Details:
Meet at the Central Park Boathouse Friday at 9:00 a.m. The route I've planned is 73 miles from the Boathouse back to the NJ side of the GWB. A stop at mile 23 in Westwood (Goldberg's Famous Bagels), and then at mile 54 in Nyack. Terrain is rolling. After Westwood, we go north through Park Ridge, Montvale, and Spring Valley up to South Mt. Rd. Then southeast to Rockland Lake, where we take the trail along the river to Nyack Beach State Park (hardpack, but no problem for skinny road tires).
The weather forecast for Friday predicts a high around 40 degrees. Dress accordingly. This will be a good opportunity to try out the new winter clothes you've bought. For me, as for others, the two weak points in the cold are fingers and toes, and when they aren't well-protected, they get painfully numb pretty fast. We'll try to keep stops not too long, and the pace steady.
If very few riders show up and there's a consensus for a shorter route, I'm flexible, and we can cut out about 6 miles by not going up to South Mt. Rd. and instead riding east to Rockland Lake through New City. Or we can go even shorter. On the other hand, if in Westwood you decide that you've had enough and don't want to continue, you can easily return to the city from there (about 13 miles back to the bridge).
Day After Thanksgiving A-19 ride
i hope to join you, but don't wait for me at the boathouse since i'll most likely be waiting on the jersey side of gwb.
todd
The best weather this weekend is forecast for Sunday, so you should get a good turnout for the Hogwich ride, I think.
It will be about 25-28 degrees F at the start of the ride. You may want to use chemical toe and hand warmers. I've done century rides with them and they are priceless in the morning portion of the ride ( I need them until the temps hit 44 degrees F, but I am a whimp).
They are about $2 each and you can pick them up at a ski shop or walmart. The ski shop ones are thinner and work better for cycling. The walmart ones are less expensive but feel like a small roll of dimes under your toes.
Warmers:
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id...
Face Mask:
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id...
I wish I could join your ride but I have to work Friday. Have a good one.
Bob.
"I think I'll try them. I found another source here. I may stop at the EMS on B'way and Prince on my way home today, and buy a couple to try out."
I'm down for the ride. See you at the boathouse at 9...with my new gore-tex socks.
according to 1010 wins it's 22 out there. and then there's the wind. is the ride still on? if so, i'm probably bagging it for the gym again (unless by 9:00 it's over 25).
t
Yup, it's 22 with lots of wind. It was supposed to be 30. Sorry, i'm bailing.
It's 22C where I am and it is supposed to be 30C later. Those of you who know me know where I am. You're all welcome to join me anytime this winter. Anyone up for the Samoeng loop?
I left the financial district and got halfway up the bike path on the west side before I turned back. My thumbs are still hurting from the cold. I am glad I was not the only one to give it a miss.
Well, I was at the Boathouse, waited till 9:13, but no one showed up. Rode over the bridge, but no one was there either.
I rode 67 miles on Friday, and wasn't uncomfortably cold at any point, not even when I started out in the morning. I was wearing no jacket, but two wool undershirts (one short-sleeve, one long) and two wool jerseys. I took Bob Shay's advice, and bought some chemical hand and toe warmers at EMS. The toe warmers were between two pairs of wool socks (I wasn't wearing any shoe covers), and they did a very good job keeping my toes warm. The hand warmers were between wool gloves and leather outer gloves, and were shoved as far down into the palm as possible. They worked well, too. I think the ideal use is to wear mittens on the outside, so that you can slide them down against the fingers. You can curl your thumb up against the palm when it gets cold.
i too bought toe warmers, but did so on friday while you were out testing yours. i tested them out on my saturday ride and they definitely get the thumbs up. while the ride i did in westchester was in the upper twenties and low thirties, and not the low-mid twenties like mordecai's, those are still temps that i usually find it difficult to keep my toes from going numb.
while i've heard of riders using them for many years, for some reason i never bothered with them and just rode with frozen toes and sucked it up. now anytime the temps at the start time are 30 or below, i'm slipping those babies into my shoes.
i think i'll be using them for this week's hogwich ride.
t