Cycling tip #5

If your feet are cold keep riding.

So some artic air move in. Something like 15 degrees out there. For one reason or others I have a desire to be out in it, riding. Obivously mtn biking is a much easier choice in the winter, but there is no real utility to it that is unless you are lucky enough to have rolling trails from your door. The public trails that actually go anywhere are typically Rails Trails, which mean flat usually near water and open. Not really giving you what you need to warm up. So open roads and Cold air usually means trainers for alot of cyclist. The thing is that I like cycling more for utility than a means of excerise. It gives some meaning to riding. Kinda like hunting bears food. I don't see the sporting aspect. I want to be out mostly because i enjoy it, secondly as a method of transportation and lastly because it is healthy. But maybe being healthy is what makes it feel good.
Sometime you go out the door in some what of a test mode. I know it is cold, but is it 15 miles and there are hills so what should I wear to be balanced. All of us around here know if you want to average 20 mph you wear spandex and clipless (clip onto) pedals. Which means you are wearing a shoe that is rigid and kinda tight feeling. If you put some 5mm neoprene over top it is pretty warm for a while. If you go with the Lakes you are probably good down to zero. But in long term I think flats and insulated boots are the warmest way.
So, back to riding so what is the appeal? Someone said "wasted miles". Here it is, there is no goal in store except to get from point a to point be. You want to see who can do it faster well that is a race, but now riding is social, so we go from point a to point a as a group with no real purpose other than it is fun and social.
So when you walk out the door alone it is no longer social. It is more soul shall. If I worked outside or had to do something physical I might feel the urge to rest in the warmth of a furnaced shelter, but I hardly call scraping ice off the car and walking a few hundred yards to sit on my buttocks a physical job. You see some can and do like to sit an be social, but my soul shall wants to be doing something. Either some problem solving or creating some kind of problem by pushing my physical limits. Just being self sufficiant unreliant and entertained to the point of thrill, while face with mental challenge and prepartion involved. I often feel deflated by the reality of having a schedule and responsibilities. Saying all this I have been driving to work. I could have road in, but I can't get up. I struggle at night to consistantly sleep but in the morning I like to wait til the suns shines. I could easily take 1 to 2 more hours each morning. I can not get myself to get those hours at night. My physical body and mind are scheduled. Come January I will have a schedule of daily work and life time routine. I need to work toward a way to shedule my schedule with balance with-in me and with those who I love.