NYC Bike Commuter

I still can’t get it right. I am either dressed too warm or not warm enough. Today it was both. Today I wore a moisture wicking long sleeve tshirt under a fleece lined sweatshirt, a thick scarf, skirt, leggings, tights, socks, boots, gloves. Biking to the gym I was freezing. I couldn’t feel my fingers or my toes, and I kept thinking the next time I go out in the cold like this I should wear arm warmers under my shirt. It could have something to do with the really strong wind I was fighting against, but at a certain point I just ignored the fact that I was cold because I could think about was pushing against the wind. The one thing I did right was wear my hood under the helmet so it keeps my ears warm :) I didn’t want to leave the gym because the bike ride there was so freezing. I put on another pair of socks and headed out. Going home I was not cold at all. I was actually sweating but that is probably because I was still warmed up from my workout. But then I was thinking maybe it was better to be a little cold than too warm. It wasn’t like I could take anything off. Without the sweatshirt I would be freezing because I was just wearing a tshirt underneath and I was on the street so I couldn’t exactly take off the tshirt. So, I’m still on a search for the perfect winter biking outfit. 

This morning I read about a biker who was killed by an 18-wheeler truck that was making a turn and didn’t notice the biker (http://bostonbiker.org/2011/12/28/cyclist-killed-in-collision-with-18-wheeler-in-cambridge/). About an hour later on my commute I saw it almost happening. I was biking on Flushing Ave. alongside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There are trucks entering and exiting there all the time. There was a biker a little bit ahead of me and a truck to our left that was slowly creeping into the bike lane to turn into the Navy Yard. I watched as he almost crushed the other biker until the guy yelled. The truck stopped merging. I did not want to risk anything so I let the truck make the turn before I continued. This will not make me stop biking. I’m just letting the world know I am afraid of trucks on the road. 

Today also happened to be my coldest bike ride yet-25°F. Apparently what I wore when it was 30° is not enough. I wore my hood under my helmet to keep my ears warm, which worked great. For the most part, after the first five minutes I stayed warm. Except for my thighs. I need to buy those heat tech leggings from Uniqlo.