We finally had a break in the icy weather, which meant the perfect opportunity to bike out to lady brunch! After the cold snap, -13C (which I think is approximately 7F) felt perfectly balmy. By the time I got to the Sugarbowl, I had my parka unzipped to help regulate my internal temperature.
No particularly special gear. Boots, leggings, sleeveless top, chunky cardigan, winter bike and winter helmet.
My winter bike's studded tires make getting to brunch super easy. There isn't much in the way of needing to correct the way I ride on ice and snow, the studs offer excellent traction.
Worked up an appetite for my french toast, and ate my Sunday brunch amidst other Sugarbowl regulars.
I've been wearing my little glove liners.
Underneath my edit mitts.
I have zero finger-frost!
To make sure the toes stay cozy, I also wear wooly socks.
Inside my boots.
Once I arrived home, Dougal and I went out for some additional cardio.
He doesn't fancy boots.
Other than the crazy cold week, being out on the bike feels much like it did before. Obviously at this point in the pregnancy people always assume I have stopped riding because of my growing bump. I usually just remind them that sitting on a saddle and pedaling is way faster and less cumbersome than walking. It's super low impact and I like that I can go my own pace, it's easy to ramp it up or scale it down depending on how I'm feeling and my energy levels.
Balance still feels fine and swinging a leg over the saddle remains unproblematic. So, it's pedaling and coasting as usual!
5 comments:
My dog hates boots too. Sometimes we force them on him, when he's getting stir crazy and there's still too much salt on the sidewalks for him to walk bare-paw.
Glad it's "warmed up" and you can get out and about some.
Sarah, you are an inspiration. I took a very bad fall on January 4th while walking to my doc at Justik clinic just off Whyte ave. a very kind couple with a small child helped me up and walked me to the clinic. I would have been MUCH safer on a bike with studded tires. I'm not willing to ride in the dark but I'm going to work on setting up a bike with studs to ride when its above -5c or so in the daytime. I could have been riding most of this winter instead of going ass over tea-kettle on the sidewalk.
Cycler - Dougal is so picky, he just stands there with his boots on like he is immobilized by some invisible force field!
Dogs - I find biking way more secure than walking, and echo your frustrations with slipping on the sidewalk! It's hazardous out there when I am walking Dougal. The studded tires are a bit of $, but I just keep them on my mountain bike year-round so it's ready to go whenever. The extra traction is a bit of a workout too:) oh, and if your bike will allow for fenders, stick some of those on too! It's great to bike when it's warm and wintry, but sometimes there is the thaw phase where brown snow is spattering itself everywhere.
I'm glad that it warmed up. It was pretty brutal. I tried riding for 2 days and carpooled after that.
Didn't I tell you Edit mittens are the best? My hands never freeze anymore.I got a similar pair from Slo at the One of a Kind Show so I'd have a spare and they are great too. They cover a bit more of the wrist. Love them both, and can't imagine surviving the winter months without them.
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