More Weather-Related Facts, Opinions and Boasts
I wish I lived in an exotic cycling locale like coastal California, the Pacific Northwest, England, New England, Bavaria, the Chesapeake Bay area, northern Kentucky, anyplace in Australia, Illinois farm country, etc., etc., etc. It would also be nice to have no permanent home at all and bike my way through such interesting places as, say, Croatia and Italy. You folks are so lucky.
Indeed, I think it would be nice to ride around and take pictures and write about all the beautiful and distinctive features of such magical lands. But I live in Minnesota, and the only noteworthy thing I’ve got to offer from October through March is weather stuff. And it’s mostly BAD weather stuff, though that’s a matter of perspective. However there is one GOOD thing about my weather stuff and that would be you aren’t required to read it.
Let’s go back to the featured photo if you will. I’ll give you a couple of seconds to scroll back up there. Other than apologizing for the featured photo being a screen shot, I just want to say that it is very unusual for MY Town to be experiencing such a long streak of high temperatures in the 20’s and 30’s in mid-October. Normally it would be in the 50’s. It was also very unusual to get 8-inches of snow this early. So don’t go thinking October in Minnesota is ALWAYS this bad.
At this point, my post could use a picture to break up this barrage of words, but I don’t have one that fits yet. So I’ll keep typing for a little longer.
This morning started like any other. I got up at 7:00, drank my coffee, and checked my e-mails as the light of day entered my windows. Then something strange happened. At about 9:00 the light of day began reversing itself. The sky took on an increasingly darker appearance. It was the same eerie gray/green-ness that reminds those of us who live in the middle of the U.S. of a tornado warning.
Then came a flash of lightning, followed by a big roar of thunder, followed by more of the same, followed by a torrential downpour of sleet. This would have been a great opportunity for Storm Chaser Greg to ply his trade. Alas, I had to take The Feeshko to her physical therapy appointment.
When we got back to MY Town an hour-and-a-half later, the weather was more moderate, but still dangerous enough for me to ride The Mountain Bike I Can’t Get Rid Of for about an hour.
A few of you have commented on my skill at recording videos while riding one-handed in inclement weather. One person called it “impressive.” Another person said “that’s one word for it.” I surmised that he meant “SUPERSMART” was another word for it. That’s the word I would use.
I will close today’s post with another SUPERSMART video.
gregblood
Hi. My name is Greg and I ride my bike a lot. That is to say, I ride my bike almost every day. I go on long rides and short rides. Sunny rides, cloudy rides, and rainy rides. I like commuting, errand-running, day-tripping, overnighting, and touring on my bike. I ride on city streets, highways, gravel, single track, and snow with equal enthusiasm. Sometimes I ride fast and sometimes I ride slow. I try to keep my feet on the pedals at stop lights and I do not dismount when I hop up on a curb. I have a roadie bike, a mountain bike and a touring bike. I try to accept any challenge a bike ride can throw at me without complaint. But I don't like bugs.
9 response to "More Weather-Related Facts, Opinions and Boasts"
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Make no mistake, I am very IMPRESSED with people (like you Greg) that bike in truly cold and snowy weather. I head out in some moderately bad weather, but my exploits are only enough to impress my non-cycling friends, not any true winter riders. I wimp out pretty quickly when it gets really cold and snowy/icy. That’s when I put on my snowshoes and head off into the woods instead. My crashes that occur there are much more low-speed.
By the way, I never realized I lived in an exotic locale.
Thanks Bob, but I’m afraid the only thing impressive about my riding in bad weather is how I manage to turn the rides into opportunities to show off. (I’m nothing if not a big show off.) But really, it’s just a matter of bundling up in the right clothing and getting on the bike like any other day. Once you get going, it’s almost always fun. Besides, I never took up any other winter sports and I refuse to work out in a gym, so if I didn’t ride my bike during those months I’d find myself in pretty sorry physical shape come April.
My challenge is not so much the cold. I can deal with that. It’s the snow and ice covered roads, lack of shoulders, snowbanks, dodging snowplows, etc. But, every fall I vow to get out as much as I can. We’ll see how I do this year.
Supersmart! That’s just the word I was searching for! Supersteely too, I’d say. Thanks for giving us the courage to start out this morning on another foggy 55 degree day. We have nothing to complain about.
Oh, and also – super photography too!
Well, Greg, Ya know? Not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the capricious tendencies of the glorious Humid Continental climate.
Great photos, if you WANTED to get colorful trees over a snow covered surface if just wouldn’t happen.
I suppose ‘exotic’ is never what you’re used to. You have some great bad weather there Greg.
After residing and cycling in central Illinois for five years, I grew thoroughly sick of the same kind of extreme weather conditions and abrupt changes in temperature, wind, precipitation, etc. you experience in YOUR state. Now your photos almost make me miss that climate. Almost.
Like most of us, I am no where ready for it to be winter! That said, even we in exotic Pacific Northwest are expecting a cold front to hit us as I type. Seems snow will be only in the mountain passes though, so at least we are spared that. I will ride in cold weather, and have all the cold weather gear available to a consumer, but I will not ride if there is any threat of ice — black or otherwise. I have, unintentionally ridden in some snow fall and that was fun. Fun at least for the short time I had to ride in it.
We are expected to return to 50 degree weather next week so perhaps this immediate weather is to just get us trained.
I love snow – in your pictures!