Two-wheel striptease!

Two training sessions today.  First on was outdoors.  Second was on the indoor trainer. 

It was 11F in a few of the hollows on the mountain. I don't ride the mountain when there has been snow and freezing temps: black ice just where you don't need it. 


Instead, took off from 3 miles north of Wilhoit south to Kirkland and back. 2100 ft of climbing over 26.5 miles.  (Moving skin show route)
 
 Still, it was 14F when I left and 50 when I returned. THAT is what the sun does at altitude.

I wore everything I had:

• insulated socks,
• merino leggings,
• leg warmers,
• pair of Reverse Gear shorts,
• a set of nylon windbreaker pants over all of that;
• Top was merino long jersey, 
• poofy wool armwarmers,
• two wool jerseys,
• a windbreaker,
• and ANOTHER windbreaker.
• balaclava,
• a skull cap.
• a pair of warm lobster gloves,
• a pair of lobster gloves shell,
• chemical toe warmers,
• chemical hand warmers.

After I rode uphill for about 3 miles, just enough to get a nice wet sweat, I turned and started a 9 mile, non-stop descent from the mountain to the upland flats leading to Kirkland.  The descent into the wind on the way down put me easily into single digit wind chill.  

It was sunny and 50F in Kirkland so I wound up taking off half the clothes for the climb back up.  There I was, on the side of the road, disrobing down to almost nothing.   The ride back up had me too hot, sweating. 

It wasn't pretty.  But it was worth it.


I felt like the Pillsbury doughboy.