Bicycling for Fun and Fitness by George

Getting Rolling Again.

2012-02-18T11:55:00.000-06:00

I'm back! Blogging will become much more regular again.

Now that the winter is not over, but on its way out, and I am recovered from my latest shoulder surgery I need to start training for summer rides. I have several rides planned so far:

RPTI Spring Walk 'n Ride - 5/19/12 - 42 mi.
Pedalers Jamboree - 5/26-27/12 - 30 mi x 2 days = 60 mi.
Tour de Cure - 6/2//12 - 100 mi
RAGBRAI - 7/22-28/12 (if drawn in the participation lottery) - 7 days 471.1mi.

Of course, there will be a couple of ADA training rides, weekly rides and a few more group/charity/planned rides added as I am able to schedule. However, I will need to see my knee doc for a cortisone injection or two over the next six months. We are trying to put off replacement as long as possible....hopefully several years.

Over the past six weeks I have been able to spend about 20 hours on the indoor recumbent (45 - 60 min/day). So my legs are feeling good. I use one of the presets that gives me hills (changes in resistance) so there is somewhat of a challenge and realism.

As soon as the weather is consistently in the 50's early in the day I will begin outdoor training rides. I bought an older used Giant Quasar road bike that I stripped down to the frame, cleaned and tuned up. I am doing a few inexpensive upgrades to go from 12 speed to 14 speed. That involves replacing wheels, derailleurs, and shifters (or brifters). I do not like the stem mounted shifters, but can get used to them if I stay with the six cog 12 speed. I need to change the derailleur and shifters when I mount the 700c wheels and and seven cog wheel set.

Until next time.......

50 Happiest People in America Today

2012-02-01T17:04:00.000-06:00

50 Happiest People in America Today

It is Time to Get back to Writing

2011-07-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

I have really been unfaithful about writing in my blog. Somehow I need to make this a daily routine again. Since my last posting I have been doing a lot of riding even though the rains and storms have interrupted. Over the next several days I will be catching up beginning with rides that were taken in preparation for our journey on the Katy Trail and the Tour de Cure, as well as those rides themselves. Tomorrow it will be the rides from April 17 to May 15.

Until tomorrow....

Cold, Windy and Misty

2011-04-16T16:14:00.003-05:00

This morning I did the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure Kickoff Ride starting at Gold's Gym in O'Fallon, IL. This was a 30 mile ride and would have been pleasant if it was a little warmer, and less windy. The temps were between 40 and 43 degrees according to my bike computer and the wind chill probably close to freezing. Before the ride even started the wind lifted the registration tents and folded them over the dining tent. All of the three pop-up tent frames were lost, but we managed to save the custom ADA logo canopies....probably the most expensive parts. Because of the the weather many registered participants did not show and there were a couple of on-site registrants. I have no idea how many were expected, but based on the leftover box lunches it looks like there were at least 30. There were about 20 participants of all ages who braved the weather, plus a two-year old riding as a passenger in a carrier on her father's bike.

The O'Fallon Police Dept. really helped with the first couple of traffic lights and directed us through the intersections, but once the pack spread out there was little traffic support, but none really needed since most of the ride was on through streets or in the countryside north and west of O'Fallon with the halfway point in Collinsville. The Bike Surgeon truck kept checking on us and there was another SAG van that followed us stragglers from the halfway point to the end.

This was one of the most challenging rides I have ever been on, after last year's Katy Trail ride. The really cold wind really slowed me down and I was well below my recent average speed range of 11-12 mph. This one came in at 8.3 mph average speed. Seven Hills Rd in O'Fallon really has seven hills, these I could ride, but I had to walk my bike up three other hills after the halfway point because of cramping in my legs and others were at only 2-4 mph. The sport drink I made from lemon juice, salt and Crystal Lite helped a little, but my legs still felt tired. I need to work on food nutrition and bring more of the right kind of snacks with me. One drawback on the ride that I hope the planners look at for next year is to have a break stop every 10-11 miles rather than only at the halfway point. Ten miles would put a break about every 40-60 minutes for the average rider and would allow for planned needed nutrition and rest.

