To put this into context: unicycling is a warm activity. Last Sunday there was snow on the ground and ice on the puddles, and I ride several miles in my T shirt - and even considered taking that off; compared to that, today it was cold dank and foggy, with some icy patches, and even in T shirt and fleece, I was uncomfortably cold, and keen to get back to the car.
And as I rode in these conditions, I thought to myself that unicyclists were crazy people… until I saw the bloke water skiing!
40 mph in wet clothes, in a lake just above freezing, in foggy air just above freezing. And no gloves!
A small part of me wanted to say, ‘Look at that silly man! Look, he’s got no ski poles! Look at the clown.’
I always find it difficult to know what to wear when it’s cold. Until early december I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt; with 661s and cycling shorts underneath most of your legs are covered anyway, so you stay nice and warm if you’re doing trials or muni.
The problem is it feels rather daft, going out in shorts and t-shirt when everyone around is wearing big coats, hats, gloves, scarves and the works, and still looking cold. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking as they feel like they’re freezing to death and I go past sweating…
While shorts and a t-shirt might be okay when you’re warmed up, you end up freezing for the first five minutes. On several rides I’ve taken a jumper but only worn it for the first bit of the ride; then you just have to carry it around with you. Someone needs to invent edible jumpers or something.
I always wear shorts when i go out. Wether its for freestyle, trials or MUni.
When we (me and my dad) go out. He always try to get me to wear like ronhills, (u know, those cycling/running lycra pants. Err!). He says i will ‘get a chill’ or ‘ur legs will freeze’. But i guess that coz your legs are always moving. They stay warm!
COOL!
“Mikefule” <Mikefule.h3pqy@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message news:Mikefule.h3pqy@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
> And as I rode in these conditions, I thought to myself that unicyclists
> were crazy people… until I saw the bloke water skiing!
>
>
> –
Now Mike, as a fule you may well have a head start on the rest of us. Of
course you are crazy, But we all are: conjugate it fully.
I am crazy…you are crazy…he is crazy…we are crazy…etc etc
But unicycling is, as you say, relatively uncrazy (I cannot quite bring
myself to use the word sane).
I used to go winter night fishing. In the UK! That was crazy, not to say
problematic when the lake would freeze over during the long night, or once,
having arrived in darkness after a 60 mile trip, and having struggled to
assemble the gear with near frost bitten fingers, cast the line only to
hear the lead bounce across the ice. Being crazy is fine, but driving home
as an idiot is awful.
So I ride along on the unicycle now, feeling quite sensible really, a view
that is probably not wholly shared by the rest of the world.
Now, if I can just get this idling in time with the casting of the fly
line…
>I always find it difficult to know what to wear when it’s cold.
<rest snipped but it was equally applicable>
Every word you said applies to me too. Just the last few cold spells I
donned a warmer attire: jersey over t-shirt (just on for the whole
ride, let it sweat) and long trousers stripped up so that the 661’s
were on bare legs. Talk about daft
<www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/snow_2.jpg>
BTW, Phil, you were still awake quite late yesterday night - and yeah
I plead guilty too. :-p
Klaas Bil
The average length of film titles in English is 17 letters.
But then, it may still be better than in the summer, when I just end up literally dripping in sweat after not very long at all. Massive great hills don’t help, mind; that shouldn’t be as much of a problem this year.
Ever thought about joining an intelligence agency, Klaas? You’re a natural…
This should probably be clarified slighty, at least in my case: The riding in a t-shirt in winter doesn’t make me crazy. And lets not mention any other aspects of my character.
Having said that I was informed while attempting to bash a mullered wheel back into shape recently that if I had a jumper on I wouldn’t have a broken wheel. Maybe something to do with increased wind resistance while dropping?
Watersports in winter (I’m talking from a windsurfing perspective here, but it probably applies to waterskiing too) isn’t as bad as it sounds, because wetsuits are very, very nice things, athough you have to be prepared to scream like a girl on first entering the water. After that you’re generally warmer than spectators sat on the side wearing coats etc. Especially if its raining.
Actually, I just love riding this time of year. As mentioned earlier in the thread, at least you don’t end up sweating like crazy this time of year.
It is a treat to ride in T shirt and shorts and arrive at work or home only slightly damp instead of grossly dripping of sweat.
Sometimes in the summer and fall I would arrive at school from my uni commute dripping so much perspiration that I could barely see to unlock my office door - yuk ohhh!
We went on a two hour MUni ride today, lightly attired as the gray sky threatened snow and were totally comfortable - so long we kept pedalling. Didn’t take long to get cold if we stopped but why stop when you are in one of the nicest urban parks in western Canada and riding with good friends over perfect MUni trails… FUNNNNNN…yesss.
Heh. I ride my unicycle to look like a freak. But others must have a different opinion. Untill I got hooked on freestyle and Muni I thought I was doin a good job.
