Thursday, January 15, 2009

Bundle Up

Bundle up kiddies - it's cold out there.
Had to really bundle up yesterday morning (and will have to do so all this week) due to the wicked cold temperatures - you'd think I lived in Alaska or something. Yesterday morning it was minus twenty six with a wind chill of minus 39 degrees Celsius (that's -38.2 Fahrenheit for you Yanks). Exposed skin can freeze within a couple of minutes. My tongue was actually getting a little wind burned from the cold air I was breathing in; it felt all buzzy and numb. Yes, I am wearing a toque, or touque or tuque, under my helmet.
Still, it was better riding the bike than sitting in a car, in heavy traffic,
during a bus strike - suckas!

5 comments:

JSz said...

You are hard core man...or crazy.

Try putting some tape over your front vent holes of your helmet, I found that it really help cut brain freeze. (And it does not look like your riding with a shower cap on.)

Papa G said...

I wear my snowboarding helmet with no vents and that keeps my head nice and toasty.

This morning my bike gave up the ghost! My rear hub froze and the chain did not engage! I was pedaling but not going anywhere. Was able to coast down a couple of hills and walked the rest to work. I left it out in the sun and it seems to be back to normal now. Will have to bring it in for the night to thaw out properly.

g.

The Vegan Vagabond said...

Gilles, that happened to me last year. Eric at Joe Mamma fixed me up so it would never happen again and it took like 10min. It will happen to you again...and it sucks cause it will happen when its -25C.
Good for you guys, still biking in!

Peter M said...

Gilles, that's why I now ride a fixie all winter. It will keep happening to you as Tanya says. My short term solution was to carry a thermos of hot water with me to thaw the hub with.

Anonymous said...

Go freewheel!!!
Stay away from cassettes.
I've been doing this shit for about 18 years now in the worst of crap (ice storm of 98 had to be the worst of the worst).
Freewheels are the way to go.
Use rust inhibitor (buy at Canada tire). Works like a charm!!!

Me, I have a tendency to dress light.
Cause when you start sweating, you'll feel it.
Then you'll wanta get naked!