A product review

It's feast or famine in the cycling-related blog. I don't think I'll be racing until at least April, so I will have to shift gears a little bit.

Since cross nationals (December 14), I have been on one 2 hour mountain bike ride. Aside from that, I've done some half-assed nordic skiing in North Sandwich, NH. While I loved the amazing (and free) trails behind Molly's home, a 3km loop is not super motivating. Yes, you ski every day, but you have to be motivated to endure anything more than half an hour.

After my random sampling of cycling acquaintances via facebook and blogs, I've determined that a lot of the people I race against are well into training regimens. The level of commitment varies from temporary relocation (e.g. to warmer locales) to the purchase of altitude tent systems! This is worrisome because it might force me to train against my will in some attempt to satiate my competitive drive. Short of injury, I can't help it. However, I need to remember that a lot of these riders didn't just finish 3 months of cyclocross. The point? I need my time off- stop training and making me feel guilty!

So,

Today I went for a really stupid ride outside. Really stupid because I haven't ridden in 3 weeks, it was 15 degrees outside, and it was snowing. But it was fun and I schooled the non-cross riders in the snow, if anyone who saw me at NBX Day 2 can believe. Now, as someone intimately familiar with the singular experience of winter riding, I will offer my very first product review-- the Wegmans plastic bag.

I still can't find my Louis Garneau booties that I got last year. And I refuse to buy useful gear that is less than the cost of a single race entry, because I have skewed values. As so many know, winter riding poses the issue of freezing feet.

In the past I've used plastic shopping bags in my shoes- usually going with a good wool/synthetic winter sock, followed by a plastic bag, followed by the shoe (and bootie, if available). Your foot will still freeze, although it's not terrible. The plastic bag is nice to keep your foot dry from road spray. It's also entertaining to people who are properly equipped.

Today I borrowed from the world of aquatics, adopting the idea of a wet suit. The setup was as follows: bag over naked foot, followed by a sock, a bag, a sock, and finally a shoe. I've had too success with latex gloves under ski gloves in the past- your hands will actually sweat and stay warm. I figured this would have a similar effect if the the sweat doesn't freeze in your shoe. But that's why I wore two (2) pairs of socks! It was a gamble.

My first impression was that walking around was uncomfortably weird...but it was accompanied by the familiar crinkling sound, which I liked.

Unfortunately this setup was awful. My feet never warmed up. They instantly went numb. And kept getting more numb. I don't have anything to compare against, though. Maybe I should have used a different setup on each foot, comparing the relative pain after the ride.

In any case, my feet were shriveled, cold, and white after taking off my shoes. White is typically a problem. Puffy red (and eventually peeling) ear lobes are pretty typical after a long day of skiing for me, but I've never actually gotten frostbite. Fortunately, it was my tight shoes that left my feet that color, not impending frostbite. Several hours later, it seems there's no ill effects. So I guess the plastic bag gets my endorsement.

So the next time you're at the market...don't annoy the cashier- take the plastic. That is, unless you shop at some high end store (or sZupermarket in Budapest) where they charge you for bags.