The Adjustment

I'm still truckin'! I'm already a full TWO WEEKS past the date of when I packed it in last year.


I've been riding in the snow, in the sleet in the sub-zero wind... it's been quite an adjustment, but I feel like maybe winter's already thrown everything at us that we usually get in the wintertime, and if I've come this far, I might as well go all the way.

But yeah. Man. What an adjustment.

It's because I was raised, riding in a car, driving everywhere we went. It's because the childhood stationwagon warmed up for fifteen minutes before anyone got into it. It's because, being cold means you're going to get sick. God forbid you get cold...

This is why riding my bike in the wintertime is such an adjustment. This is why it's such an adjustment for anyone. As a human being and being raised in a culture that values its comfort so much, riding a bike in the wintertime is downright unAmerican.

I'm getting used to the layers and have been trying out different variations of layers of gloves. I use the fleece Bike Winter balaclava on cold days, and the super-space-age balaclava on very cold days. I've been experimenting with different kinds of socks, and as it turns out, one good pair of thick wooly socks beats the pants offa three layers of cotton socks. Go figure.

I love, love, LOVE my thigh-high legwarmers. We found them last year at H&M, and I haven't been out there yet this year to see if they've come back, but they were $5 a pair. Ridiculously cheap and thick and knit and they're really helping me out.

And I've found that I like my arms to be a little cold, but I want my trunk to be very warm. I like my back and my shoulders and my chest to be all nice and toasty, but if I was bundled like that all over, I'd be way too warm. So I purposely dress so that my arms from wrist to shoulder catch just the slightest chill. I think it regulates my temperature well.

I've had a couple skids. Nothing that's put me on the ground or anything, but just a couple little slips, and then I catch myself and carry on. It's so important to stay calm when riding in slick conditions. When your brain knows the physics of the situation, but your reflex is to do something completely different... try to let go and let your brain.