I read in the paper before I left that bicycle rides would have a good balanced meal about three hours before the ride for maximum endurance. I had breakfast about two hours before the ride and it was light. Like I said in my last post, I need to work on nutrition. I took off three pounds since last Saturday, some because of diet, but most of it probably today as a result of some dehydration. I will have to see what it is like tomorrow and Monday.

Anyway, until next time, here is the route and stats:

&lt;br /> &lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31891988">Tour de Cure Kickoff ride Apr 16, 2011 1:56 PM&lt;/a>&lt;br/>&lt;br /> &lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=O'Fallon, IL">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in O'Fallon, IL&lt;/a>&lt;br />

"Summer" Afternoon Ride

2011-04-09T17:29:00.001-05:00

Today was a warm sunny day after early morning storms woke us up. My training plan for the May Katy Trail trip and the Tour de Cure century ride is to do weekly long rides with short conditioning rides and strength training during the week in addition to my very short commute. I will gradually increase my rides so that I peak at about 80 miles the week before the Tour de Cure. At today's speed it will take about 8 hours to do 100 miles. The Katy Trail ride is two weeks before the tour and I will be doing 50-65 mile rides each day for the four days of that excursion. Last week I did a 36+ mile group ride and next Saturday is the Tour de Cure Kickoff ride in O'Fallon, IL. That one will be for 30 miles. By the beginning of May I should be up to 55-60 mile rides.

A secondary goal is to lose about 1 lb. per week up to the Tour ride. Losing that 8 extra pounds of visceral fat will add to my endurance since I will not have to carry it on the bike. Last year I lost 5 lbs on the Kary Trail ride, but that was mostly fluid loss due to heat and humidity. I need to start thinking about and planning for ride nutrition. Today I stopped every ten miles and had a banana and/or granola bar. That energy boost helped, but I need to take a step further and plan on replacing electrolytes with a sports drink to supplement water. The energy gels really helped on the Katy Trail, but I need to decide how often to take in nutrition and what kind to keep me going when I do the century ride for the Tour. As I study and experiment, I will share my results here.

Anyway, here is today's ride:

 <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31341952">MapMyRide Apr 9, 2011 3:41 PM</a> <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Maryville, IL">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Maryville, IL</a>

Short Ride Before Dinner

2011-04-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

Between reading research papers, updating web sites and doctor's appointments today I finally made time for a short 40 minute ride before dinner. The last time I was on part of this route I could barely get to 6 mph because of headwinds. This time I cruised at 14 mph through that same area.

The local paper published an article I wrote on bicycle safety right on the front page and in big enough print that I did not need my reading glasses. The publisher really supports cycling.

Here is my route for today

&lt;br /> &lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31269846">MapMyRide Apr 8, 2011 6:21 PM&lt;/a>&lt;br/>&lt;br /> &lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Lebanon, IL">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Lebanon, IL&lt;/a>&lt;br />

B.A.B.E.S. Ride

2011-04-02T22:39:00.004-05:00

Today I went on a B.A.B.E.S. (Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society). The ride started at the Metro East Parks and Recreation District office in Collinsville and did a big loop using MCT Trails and streets in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. As usual, my GPS hiccuped and added a a16 mile addition to my trip, but my official bike computer mileage was 36.29 mi. The group was friendly with ages probably ranging from 30's to late 60's. everyone worked well together and ride leader Dave Wiedler talked with me during the first 10 mi., filling me in on trails, routes, rides, etc. Of course, I was keeping up the rear since this was my first long ride of the season.

The first 4 miles was into a good headwind and I worked to keep up with the group. Then we climbed on a gradual incline after a break at about 10 miles. There were some downhills that helped and stops to look at lakes and other trails. There were a few steep climbs that were very challenging and required me to use my "creeper" gears. About 20 miles into the trip we stopped at an Ice Cream stand....had a low sugar snack that really helped and sat for about 20 minutes. Then we were off on the final leg. That was a pleasant leg, lots of downhill that gave me a chance to really recover. I really enjoyed seeing some new sites and routes that I had not tried, but most of the trails I have been riding so I knew where we were.

