Finally, the temperature is making you come to your senses. I'll be holding an indoor session at my house on Sunday, around 9:30 if anyone wants to be a pansy-ass. I have an extra trainer and rollers. So two can be accomodated without an extra trainer. Or, if you just want company to push through a hard workout, bring a trainer.

A scene from our ride today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fTzP4kGe58

Oh man.

That was hilarious.

A lovely, if Brisk(!) trip up the river & back.
William, Johnny Wrong Way and Handsome Joe helped me set my 10 and 20 second PR's on the final sprint.
Whitey "Two Hats" pulled mightily until the top of Alpine when familial duties took him from us in a blinding flash of... white.

Missed out, due to over-sleeping the alarm (and Massingil shopping), so I missed the 9am fun. Fortunately, family man JP tends to leave 11am ish on Saturdays so I made a quick call.

The plan was 3 hours or so, at a "not-easy" pace. I knew I was in trouble after sucking wheel for 40 minutes and my HR still hadn't dropped below 165 bpm. I soldiered on, taking as much cover as Mr. Ride in the Gutter would allow against the left sided crosswinds on the way out. Small rides with JP can be fun because he almost always takes you on different "inland" roads. 1.5 hours in, I called "Uncle" and told JP I had to turn around. 90 minutes at Threshold/TT HR effort had drained me good.

JP encouraged me to stick with him longer because we were turning back then anyway. Right sided crosswinds buoyed my hope that I could finish the ride after all. 30 more minutes, a few gentle Jersey rises, and I was extra-toasty-crispy-done. I told JP to ride on, he still had another hour of what for him, I'm sure, was "high tempo" riding, and I was in limp-home mode and no amount of gels and clif bars was going to change that.

Despite overcast skies I rode with a thermal jacket 1/2 zipped open, with a thin long sleeve baselayer underneath. Hands were warm, and my poorly circulating feet even stayed warm. It wasn't until I slowed down and was riding home by myself that I started to feel a chill.

Looking forward to riding caboose tomorrow in the Kissena group ride.

oh man

that sprint was beastly

my entire chestal area started crumbling near the top

Are the chestals south or north of the Malcolmsen-Doyle line?

I'll be there tomorrow. I know I've got at least Marc for company.

We'll have fun. The more, the warmer.

Jorge, Murray and I will be at BB at 8am on Sunday. Anyone else meeting at BB?

I'm out. Birthday stuff for the critters. I'll think of you as I drink my hot beverage...

honk

i'm out

might be free later on

i'll holler if i get to head over the bridge

^^^ Sooooo weak!!!! Flaker!

Anybody else up for the 8am 5 degree ride?

I'll be at BB at 8AM for the HARDMAN 2012: Frozen Junk Edition

We will mock the girly men who refuse to ride when the temp drops below that of a Jimmy Buffet song.

I wont be there. I will be chillin with Luka

Quiet all!

I was out today when you were plucking your eyebrows.

My FYANS and I got business!

Sorry to have missed the ride yesterday - I got sick. I actually suited up and rolled over to the bridge before realizing that I was so dizzy that all the trucks looked like they were parked at a 90 degree angle. I wobbled back home and flopped into bed with all my gear on - yes, including my shoes and booties. It was that bad.
Today looks gorgeous - wish I was out there with y'all.

Posted By: titoSorry to have missed the ride yesterday - I got sick. I actually suited up and rolled over to the bridge before realizing that I was so dizzy that all the trucks looked like they were parked at a 90 degree angle. I wobbled back home and flopped into bed with all my gear on - yes, including my shoes and booties. It was that bad.
Today looks gorgeous - wish I was out there with y'all.

looks good when you're sitting inside looking out a window. it's brutal out. only plus side is that the sun it out and the humidity is low.

Sunday riders. insert your name when you hear "Luke".

http://bit.ly/yNUEpK

You guys have got cahones--probably functionally deficient cahones--but cahones nonetheless.

Yeah it was cold. 16 degrees. My brain is still frozen, and so I can't remember all the names of guys on the ride. We were all running late, left around 9:11, went up to Rockland Lake. I brought the winter gloves and the antarctic gloves. Winter gloves were good for about 40 minutes, but by Piermont my fingers were painfully frozen. Switch to the heavy duty ones and all was right with the world. Except, being out of shape I really suffered on the way back home.

Started with scalding tap water in an uninsulated bottle and an insulated bottle. Uninsulated was a solid block of ice just an hour or so in. The insulated bottle had pieces of ice floating in it, but unscrewing the top allowed me to drink from it. On of the guys on the ride broke off his bottles lid trying to unscrew it.

fuuuuuuuuuu

Damn!

SUNDAY - 2012-01-15
Got moving LATE - figured even with my RFK Triboro shortcut (saves some miles, add 3 sets of stairs) - I was gonna push 9:10 or greater at the GWB. I envisioned watching a flash of Kissena orange pull away within line of sight, but out of yelling or sprinting distance.

Hustled anyway. Didn't account for the dulling pain caused by the mega wind (or yesterdays ride, more on that later) . Constant minute by minute mental recalcs of when I would make it. Got off the west side bike path at 8:58. Hit the GWB at 9:07. Still hustling. Mid bridge, hurting from all the, well, I don't know, just hurting, gave in and figured I would solo up 9W to Piermont, get some coffee, maybe intercept some Kissena low road riders, and go home. End of the GWB , bamm, 3 Kissenas pull up on me (Ben Reid, one other dude in kcc kit, one dude in rapha). We hit hudson terrace at 9:14. AND HOLY SHIT, THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE. JP and Marc were still there. I guess it was time for some group riding ! The six of us rolled out at 9:15 .

