Cold Weather Riding Scale

Maybe a little known fact about my cycling situation is that I have an aversion to riding in the cold weather... yes, this does make training and racing in Iowa a bit of a challenge in the early parts of the season. I thought I would share my unique approach to deciding whether or not to train inside or outside.

Well, despite adhering to my cold weather riding guidelines, I got nailed big time on Friday... The temperate was a real feel of 51, and I saw some kids running around without coats on, so I figured I would go for it (according to my scale, this was code 'Yellow').  All started out well, but about 2 hours in it started to rain... a cold, dreary downpour that included loud claps of thunder, an irritating head wind and a marked depression of my spirit.  Stubbornly I continued further from my house, determined to at least get in a 60 miler...  You know how this story goes... another 'character builder'... you put your head down and try to keep your mind off of the uncomfortable feeling of numb fingers, soggy toes, limited visibility, stiffening joints, profuse snot emissions, slippery roads, dangerous traffic maneuvering, etc.

I got home and thanked a higher power that the nightmare was over... Once I finally warmed up, about an hour later, a large grin overwhelmed my demeanor... I got some early season outdoor miles in... it always ends up being worth it.