winter biking

WINTER BIKING


Oh My Sweet Baby Jesus!! You ingrate bastards get YET ANOTHER weekend full of guest articles. I can’t believe I’ve had that many suckers contribute their time writing for you people.

*

Duane, you stud muffin, you. Thanks, I got the book today in the mail. How hard is this concept, people? You must keep me all warm and fuzzy with gifts. Like it is rocket science ( Rocket Science ) or something. Kind of like the leveling off of petroleum supplies bumping up against perpetual growth equaling economic collapse. How hard is it to understand? Go look at this chart, then get back with me.

http://www.theoildrum.com/files/FIG_03_WORLD_NET_OIL_EXPORTS_2009.PNG

I swear, some of you are piss poor survivalists. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Why do you have it backwards, preparing for the best? If your dreams are of glitter, unicorns and butterscotch kisses ( Yes, I know, I’m in awe of that phrase also- it shall be an article title soon ), you aren’t paranoid enough. If you have more money than you can afford to lose in any electronic form which is “guaranteed” by any organization such as a bank account, a pension or a 401(k), you have not been paying attention. Okay, if you are just here for the chuckles and grins, fine. But I get to continually berate you.

*

Tomorrow or Monday I’ll get back to blathering on and on about some abstract concept that is largely irrelevant except for bolstering my insane fear and paranoia. Today, I’ll lean towards the more practical. Personally, I wouldn’t get used to it. I know you all look at me and sadly shake your heads, wondering why I won’t just join your club of SUV driving Yuppies ( The Yuppie Handbook: The State-of-the Art Manual for Young Urban Professionals ), buy a fuel efficient vehicle on a seven year loan, paying a higher interest rate for a unit instantly upside down in value and patiently wait until there is no more fuel available for it. What kind of sad sack bikes to work in the winter, you wonder. Those that believe we will all be biking to work very shortly. Just like eating whole wheat ( Master Bread Making Using Whole Wheat ) everyday toughens you up for a future diet of gruel with a small serving of long pork on holidays. I’m going to cover the practical aspects of cold weather biking. Feel free to ignore this advice, but then I don’t want to hear how I didn’t try to warn you. Just like every other type of activity a frugal or semi-sufficient lifestyle forces upon you, cold weather biking takes planning and prior equipment purchases.

*

You can try to wait for the last minute for the collapse to get worse. Of course, by then you won’t have money for lack of a job nor will anything be available for sale with trade ending. Of course, if you don’t have a bike you really don’t have to worry about biking in the winter. Walking and biking are a bit different, clothing wise. Walking requires sturdy boots, biking just needs warm ones. I can’t wear thermal underwear biking ( because of sweating ) so substitute wool layers. And biking you will need wind protection at all times. When I first moved here I already owned thermals and a Navy type long wool coat. Kind of like a pea coat ( Old Navy Boys Wool-Blend Pea Coats ), but down to your shins. Got that expensive sucker trash picken and it was mine for $6 in dry cleaning fees. Anyway, neither one was adequate for biking, however much good they did for the cold. That coat is so dense and heavy it is like wearing a lead vest in an X-ray. And it was so long I couldn’t wear it sitting down. The cold weather gear you have now might not do you any good biking. If you foresee the need to bike in the future.

*

At about 60 I only need a sweater. I use a cotton one since it cuts the wind. Below that, I have a wool sweater under the cotton one and put on my wool mitten liners ( I use the mittens with the trigger finger, having gotten them military surplus cheap )( Newberry Knitting Wool Glove Liner Md ) and a poly beanie cap. Under fifty I put on my OD green military jacket ( the cammo ones are gay. I was issued cammo, traded it for OD as they were still authorized for wear and kept hold of it for years. The current one was a thrift store replacement since I finally got rid of the jackets after the move to Florida ) for the windbreaker with a light wool sweater underneath. I also add another poly or cotton beanie cap for a double layer. 40 to 45 I add my regular military surplus mittens over the liners. These are the only protection my hands have. After an hour in below zero weather, your hands start to feel the cold. But they warm right back up once inside, so I don’t think they are dangerously cold, just uncomfortably cold. My feet are another matter. I let those get cold and they hurt for hours afterward. Once it gets below 32, I have to substitute my leather boots for snow boots ( Sorels, also free from trash picken )( Sorel Men's Caribou Boot,Bruno,10 M ). I actually am OK with the leather boots in the twenties and don’t get painful thawing until the teens, but I usually just wear snow boots October through the end of March and keep the leather boots at work to change into. I just installed one of those outdoor/indoor wireless units that tell you the temp, bought at the thrift store quit reasonably. The last two winters I had to already be bundled to go outside to read the gauge. So I just went with the snows as a matter of course ( the only place in the shade for the gauge forced me to go out and look ). I see little reason to change even with the indoor gauge reader since our six month winters include plenty of days in the teens and almost none above the twenties for lows

*

Also once under 32, it is time to wear two wool sweaters, one light and the other heavy. And a third beanie of wool ( sometimes I put that on as it gets under 40, depending if I’m acclimated to the cold yet- as in, I’m colder in the fall verses to middle of winter ). Once it hits 20, it is time to add a third wool sweater. Not for the extra layer so much as the zip up neck covering. I like that much more than a scarf, which seems to always chock me. And 20 is also when I add a forth head covering. The first layer on is a full head covering ski mask ( they fit well around my eye glasses and cover the maximum area of skin )( Black Warm Winter Ski and Face Mask ). At ten degrees, it is time for my wool pants ( Hunting: Cabela's Legacy Superwash Wool Pants - Charcoal (W42/I32) ). Not the wool slacks you see in the thrift store, the military surplus. They go over my regular pants. And that is enough. Ten above or twenty below is the same outfit. Now, I don’t usually have to worry about moist cold. Our little desert is pretty dry. You Damn Yankees back east might not find the above adequate. Perhaps you need a snowmobile suit ( Mossi Black and Red X-Large Men's 1 Piece Snow Suit ) or something. I like layers, and this outfit works for a dry climate. Your mileage might vary. I hope this helps as you prepare for a more old fashion, primitive and frugal winter transportation.

END

The Official Bison Web Site http://www.bisonpress.com/
*
My e-mail is jimd303@netzero.com
*
Anyone can submit a guest article. No minimum word length, no writing skill necessary ( just get the idea across ). You retain copyright ( this must be your original writing ) and I’ll just use the once. I’ve yet to turn down an article, just don’t use the N Bomb or libel another that can sue me. Send by e-mail ( please, label as “guest article” so I can find it easily later ). Payment will be your removal from my enemies list.
*
Please support Bison by buying through the Amazon links in each article. You can purchase anything, not just the linked item. Enter Amazon through my item link and then go to whatever other item you desire. As long as you don’t leave Amazon until after the order is placed, I get credit for your purchase. Thank you.