I will do this again. On April 16 I have a 30 mi. ride in O'Fallon as a kickoff for the Tour de Cure. May 14 is the RPTI National Bicycle Month Ride. I will probably do one of the shorter routes since I will more than likely work registration. May 17-21 is the Katy Trail 240 mi trip with George, Jr. June 4 is the Tour de cure and if I raise $1,000 by April 15 I plan to ride 100 mi. that day. June 10-12 I will ride with a group from St Charles to Hermann and back for the weekend....Marie is providing SAG support. I decided not to do RAGBRAI this year for various reasons, mostly budgetary, but will do other rides in July. At the beginning of August I will be in Philadelphia for another conference and plan to bring my bike so I can ride some of the Schuylkill trails while there. Should be a busy summer...my health goal is to take off 10-15 lbs. by September.

Until next time......

 <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/30832414">B.A.B.E.S. Group Ride 4-2-11</a> <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Collinsville, IL">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Collinsville, IL</a>

Big Contrast from Last Week

2011-03-27T14:19:00.001-05:00

My last post from March 20 was after a 16+ mile bike ride in 80+ degree weather. Stark contrast from what we had yesterday with over 5" on the ground....

Needless to say, my bike riding has again been delayed. However, future rides are planned and scheduled. April 16 will be a 30 mile kick-off in O'Fallon, IL for the Tour de Cure. On April 30 we plan to do a local ride for the health fair in town on the new Lebanon bike route designations. In May the RPTI plans to hold a ride on the second Saturday. The third week is four day 200+ mi. Katy Trail ride with George, Jr. June 4 is the Tour de Cure in Grafton and a week later has us doing a ride from St Charles to Hermann for a couple of nights there then back (Marie is providing SAG support for the group). In July I might do the RAGBRAI, but I need to decide by April 1 to be in the lottery for it.

Anyway, here is what the snow scene from last night looks like today...

Until next time...

First day of Spring!

2011-03-20T23:28:00.001-05:00

This was a great weekend for riding. Yesterday I went to Dunlap, IL for a League of Illinois Bicyclists Board of Directors meeting. I have been on the board for a year and for the first time had a face-to-face meeting with the board. Weather and work got in the way of the last two face-to-faces, but teleconferencing works, too. I did meet two other board members at other activities. It was really good to put faces with the voices.

Yesterday I did a relatively short ride doing loops in Lebanon. I thought of taking a windbreaker, but decided not to. The temp dropped from over 60 to 53 in only a half hour. I ended up cutting the ride short at under five miles since my long sleeve t-shirt ended up not being enough. I made up for it today by doing a 16 + mi. ride. It was good, my top speed was almost 34 mph going downhill. But the 15-20 mph headwind on the last five miles was murder. I had difficulty coasting downhill and was lucky the dogs were not out even though I was prepared with my halt. Some adolescent thought she would rattle me on IL 158 when she screamed out the window at 55 + mph. I saw the pickup coming in my mirror. But got lots of waves from other motorists and motorcyclists, I only saw one other bicyclist in the country and he did not acknowledge me, I guess my hybrid going into the wind did not warrant a hand stretch.

Until next time....

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &lt;a href='http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1046254'>here&lt;/a> instead.

Lebanon's First Offical Bike Route

2011-03-15T13:48:00.000-05:00

After a couple of years of planning, talking and approvals, the first bike route signs were just installed in Lebanon, IL. The route is now official!

The Congressional Bike Ride Video

2011-03-15T13:46:00.000-05:00

It was great participating in the ride chronicled in a previous posting. Here is the official video.

National Bike Summit 2011: Congressional Bike Ride (for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

National Bike Summit

2011-03-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

Last week I participated in the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, this event is a primary vehicle to get the message about the need for transportation funds to be used for people powered projects to members of congress. There were over 800 participants from across the country and we met with over 400 members of congress in one day on the Hill. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was our key note speaker on Tuesday and we also heard from Congressman Earl Blumenaur (D OR) who also is a strong supporter of bicycling. The last day of the summit was the Congressional Bike Ride, this year it was in honor of Congresswoman Gabriel Gifford (D AZ). The ride was mostly on the recently completed bike routes in D.C. including the two-way bike lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue, 15th St and 16th St. The loop was a little over 9 miles, but I also rode almost a mile each way from the hotel to the starting point at the capital. Because of the traffic lights, there was a lot of stop and go. One of the riders commented that this ride was like a critical mass ride with manners because the riders actually stopped at lights and stop signs.

