A Winter Weekend in NYC

As New York City cyclists the weekend weather forecast takes on increased significance during the winter months. Indoor trainer workouts are one thing during the week but on weekends we can only hope for enough warmth and limited enough precipitation to get outside and break away from a building sense of cabin fever. 

With that in mind a summary of a typical New York City winter weekend - from the mid-week forecast watching to the debate around whether a real feel of 10 degrees is in fact too cold to ride - follows, as experienced by the To Be Determined squad... 

SATURDAY

You know it's cold when the weather forecast is the primary topic of discussion on the team list on Friday afternoon. And you know it's REALLY cold when that discussion continues into Saturday morning - with messages of concern regarding the real feel of 10 degrees and pictures of the kid from A Christmas Story getting circulated. 

But as it turns out with clear blue skies throughout the day and plenty of layers from Louis Garneau it was actually an altogether pleasant Saturday team ride in New York City as the countdown to race season continues.

Somewhat unbelievably it's just four weeks until the season opener and experience tells me those early morning race starts aren't going to be nearly as pleasant as today's ride. 

SUNDAY

With warmer temperatures in store - above freezing in fact - there was no pre-ride discussion around the real feel temperature and clothing options. Instead the squad rolled out in numbers for the business at hand - a few hours across the GWB.

With Saturday's blue skies gone, replaced by grey and blustery conditions, it perhaps felt colder than the thermometer suggested but as usual the team was well equipped with Louis Garneau gear and made the most of a winter Sunday on the bike. 

Going two for two on reasonable outdoor riding conditions feels like a treat this time of year, so here's hoping for many more weekends of the sort to come between now and the start of the race season. 

---