Milwaukeeize

Cross training my gear

UniBiker — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:50:17 +0000

Riding to work the last few weeks my feet have been slightly chilled at the end of my commute. My feet tend to perspire somewhat leading to damp, cool feet. Now to solve this problem, I have started with my socks. Being an avid downhill skier, I have collected several pairs of ski socks over the years. The fabric these are made of have the ability to breathe and retain warmth at the same time. There are several different brands and styles available but I tend to favor ski socks because of their length. I layer my long underwear over the socks creating a knee-high overlap. I also recommend staying away from cotton because it tends to hold moisture.

Now for the shoes… winter biking has taught me to give up style for practicality. Most of the year I prefer to wear the Siapan by Chrome. The sole is somewhat stiff and the upper body of the shoe is very breathable. This is a comfortable three-season shoe and even looks good off the bike. I used to be into mountain biking a lot and would wear my clipless mtb shoes in the wintertime along with some neoprene boot covers. This system worked great until I misplaced them. I was thinking this morning that I wear a neoprene work boot when I am sea kayaking in the colder weather. So today I tried them out. The work boot by NRS has a somewhat stiff sole and is above the ankle in height with a full neoprene liner. Not bad; my feet stayed warm for the 15 mile commute in 18 degree weather with a 2 degree wind chill. The only downfall was the chunky sole. They were sometimes cumbersome to get into my toe clips, but for now a pretty good trade off until the budget allows some new boot covers.

See you out there…. (I will be the guy with kayaking boots on)

That little voice

UniBiker — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:52:59 +0000

Did you ever wake up and say to yourself …. I just don’t have it in me today. I had this conversation with myself at 5:30 this morning. A long holiday weekend coupled with a poor night’s sleep resulted in my decision to drive my company vehicle to work this morning. Granted, there are days I need to drive the vehicle to conduct my day’s business, but I always feel guilty for doing so. The guilt does not stem from shorting the environment or having one more car on the road, (although those are good causes) as much as it has to do with the fact that I feel I am shorting myself. On my ride home on Lincoln Memorial Drive tonight I saw the bicycle commuters that I always see when I drive my vehicle. That conversation that I had with myself at 5:30 this morning popped into my head.

A little voice inside my head told me I made the wrong decision….

There must be a future winter biker out here..

UniBiker — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:13:51 +0000

It was really hard to pull myself out of bed on the morning of New Years day. After an evening of celebrating with great friends and good drinks I found it especially difficult but I wanted to see the infamous Polar Bear Plunge. Now, I have lived in Milwaukee all my life and this was only the second time I had witnessed the New Years ritual. The first was in the late 80s with about one hundred or so diehards jumping into Lake Michigan’s frigid waters.

After dragging my bike out the door and being greeted by a twenty mile and hour headwind from the Northwest, I made my way north on K.K. to South First Street with partial hangover intact. Along the way in Walker’s Point, it was awesome to see a group of 25-30 cyclist’s heading south to Bay View. (I would assume to see the Bicycle polar plunge)

As I came up on the Milwaukee Art Museum I was astonished to see the traffic back up on Lincoln Memorial Drive. This continued all the way to Bradford Beach with a mass of people carrying towels and extra clothes.

Watching people plunge into the icy waters I could not help overhearing the bystanders discussing how crazy the swimmers are. Now for some, I think alcohol plays into the equation, but for others it’s a way of welcoming in the New Year. Then it dawned on me that this is the reason I winter bike. Having people tell me how crazy something is just gives me more motivation to do it.

Happy New Year…

The Commute

UniBiker — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:31:07 +0000

On a cold Milwaukee morning, by the dim light in my kitchen, I finish my coffee and pack my messenger bag with my work boots, long underwear, spare socks, and gloves. Opening the back door I drag my Surly into the darkness and glance over at my company’s work vehicle parked in my driveway, I think to myself, “why am I doing this”? I start to feel the cold on my fingertips as I remove my glove to turn on my head and taillights. A few minutes later, as I head up S. K.K. Avenue on my way to South First Street, the cold seems to be a distant memory. First, Bay View and Walker’s Point, then the Third Ward and the Milwaukee Lakefront, with the final destination being Whitefish Bay today.

As I make my way up the lakefront, I think of my responsibilities for the day. The rising sun and surrounding beauty of Lake Michigan seems to add clarity, as if I am so immersed in my thoughts, I have no sense of the cold and wind. A sort of runner’s high, if you will.

Then, I am suddenly rudely awakened by my arch nemesis, the hill at the end of N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. This hill and I have a long history together. For almost twenty years, in various states of physical condition, I have dreaded this hill. I don’t know why. I have climbed much greater slopes without any reservations. I think it may be because of the rude interruption of my cycling “high” I have achieved along the lakefront. But over the years I have developed a strategy. I think back to childhood and the feeling I would get every time I would ride my bicycle. The feeling of independence as the wind would pass along my body. This is the feeling I still get to this day get when I ride. Suddenly the climb does not seem so bad.

Now I am finally in the North Shore coming up N. Lake Drive. I love this part of the ride, the best with its stately homes and rich history. It makes me feel of a bygone era. Arriving at my job site in Whitefish Bay , I feel energized and alert, and it’s only 6:45 in the morning.

This is the reason I ride. What’s yours?