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &lt;a href='http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1037704'>here&lt;/a> instead.

My GPS Hiccuped

2011-02-20T15:26:00.000-06:00

I downloaded a new GPS tracking program yesterday to get a few more bells and whistles like a calorie estimator. It allows a choice of road bike or mountain bike. I selected road bike and I guess that threw it off. As soon as the trail I was on left the proximity of a street the GPS signal was lost and for whatever reason showed that I went to just outside Eau Claire, WI and back at 322+ mph.

Anyway, the ride was good. Using clipless peddles really makes a difference with maintaining a constant cadence and gave me more power on hills. It did not take me long to get used to them since I have been using clips since early last summer and was accustomed to twisting to get my foot out of the pedal. The biggest drawback on this ride was the last mile or so where I had up to 30 mph headwinds. At times I was lucky to be going 5 mph. My HRM showed me to have burned 1248 calories.

Well, based on what I am seeing with the 10 day forecast it looks like I will not be riding outdoors for a while. Hopefully I will be able to get one more ride in before going to the National Bicycle Summit in D.C.

Until next time.....

Lazy Day....

2011-02-19T16:30:00.000-06:00

I did some "home" work today and and by the time I was finished could not get out to ride, though the weather was not bad. Right now the temperature is 55. I did, however, make time to install cleats on my cycling shoes and put the clipless pedals that I purchased at the Bike Expo several weeks ago on my bike. I then practiced clipping in and out while on the trainer rack. Tomorrow I plan to go to the Madison County trails for a 15-20 mile easy ride so I can take time to adjust the cleat position on my shoes for a comfortable fit.

This means that unless I can find the platform adapters that go with the Wellgo pedals, I will need to change out the pedals when I want to wear street shoes to ride or use Marie's bike when I commute to school. With the exception of 7 speeds versus 21 speeds, plus a few small accessories for my long rides, our bikes are identical. Basically, Marie's bicycle is a stock Giant Suede.

I am staying at about 2000 calories or less per day, so my fat should be gradually melting away. One of my colleagues was out of town for a week and the first time he saw me upon returning noticed that I was a little more trim.....it must be working! My weight is not dropping since my last big loss so I must still be exchanging muscle for fat.

I "attended" a webinar on what to expect at the National Bike Summit being held in Washington, D.C. in two weeks. There was a lot of great information and resources to help prepare for the meetings with members of congress and/or their staff on Thursday of the event. Friday morning we will be doing a ride with members of the Senate and House Bicycling Caucuses. I hope the weather is good that morning!

Great February Day!

2011-02-16T18:10:00.001-06:00

After working in my office, attending meetings and meeting with research students all day I decided to go on an in-town ride for three circuits on a four mile loop I measured last year. Tonight is a writing night for my class, and I am communicating online with them individually as they work on their research project literature reviews all evening. Thus the accidental opportunity to do a late afternoon ride.

The weather was clear and the temperature in the upper 60's. I was almost too warm in a long sleeve shirt and long riding tights, but shorts might have been a little cool in the wind. The wind was from the south and was a challenge for half the trip. It really be good when we get the bike route signs up on Monroe. Then motorists will definitely be aware that we will be out there on our pedal powered vehicles.

The four mile loop can easily become about a five mile loop if the Horner Park gates are open. If I am elected to the Horner Park Board in April I will work to get the park ordinance changed to open the gates every day of the year from dawn to dusk unless there is snow and/or ice on the roads. The park needs to be truly open every day of the year, not open only in theory from November through March.

Until next time.....

Finally! An Outdoor Ride

2011-02-13T15:27:00.001-06:00

The temp was over 60 today so I went for a short warm-up ride. except for the need to put a little air in my tires my bike was ready to go. Since I am not ready to out sprint dogs I decided to take a route to the north and turn around before the two dog places. The wind from the south slowed me down a bit on the return trip, but I was able to maintain a fairly consistent cadence. There were a lot of runners out there today and a family rode their bikes to Horner Park, but alas, had to park them outside the closed gate. We need to change the ordnance to allow the gates to be open year-round except when there is snow and/or ice on the park roads.

