...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1136456612.8...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>>I'm more traditional than that. Like my grandmother I live in a
>>traditional old house which is ventilated by draughts. The temperature
>>rarely exceeds 19C in a warm room unless I've invited some centrally
>>heated friends round for dinner :-)
>
>
> Stop it! You're making me feel cold ;-)
Our heating, in the one room that we bother to heat, is generally set to
17 or 18C. Most of the house is about 6C. It's often clearly warmer when
we go outside.
James
--
James Annan
see web pages for email
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/
http://julesandjames.blogspot.com/
James Annan
> in message <1136452242.9...@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, James
> Annan ('still_th...@hotmail.com') wrote:
>
>
>>Clive George wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Winter
>>>cycling tights - ones with a slightly fleecy feel - are jolly good in
>>>both cold and wet. Then a skirt over the top takes care of the looks.
>>
>>I''ll take your word for it!
>
>
> Believe me, Becky of this parish can make that combination look very easy
> on the eye.
>
I'm sure she can - but _Clive_?
LSMike
I'm sure I recall a comment from the PSF that biblongs for the cold
were quite acceptable?
David Martin
Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <1136452242.9...@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, James
> Annan ('still_th...@hotmail.com') wrote:
>
> > Clive George wrote:
> >
> >> Winter
> >> cycling tights - ones with a slightly fleecy feel - are jolly good in
> >> both cold and wet. Then a skirt over the top takes care of the looks.
> >
> > I''ll take your word for it!
>
> Believe me, Becky of this parish can make that combination look very easy
> on the eye.
Not sure it would look so good on Clive though..
..d
John_Kane
> I must also admit that I found walking on pavements beside busy roads on
> which I normally cycle made me feel very exposed and uncomfortable -- I
> feel much safer on the road on my velo.
I am glad to hear I am not the only one ! I was walking down a fairly
busy 4 lane street a while ago and I was extremely nervous. I've
ridden the same street for years without a qualm.
Simon Brooke
LSMike ('mikes...@googlemail.com') wrote:
> wafflycat wrote:
>> "LSMike" <mikes...@googlemail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1136584008.6...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> >
>> > wafflycat wrote:
>> >> I do go shopping in full Lycra....
>> >
>> > But not bibs***ts. IIRC the PSF is happy with biblongs though.
>> > Marvellous invention for the winter.
>>
>> Oh no... b*b anything is to be avoided.
>
> I'm sure I recall a comment from the PSF that biblongs for the cold
> were quite acceptable?
Oh no. The PSF finds the supporting of /any/ of the pendulous parts of
ones' anatomy by means of shoulder straps quite, errmmm, unsupportable.
She burned all her bras years ago.
Hypocrisy? Of course not.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
---===***<<< This space to let! >>>***===---
Yes! You, too, can SPAM in the Famous Brooke Rotating .sig!
---===***<<< Only $300 per line >>>***===---
Ambrose Nankivell
news:vj2393-...@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk...
> in message <1136576968.0...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
> John_Kane ('John...@tricolour.queensu.ca') wrote:
>
>>
>> Cheryl wrote:
>>> On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 17:04:04 -0000, "Clive George"
>>> <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>> >I'll happily go shopping in full lycra
>>>
>>> Quote of the year and it's only the 4th of Jan. :)
>>
>> What's wrong with shopping in full lycra?
>
> Nothing. Practical and comfortable.
>
Chammy chafes me when walking. Also, the roads and canals to the local
shopping centres don't need lycra (indeed, I only use lycra when getting
muddy or getting burned^W my vitamin D quota, I mean on all day or off road
rides.)
--
Ambrose
Ambrose Nankivell
> in message <1136577374.7...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
> John_Kane ('John...@tricolour.queensu.ca') wrote:
>> Peter B wrote:
>>> "Fay" <fay4...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1136456612.8...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>> > I'm more traditional than that. Like my grandmother I live in a
>>> > traditional old house which is ventilated by draughts. The
>>> > temperature rarely exceeds 19C in a warm room unless I've invited
>>> > some centrally heated friends round for dinner :-)
>>>
>>> Stop it! You're making me feel cold ;-)
>>
>> This reminds me of some advice I heard a man say that he had given his
>> daughter as she left Canada for year at a British university. He said,
>> " And remember dear, there is usually no difference in the temperture
>> in the house or outside in the UK."
>
> Should there be?
To some extent. I'd say that (my own, at least) health begins to suffer if I
try to spend much of my time in places that are not above, say, 15 Celsius,
unless I'm living a pretty active life (i.e. I'd need a manual job as well
as doing a fair quota of riding.)
That's what I found in my 4 Edinburgh winters without central heating,
anyway.
--
Ambrose
Ambrose Nankivell
news:pan.2006.01.05....@nospam.com...
Much as I'd love to be a full time techy, due to recent health problems, and
all kinds of other crap, the information repository that I work in produces
no heat, and stores the information mainly by a highly redundant (c.
100kilobits/character) 2d matrix of carbon on cellulose. To compact the
storage, these matrices are parallelised and layered in sets of around 150,
cut to a size of 150mm x 200mm, glued along one edge and encapsulated in
thicker cellulose layers, which are normally covered in pigments which
encode visual representations.
People pay us about 10 pounds for each of these 1 megacharacter
repositories, which cannot be easily copied in an equivalently convenient or
comfortable format for ocular conversion to semantic representation, and
must be produced in systems as many as a billion times larger than a common
or garden optical or magnetic drive, but apparently there's enough people
who like their information in this format to make it worth it.
