Thursday, December 9, 2010

Biking in Boston in Winter

No snow yet in Boston, but in case you can't tell by the fact that it gets dark at 4:30 (wtf) and is exceedingly cold, the dryness should be a signal to you that... it is winter.

I haven't been on any long bike rides lately but still bike almost daily to get around the city which, combined with the fact that I'm an obsessive hand washer, means that I have incredibly dry, chapped hands.

So yesterday since I was walking by I decided to stop into City Sports and get a pair of gloves. I looked at every pair of gloves in the store I could find and found the cheapest pair - City Sports brand - for $15. Don't try to find a cheaper pair in City Sports because you won't be able to. They're actually "running" gloves but seem to be adequate for biking. Some of the "biking" gloves are very serious - like three pronged mittens with lining, Gore-tex, and the works. So you can have a finger free to change gears. Hilarious looking though probably quite effective, and warm.

These are my new gloves:



There is a "terry cloth snot wiper" on the thumb!

So now that I've got my hands covered (hahaha) I'm wondering about my face. The wind is strong and cold enough/I ride so fast it might make sense for me to break out the ski goggles and neck warmer. Or maybe one of those face mask things. 

OR maybe I could cover my face in Vaseline the way my Granny used to do to us before we hit the slopes as kids.

What do other bikers out there do?