Anyway, here is my trip. A combination of elevation changes and wind impacted the average speed. The fastest speed was 29.2 mph and the average was 10.5. I need to begin averaging around 15 mph before I try doing a century bike ride, otherwise it could take me about 10 hours.

Exercise Injury

2011-02-09T11:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I seemed to have suffered a minor strain of the quadriceps in my right leg. Even though I was completely warmed up, while doing lunge steps something popped in my right leg with immediate pain. I have been resting it since then and it feels much better. Today's ride was cut short because I did not want to irritate my leg. My researched guess is that all the bike riding has really shortened the muscles in my leg and I need to do more specific stretching for some exercises and perhaps not be as aggressive until I get more flexibility.

In the mean time the weather looks better for this weekend. I might be able to get outside for a real ride on Sunday afternoon. Spring does appear to be around the corner. My next big ride is at the Bike Summit in DC when we do the Congressional Bike Caucus Ride in honor of Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

Until next time...

More Snow?

2011-02-05T16:32:00.000-06:00

This has been a crazy week, first the ice and snow storm that fizzled out, then the bitter cold, today another 3-4 inches of snow, rain and snow for tomorrow, another 4-6 inches tomorrow night......enough already. I am getting a lot of time and miles in on the recumbent, but it would be nice to have real tires under me.

Last week at the Bike Expo I purchased a used pair of Wellgo clipless pedals for $5 and ordered a pair of Wellgo cleats for my shoes from Amazon (with a gift card and points there was no cost). If these work well, then I might look into an upgrade to something a little more sophisticated. Of course, I still use street shoes when riding to work, so it probably means changing out the pedals for my real rides or possibly taking Marie's bike to the office. The other option is keeping a pair of go-with-anything dress shoes in my office.

The Pocket Trainer program is working well. I have to ask for alternative exercises often because it is asking me to do something I cannot do or with a piece of equipment I do not have, like balance myself kneeling on a ball. My body is not shaped right for that....maybe someday. I do have to say that the workouts are as intense as when I was paying $50/hr for a trainer at Gold's. My weight is not going down, but I feel firmer and a lot better. My wristwatch is loose and my trousers fit better.....I must be replacing fat with muscle again.

Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snow, A Good Day to Ride Indoors

2011-02-01T16:26:00.000-06:00

Within 20 miles we have projected snowfall amounts ranging from 3 inches to over 2 feet. Everything is closed, no place to go, a great day to do indoor activity. It is definitely not an outdoor biking day.

I was on the indoor recumbent for an hour today and cycled 16 miles. That put me over the total miles biked from August 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 by about one mile. Even though it is on an indoor recumbent, it is still cardio pedaling and probably as intense as riding the bike outdoors. I even have a headwind provided by a floor fan, but it does not hold me back, just helps cool.

Tomorrow is a strength training day. Until next time......

A New Fitness Program

2011-01-25T10:39:00.000-06:00

Today I started using a new fitness program, Pocket Trainer, on my Blackberry. The program is great. There are videos to demonstrate the exercises, you can select alternate exercises if what is recommended does not work or cannot be done comfortably. The program keeps you going and even schedules rest periods. Everything is kept in a history and it adjusts the workouts according to age, weight, etc. For the first time in weeks I was sweating like a horse when I finished the 40 minute workout (there are choices 20 min., 40 min., 60 min.). Plus it has an option to select if in a gym/home or traveling. So far it has my recommendation.

Today my ride put me over the total bike mileage for Sept-Dec. 2010 in just this month. If I can keep up this pace I should easily exceed 2400 miles on the year.

No Time for a Day Off.....Yet

2011-01-23T13:13:00.000-06:00

I am still plugging away and have not missed a day this year. Of course, some time in the near future I will need to take a "recovery" day to give my body a rest so my metabolism can get another jump start.

I really cannot wait until the weather breaks and we start getting days in the 40's and 50's again. Then I can begin doing outdoor rides. They are a little more intense and the scenery changes. Right now I have to settle for whatever I can find on TV to keep me interested so the time goes by "faster."