(All figures may vary by up to 2 orders of magnitude, except the
dimensionality of the matrices)
Anyway, this storage format produces no heat in use, and even my manually
acting as a conduit for it, with the help of Royal Mail and Parcelforce,
produces insufficient heat. I have yet to enquire about means of obtaining
heat from the stored information, but I understand it's not generally
condoned, and considered 'Stalinist'.
So, no, no servers in the cold bit of work. And no dedicated servers in the
office, either.
--
Ambrose
Simon Brooke
('ambr...@btinternet.com') wrote:
> "John Hearns" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:pan.2006.01.05....@nospam.com...
>> On Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:24:47 +0000, Ambrose Nankivell wrote:
>>> That said, despite the fact that I benefit from 4kW of heating all to
>>> myself, I'm normally working in an ambient temperature of about 10
>>> celsius.
>> Get round the back, and start running something CPU intensive. Toasty
>> warm then. And wear those ear plugs. I SAID WEAR THOSE EAR PLUGS.
>
> Much as I'd love to be a full time techy, due to recent health
> problems, and all kinds of other crap, the information repository that
> I work in produces no heat, and stores the information mainly by a
> highly redundant (c. 100kilobits/character) 2d matrix of carbon on
> cellulose.
[snip: wonderful stuff]
Love it. Could I grab this 'whole cloth' as it were (with attributions of
course) for use in an essay or lecture some time?
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; may contain traces of nuts, bolts or washers.
Ambrose Nankivell
> in message <42ahgrF...@individual.net>, Ambrose Nankivell
> ('ambr...@btinternet.com') wrote:
>
>> "John Hearns" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
>> news:pan.2006.01.05....@nospam.com...
>>> On Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:24:47 +0000, Ambrose Nankivell wrote:
>>>> That said, despite the fact that I benefit from 4kW of heating all to
>>>> myself, I'm normally working in an ambient temperature of about 10
>>>> celsius.
>>> Get round the back, and start running something CPU intensive. Toasty
>>> warm then. And wear those ear plugs. I SAID WEAR THOSE EAR PLUGS.
>>
>> Much as I'd love to be a full time techy, due to recent health
>> problems, and all kinds of other crap, the information repository that
>> I work in produces no heat, and stores the information mainly by a
>> highly redundant (c. 100kilobits/character) 2d matrix of carbon on
>> cellulose.
>
> [snip: wonderful stuff]
>
> Love it. Could I grab this 'whole cloth' as it were (with attributions of
> course) for use in an essay or lecture some time?
But of course. It seemed worth writing to me, but I was worried it would
just come out tedious. Glad you liked it.
--
Ambrose
Fay
Chris Malcolm wrote:
> Tosspot <FrankD...@esa.int> wrote:
> > Fay wrote:
> > <snip>
>
> >> I don't want to buy special cycling clothes. I want to buy some clothes
> >> which will pass equally well as ordinary walking about and shopping
> >> clothes.
>
> > <snip>
>
> > Buffalo jackets used to work well. Theres probably more modern, better
> > stuff about these days. http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/dpthumbs.htm
>
> For winter cycling of distances greater than about 4 miles (my office
> commuting distance) I wear a Buffalo shirt over a Helly Hansen
> half-merino half-polyester wicking T-shirt.
If I've got the prices right that's more than 100 quid! A bit too
expensive for stuff I'd only wear on a bike.
> I've been so impressed by the utility of this sweat-permeable
> non-waterproof idea, that I've taken an old woolly windcheater I've
> had for years, and treated it with showerproofing which makes rain
> bead and bounce off. Without that it simply soaked up rain like a
> sponge. With this showerproofing it has become transformed into a
> useful non-sweaty cycling to work and walking about garment which
> takes rain of less than than half an hour's duration in its stride.
That sounds a good idea! I've got several nice wooly winter coats and
jackets whose main problem is they get badly soaked in rain. And if I
put a light waterproof something over them sweat condenses inside it. A
long time ago I tried a waterproof spray can on one, but it was
expensive. not very good, and quickly wore off.
Can you recommend a good waterproof treatment?
Fay
John_Kane
I would like to sent it to a couple of librarians I know if you don't
mind. It's a lovely piece of work.
Ambrose Nankivell
> mind. It's a lovely piece of work.
Of course.
--
Ambrose
Chris Malcolm
> Chris Malcolm wrote:
>> I've been so impressed by the utility of this sweat-permeable
>> non-waterproof idea, that I've taken an old woolly windcheater I've
>> had for years, and treated it with showerproofing which makes rain
>> bead and bounce off. Without that it simply soaked up rain like a
>> sponge. With this showerproofing it has become transformed into a
>> useful non-sweaty cycling to work and walking about garment which
>> takes rain of less than than half an hour's duration in its stride.
> That sounds a good idea! I've got several nice wooly winter coats and
> jackets whose main problem is they get badly soaked in rain. And if I
> put a light waterproof something over them sweat condenses inside it. A
> long time ago I tried a waterproof spray can on one, but it was
> expensive. not very good, and quickly wore off.
> Can you recommend a good waterproof treatment?
The only treatment I've tried is Nikwax Polar Proof, which you wash
in. They want you to wash the thing first in their special detergent,
which I did. When fresh it was startlingly water repellent, which wore
off quite quickly, and it settled down to being usefully water
resistant for the rest of the year.
It certainly hasn't made the jacket waterproof, but it's considerably
lengthened the time it takes for it to get sopping wet all the way
through, which it used to do very quickly indeed in heavy rain.
It's not as good as the finish on some newly bought showerproofed
garments, but it's good enough to be useful, and I'll keep using it,
unless someone suggests something better to me.
--
Chris Malcolm c...@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]