Winter Riding

Being an East Coaster, I'm pretty much used to working out during winter months. I've slogged hundreds of miles through snow and slush and over ice while training for the Boston Marathon. I like playing in the snow - snowshoeing, XC skiing, and snowboarding. But typically, when it comes to riding, I call it quits when the roads have been made slick and narrow by our winter storms. Add to that the ouch factor of a 20mph headwind and fuggetaboutit - I'd rather go to Abusive Spin Class (I REALLY need to write a post on that.)

But - riding in the woods - totally different game. No headwind (I can't ride fast enough to generate one and the trees block the natural wind) and with the snow and ice, it's so damn hard I'm generating more than enough heat to keep me and any squirrels close by nice and toasty.

In order to facilitate some of this off-road, crazy idea of riding on snow and ice covered trails, I sprung for a new set of Nokian Extreme 294 studded tires. My bike looks totally buff with them (even with its girly pink new derailleur cables I put on this fall.)

Of course, after I finally mounted them I had to fly off to the 70 degree weather of the Bay Area and saw people riding in shorts. I wondered yet again why we subject ourselves to living here. It's gotta make us tougher and better riders, right? ;-)