BRR Ride and Thoughts On Winter Riding

Well folks, it is officially upon us...winter. If your anything like me, when sub-zero temperatures hit the first thought that comes to mind is: "Goddammit!!! why didn't i ride more when the weather wasn't freeze your snot cold?" Then like any cyclist I'll spend the rest of the winter waiting for days that the wind isn't whipping to get out for a spin. Most times this means I hit the road for a bit then limp to a coffee shop (usually Mars Cafe) to thaw for an hour or so then brave the elements only to arrive home with a perma-chill and spend the next hour in a steaming hot bath. Yet, there are those rare days and evenings when Pluto aligns with Uranus and a winter ride becomes a portal into another world. That night ride when a light snowfall insulates the city just enough to dull the chill and the street lights shimmer through snowflakes to create a glow the warms your soul. The sound of over sized knobbies hooking up on frozen earth as you rail around deserted singletrack only to find a group of deer more than willing to prance along side you, if only for a moment. These are the moments that keep me coming back for more, and will you too if you have or do ever experience them......anyway, enough of this sappy shit lets get down to it

The 34th annual BRR Ride ( Bike Ride to Rippey)

Kids this is the ultimate winter ride, 20ish miles on Iowa country roads in what can be described as: sometimes crappy weather and most time down right nasty weather. But, i gotta tel ya its a BLAST!!! Billed as "The first Ragbrai reunion ride...." is has none of the pageantry with all the drunkenness one can handle. Its not uncommon to see drunken riders take the ditch or just flat fall over struggling against massive headwinds. My first experience in 2008 was an epic.....20 below, riding my northwest equipped single speed mountain bike, hauling a trailer full of booze. Can you say BRUTAL? Here's a few tips from that year of suffering

1. Those 250 cycling shoes you bought are designed to vent heat not hold it in....so if you don't have winter specific shoes, ditch your clipless pedals. Remember those el-cheapo plastic flats your bike came with? Dig'em out of the spare parts bin and put'em on your bike. Then take those carbon soled wunder shoes and put them in the closet where they belong and put on the warmest, sturdiest boots you own.

2. While Alcohol does offer a bit of warmth, to much will offer you an early trip to the ditch or worse. Alcohol and anaerobic actives generally are not a good mix....so, if your gonna drink (which I do) pace yourself, hurling on the side of the road with no sag wagon in sight in -30 windchill is not a good time.

 3. Keep your core warm, and your extremities warmer......cold hands, feet, and face are best winter riding buzz kill i can think of. As long as your core body is well insulated and you keep moving your legs and torso will stay relatively warm. Hands, feet and face however will be hammered by the elements if not covered. A good rule of thumb is double up on gloves, socks and face covering....shit, if its too warm you can take them off right?

 4. Finally, its 20miles....no need to pack the kitchen sink. If it doesn't fit in a daypack, you don't need it....really. Remember you'll already be carrying an extra 15-20lbs of extra clothing so don't over do it with the carry-alongs. They're are a few places to stop along the way to warm up and grab a snack (bring some cash)......and above all: HAVE A GOOD TIME!

all the information you could possible want, including online preregistration is available at:
http://www.bikeiowa.com/