Staying warm

Toasty Warm

Back to cold-weather riding.  Didn't we just do this?  Anyway, I'm pretty stoked about my new thermal bib-tights.   Of course it hasn't been cold enough (yet) to really test them but I've used them twice on early morning rides and they were significantly warmer than leg warmers or regular tights.  Seriously, they may change my winter-riding life.  How have I gone this long without having a rock-star set of winter training bibs? 

So the next task - and I am open to suggestion - is to insulate my hands.  Lets face it, winter rides often end with frozen fingers and sometimes end BECAUSE of frozen fingers.  Unless you've got the uber expensive (and gucci) electronic shifting option, throwing your chain to the big ring when you lack control over your hands can be a daunting task.  I know I've been to the point of not being able to pull the brakes hard enough - that's a fun problem to discover. 

I realize that my winter apparel is pretty old and well-used so I know I need new insulated gloves and liners.  In addition to those, I've used those stick-on charcoal hand warmers but they just don't do the job if it's really cold (as an aside, they're bad for kitties to eat).  They stick on the tops of your hands ostensibly to warm the blood going to your fingers.  They're better than nothing but you still wind up with frozen digits.  Battery-warmed gloves seem like a good idea but they're pretty pricy for a "lets see if these work" exercise. 

You may say - wait a second, you have - and highly recommend - your emotion rollers.  Why do you even have to go outside if it's THAT cold?  This is true.  But I live in a 1br apt now, with a boy who also has a set of emo's.  Do you have any idea the logistics of setting up two sets of rollers in two different rooms, distributing fans and keeping carpet from getting soaked with sweat, etc?  It's hard enough to take shifts during the week - I'll take the out-of-doors if at all humanly possible. 

Anyhoo.  Frozen fingers.  Frozen toes.  It's December already - it's only getting colder for the next couple of months.  Sigh.  Remind me why I didn't move further south?

 Here's a link to one of the first "best of (insert year here)" lists I've seen ... some are really moving.  Thanks to the boy for sharing.