Weight training has been a little boring. I need to find a weight training book on Amazon so I can get more variety with the weights I have.

Anyway, so long for now....

Five Pounds!

2011-01-17T11:27:00.000-06:00

My metabolism is turned on....lost 5 lbs since the end of December, only 25 more to go on to my goal on this round. I have mot missed a day of exercise so far this year. It will take a day on the road, an injury, or an unexpected event for me to miss a day. Wednesday I have physical therapy for my neck early in the morning, so I will do my strength training either later in the morning or a ride later in the morning and strength training on Thursday before I go to Charleston to pick up Marie. On Friday I need to do my workout early in the morning before meetings start at 9:30 AM.

While Gold's Gym gave me more variety, having my own "gym" in the basement is giving me much, much more convenience and consistency. As soon as the weather breaks and we have consistent days in the 40's and 50's my riding will move to outdoors 3-4 days a week with strength training on the other days.

Staying On Track....Finally

2011-01-12T11:55:00.000-06:00

Just a short note.....I have done strength and/or cardio training every day so far this month (year). Thus far I have exceeded the total miles biked in 12 days then I did the entire months of November and December. In 11 more miles I will have exceeded the mileage for the month of October, too. My furnace has been turned on and I am seeing some weight loss again.

Why Am I Doing This?

2011-01-09T13:58:00.000-06:00

I guess I am now back in the habit. While I know why I am doing this, I still have to ask why? Though I feel better (except for the pinched nerve in my neck), after almost two weeks of daily exercise I am not "seeing" any difference. I even limit myself to a single serving at meals and my between meal snacks are light and healthy. My weight and waist are the same, but I notice that it does not take as much exercise, even simple things like cleaning, to start perspiring. That must mean that I have more muscle that is burning fat. Ten minutes on the exercise bike and I am soaking wet....even with the floor fan going.

Of course, six days on a Prednisone pack for my pinched nerve probably did not help the weight. About 14 years ago when my diabetes was diagnosed, but before the asthma was diagnosed, my physician hospitalized me several times to treat me with massive doses of Prednisone to break up the severe "chest colds" I was getting. The reasoning was to constantly monitor my glucose levels during the treatment. The result was significant weight gain....I gained about 50 lbs in a year. Too bad it was after that that we discovered that what I really had was a severe allergy to mold, and that I was really having asthma episodes after almost constant exposure to mold growing in the walls of our apartment and hidden on the wall behind my bed stand. Mold is still a big problem, but now I know how to control the episodes. Only about 25 lbs to go to get back to that weight level....only problem is that the only real fat on my body is visceral fat and that is taking a long time to eliminate.

Classes begin again week and I am carrying almost 21 hours of teaching load (12 hours is a full-time load). While my night and online classes will not interfere with my routine, it is difficult to stay on track with student teacher supervision. I have five graduate level student teachers. That means 25 site visits/observations in the next 14 weeks. Some weeks I will have no visits and some will be packed, it all depends upon their teaching schedules. Throw in committee and faculty senate meetings and that means exercising really early in the morning and having very long days the three days I teach at night.

Hopefully I will be able to meet my body goals as a result of this load, there definitely will be no time to be a couch potato.

Every Day This Year.....So Far

2011-01-05T11:01:00.000-06:00

So far I have exercised every day this year. Already I generally feel better and can tell that I am again in weight/waist reduction, but I have a pinched nerve in my neck that gives me some problems doing mundane tasks, though not while exercising. I am taking prescribed medication to reduce the nerve inflammation and now seeing a physical therapist. After two days, there is some relief, but time will tell. The last time I had this problem it took a cortisone injection into the nerve to settle it down....that is the last resort.

My new bicycle shoes should be here by Friday. While it is too cold for me to be riding outdoors, I will try them on my recumbent exercise bike. Even there long rides get some numbness in my toes.

The cold winter is hard when bicycling is the primary form of cardio exercise. I know that the really serious bicyclists ride in all weather, but I have not gotten to that point...maybe some day. So far, I am just fair weather serious when the temps are at least in the mid-50's and it is dry.