Weather Weary

Saturday's Giro cooldown on LSD

It's that time of year here when the usual series of cold fronts interspersed with days of humid southerly winds result in wild temperature and rain fluctuations. So it was last week. 

Foggy and friendly

Friday's Friendly Friday ride was remarkably friendly last week, which is to say it never got really fast like it sometimes does. Perhaps some of that was because of the chilly temperature and the fog that made chilly feel more like cold.

We had already cancelled the Saturday northshore ride because of the forecast for rain in the morning. But by Saturday's Giro Ride it was warm enough on the southshore (mid-50s) that most people (no, not including me) were riding with bare knees. The radar also gave us some confidence that we wouldn't see any rain until late morning. With the knowledge that a cold front preceded by rain would be coming through later in the day, and considering that, by morning, it looked like it wouldn't really hit until 11:00 or so, a few of us made plans to ride the Giro and then continue west on the lakefront bike trail, looping back around to the river levee to extend the ride. That turned out to be a fun ride with just a handful of us that turned out to be 83 miles for me and considerably more for a few others. As predicted, the rains came in the afternoon and the temperature plummeted.

Climbing up the levee on Saturday

By Sunday morning the temperature was just above freezing and there was a stiff 15-20 mph west wind. I was pretty sure the Sunday Giro was out of the question but I went ahead and battled the wind out to Starbucks where I had to move from my usual table because the wind kept blowing my helmet onto the ground. Despite the cold and wind a few people including Julia, MJ, Keith, and Will, actually showed up. We quickly decided on a lap of Lakeshore Drive, then around City Park, and then whatever. I think Will basically towed us around most of the way. When he ramped it up past 32 mph heading east on Lakeshore Drive I dropped off the back, unwilling to put in the necessary effort. As it was, I was still going 30 mph all by myself with a heart rate barely in the 130s. I turned around before the Armory and got back in for the headwind stretch to the west, by which time Julia was MIA, so when we made that sharp left turn at the bottom of the Bayou St. John bridge to pick up Wisner I thought I should wait so as to not leave her out in such a brutal wind alone. I waited a couple of minutes with no sign of her, so I went ahead, cutting across City Park and again hooking up with what was left of the group. We eventually saw Julia heading back on Marconi, so I guess I should have waited a bit longer. Anyway, we then cut across City Park again at Filmore where I decided I'd be long enough in the wind and cold and headed home.

Monday was MLK Day, so I was off from work along with a few others, which resulted in a Holiday Giro Ride. By then the temperature was around 40° and the wind had died down to manageable levels, so despite the noticeably busier traffic we did the normal Giro route. With so few to share the work and basically no place to hide, I felt really drained by the time I got home even though the speeds were nothing to write home about.

Tuesday morning near Williams Blvd. looking back to the east as Rich fixes Dan's flat

Yesterday's levee ride was fairly normal for this time of year - a starting temperature in the low 40s and a light wind. Other than an early flat tire by Rich it was pretty uneventful, which was good because I was not feeling like I had much to contribute. I guess I was still feeling the effects of that Sunday ride. This morning it was in the low 50s for the WeMoRi. I wasn't feeling all that energetic and spent almost the whole time back in the ample draft of the large group. I must not have been the only one, because the speeds were relatively moderate. On the plus side I was feeling better and at least avoided doing any more damage.

This weekend's northshore ride is definitely in jeopardy because of the forecast that is calling for Friday night temperatures up there in the mid-20 as opposed to the mid-30s on the southshore. The rain ahead of that cold front should at least be over by Saturday morning, so I'm at least expecting sunshine to accompany the freezing temperature and 10 mph north wind. If a few people are willing to commit to a northshore ride, I'll do it since I know I have the clothes for that, but I'm thinking a long southshore ride that doesn't start with thirty miles straight into the north wind might be a better option under the circumstances. We can wait to see the actual hourly forecast for Saturday, which should be out tomorrow, before making the call, though.