'Twas an ice-cold Novemberish morning

[venta]

Well. Eugh.

Today is raw cold and drizzly in Reading. It's like a mission-statement for November.

And a warning that for the next 3-4 months, cycling to work isn't going to be a lot of fun.

Brr. Must buy new gloves.

Comments

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Do you have to cycle on icy roads? I knew somebody who broke a femur doing that and it put me right off.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I cycle largely on shared use foot/cycle paths, and they certainly weren't icy last winter. At least, I guess they might have been when it was snowy over Christmas but I was off on holiday then.

If it looked really slithery on a particular morning I'd probably give up and get the bus, but certainly in general I don't have to contend with ice.

[alien8.livejournal.com]

Schwalbe Winter Marathons. <3

you doan need to be scared of no stinking ice or snow. it's fun :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Fun, you say?

You know how some people are adrenaline junkies?

I'm practically an adrenaline couch potato :)

[alien8.livejournal.com]

it's so easy with tyres like those, it's not really adrenaline generating at all..

either way, get them now before they sell out. They'll last quite a few years and you'll get used to taking tyres on and off which is good training for p*nctures.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I agree, a Finnish girl I met in Norway had them, they were awesome. She grew up using them, in the Arctic circle...

[alien8.livejournal.com]

ref those tyres: http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=19064

:)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ah!

Your first comment ommitted to mention they were tyres, and I got quite confused. I'd just assumed you were referring to some exciting, long-distance winter cycling event in a place called Schwalbe ;)

[exspelunca.livejournal.com]

A kudo for Les Barker?

[venta.livejournal.com]

... which is ironically probably the name of his next book.

Gloves recommendation

[a-llusive.livejournal.com]

Endura Strike waterproof gloves I have are warm - no problems this morning - leave some dexterity, and in more extreme weather conditions can be used with a shell over them, as they're not too bulky. They have gel in the palms to help grip & comfort, but not too much. As they're not 'ladies' you'd need small or extra small.

Of all the bike gloves I've purchased over the last 6 years of cycling in all seasons, they're the best.

Re: Gloves recommendation

[a-llusive.livejournal.com]

Turns out Endura do a variety of 'Strike' Gloves

The ones I'm talking about are these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=9367
I got them from a store at about £30 ish but they were well worth it - most other gloves like that I lose the feeling in my fingertips earlier in the year without shells. Double check as mine actually say 'waterproof' on the cuff and non-waterproof winter cycling gloves are really pointless.

Re: Gloves recommendation

[venta.livejournal.com]

Aha, thanks for the recommendation.

I have some Altura gloves which are very "ok", but not better. And even with silk glove liners last year, when the weather got properly chilly I was worried the ends of my fingers would snap off when I got in to work.

I usually find that a man's small is too large for my dainty little paws, but it seems they do come in extra-small so I'll probably give those a whirl.

Re: Gloves recommendation

[alien8.livejournal.com]

you want larger - you don't want tight gloves in winter - you need room for those silk inners. Summer gloves can be tight :)

Re: Gloves recommendation

[venta.livejournal.com]

I don't think I do... it's more a case of wanting my finger ends to be less than an inch from the end of the glove's finger ends!

(I don't think I have particularly small hands, but when I tried on some bloke's small cycling gloves the other day, they were massive!)

Re: Gloves recommendation

[alien8.livejournal.com]

brands differ hugely.. Sealskins are tight and VERY small - others I have a small is a large :-(

when you try them on ensure you have your inners on, and make sure they're not tight - that's really the key.