Cool Biking

The week of Nov 12, was for the most part, fairly warm for this time of year. With a normal high in the upper 40's, high temperatures that week were in the 50's, and even a couple days in the low 60's. Most of those days, however, it was very windy. When it comes to late fall biking, I have yet to figure out a few things out.

Biking in cooler weather and the wind poses some interesting challenges. First, there is a difference of a strong wind, as experienced on many of those days that week, with the exception of Wednesday when the wind was not as strong. For some reason, biking against a strong wind seems more difficult in cold or cool weather than in warm weather. Biking on 18 Nov I was against a wind stronger than I thought, and going up a hill I am usually in gear 11 or 12, but I had to go down to gear 9. Is the wind worse in the fall due to lack of vegetation, or when crossing the lake on the longest bike bridge in the United States, it whips across cold water? For example, Sunday, Nov 12,  even though the wind was strong it was from a south-southeast direction, so I was not much bothered until the last couple miles home. Further, the days that are warmer in the fall also seems to be the ones with strong winds. I think it was Tuesday of that week that the strong wind seemed to change direction and at parts I swear I was heading into that wind on the way to the Lussier Center and on the way back home. Biking on 11/20, I thought I was fortunate that the wind to Lussier was not bad at all, and then at my turn around point things got bad, most of the trip home. 

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The sun can also make a difference in how I dress for biking on a cooler weather day. Although as the days shorten, the sun is not near as intense at its low angle, and so its affect is being minimized. It is still better than biking on a cloudy day. On days when I have not been buffeted by the wind I generally extend my route in town another 2.25 miles. 

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But, beyond how I dress or bike in this cooler weather, I am surprised about the varied dress of the people I come across who are walking. I often get amused, and sometimes it lightens my struggle with the wind. I realize that the wind can create a windchill, but still it has not been unusual to see people dressed in winter coats with their hoods up at 50 degrees, and at the same time others may be in shorts or short sleeve shirts. One amusing person was walking his dog and had on shorts, but layered with long sleeved shirts, and a polar fleece ear coverings. I also have seen, with weather in the 50's people with heavy winter coats and bomber hats. It made me wonder what those people do when it really gets cold. Perhaps they stay inside all day. I would guess that most people I have seen have been dressed in a midweight coat. I did bike on Monday of this week when temperature was about 38 or 39 degrees, and my weather app had a 5 to 6 mph wind. I was surprised to see about ten other bikers on my bike bridge route. I guess I am not the only stupid person. I was going to bike outside Tuesday, but the wind seemed too strong.

In the end, as I bike in the cooler weather, the challenge may be how to dress, but I do get some amusement in people watching as I bike along the paths and trails.