We did the "standard" group ride with the exception of some different turns in Englewood\Tenafly to reduce the 40 mph decent \ crazy wind sandblasting effect. Thank you JP.

Wearing mid weight gloves + lobster mittens - my hands were not doing well. The heaters never activated - oops. 16 degrees, windchill to 5, my body wanted to give up. My brain said hang in there . JP was hungry for the watts. Marc got things under control. Marc and I moved up to the front, and we rolled at a semi reasonable pace forwards to Piermont. Many folks on the ride tried this crazy thing..talking. The way I had my gator rigged up, moving my mouth - tough - hearing things through my double covered ears - tough. Somehow we still communicated.

I know some folks don't like doing the coffee stop - but I am figuring "its friggin COLD - I am sure we will stop" . I ask Marc and I get some sort of awkward grunting in response. After we pass the state line, visions of Piermont have me kick up the pace a bit - Marc is like "hey, dude, now we are dropping them " - I slow down. We get to the firehouse just before 9W & Piermont, and everyone stops for glove swapping and pissing. I am like "oh shit, no stop" . I NEED this break, so while the other five hearty souls venture north, I go into Piermont. AND I AM THE ONLY CYCLIST IN TOWN. The bike racks at Bunburry - EMPTY. The racks at the convenience store - EMPTY. I go into the coffee shop, and slowly unglove and helmet. I am chattering, my eye is killing me and I can't stop rubbing it (probably not helping) . The coffee shop girls look at me like I am 10 degrees of crazy (and really, I am only 7 degrees of crazy). A coffee and a muffin help me return towards normal.

Even after sitting indoors, and running hot water all over my bottles, they are frozen. I unscrew the lids, and the insides are half frozen, half fluid. Just a nasty bit of ice at each valve , nothing some hot coffee couldn't fix. Mmmm, fluids, how I missed you. Some more coffee into each bottle, topped them off with hot water, a second cup of coffee and a bananna and I was all of a sudden human again. Fresh gloves, time to go to the bike shop - I hope they are not on their winter vacation .

Roll into Piermont Bicycle connection, and buy some desperately needed hand warmers from Mattie. Hang out a bit and try boiling my re-heatable warmers to see if they will re-activate. Not sure if they ever did. New gloves, hand warmers in side, second set of warmers outside, then the lobster claws, and I was ready to roll. The ride back was a million times better (except for the lack of company). I actually had power, could feel my hands, was contemplating laps in prospect to add mileage, etc. In the end I was looking at 57 windy, cold miles, and decided to roll home without distraction. Had more sprints then I planned on riding riverside, this silly bus kept stopping, and I had to sprint to try to put some distance between it and I. All in all, the roads were gloriously underpopulated, both of motorized and non motorized traffic. A great day on the road.

(continued in the following post)

SATURDAY - 2012-01-14 - so I was talking to Clayton on Monday - and he said "it's been a while - but I want to ride this weekend. Maybe I'll call Charlie, want to come? " My goal for this weekend was lots of riding, so I figure, sure, some easy miles with Clayton and Charlie L will be a good opener for the weekend. Both guys tell me "I am old, I am fat, I haven't ridden more than 2 hours in months, yadda yadda" . We even plan for me to ride from Astoria to Middle Village to meet them, in order to get some extra miles\level the playing field. Except from the moment we hit Union Turnpike, these guys were flying. Slow my ass . We make our way through Eastern Queens towards the famed Triangle, and continue east on the LIE service road towards Old Westbury. Some amazingly quiet roads (considering the fact that it was, the LIE service road), and we turn back in Old Westbury to take IU Willets back. We pass a crazy chick, who I thought was crying, but Charlie tells me he has seen her regularly in his rides, screaming and yelling at all times. Minus that, a very quiet area. I yoyo away from the guys (somehow I catch them on the up hill going up to Springfield...pity?). We eventually get past Cunningham, and take 75th Ave back to Kew Gardens Hills (no cars, few lights, lots of drafting Clayton potential). I figure each of them got 35 fast and furious miles, and my total for the day was about 45. I got home and had grandiose plans of cleaning \ laundry \ grocery shopping - however, sleeping won. Woke up at 6:30 . Alice didn't get home till maybe 9:30, so I still had time to be all domestic and look like a hero. Slept like a champ Saturday night as well, in addition to my 3 or 4 hour nap

All in all, 97 miles of awesome riding this weekend. I have some variations on Mark's frozen beard photo as well, if I can find my silly cable I'll upload them later. Monday - I am staying indoors

thanks guys.

PS - The beard makes winter riding so much more enjoyable - my face is surviving much better than it did last winter. I am keeping this thing till March.

That was a lot of fun today despite the brutal wind on the ride up to the GW - nice to ride on some new hills and break the usual monotony of a std HH Drive /9W/303 Sunday etc..my hands did pretty well but still not completely feeling my feet. Will sleep well tonight. Enjoyed riding with you guys - Josh, Ben, Marc JP, Dave V and Jeff C..i think. Enjoy the evening.

you guys are nucking futs

Ok, enough frozen ball worship. Who is in for tomorrow?
8am BB
Spirited 100k, depending on temps. The warmer it is, the harder we go.

I'm in for that one. Looks like the testicle forecast says only partially retracted.

Lolz

If I'm feeling non-dizzy I'm in.

9am NY side of GWB?

edit: nm - I checked the MLK thread.

Ok. Ten minute rule, given the temp
Post in the am if you're bailing...

j

Anyone heading out Sunday morning? Seems like good a.m. weather (forecast calling for low 30's/partly sunny) and dry - only catch might be the Saturday snow and how it might leave the roads....trying to figure out whether I should save my weekend hall pass........