Guest Blogging: Joe and Joe's The Logic of Winter

2 March 2008

from Joe McBride and Joe Miller:

It was a sunny mid winter early afternoon ride. The kind of ride that takes your breath away, the breeze blowing through the bare trees exposing all the intricacies of nature. It is about 48 degrees and Joe and Joe are moving along enjoying the day, except one thing is missing, other riders. Many of them were on the 9AM club ride. Temperature at 8:45 that morning was 27 and the wind chill slightly lower. As a bead of sweat catches the eye brow, one Joe turns to the other and asks why bikers ride in sub freezing weather when a few hours later it is almost pleasant. There is a long silence since neither Joe has an answer for this seemingly irrational, counter intuitive and maladaptive behavior. The silence is broken when one Joe suggests that they seek the answer.

They decide to search for the answer to what has seemingly become the existential dilemma for the new millennium. They contact philosophy professors at the local college, they meditate for hours, and they scour the internet for any explanation, they ask Jeeves, and Google the word perplexing. They come up with the following reasons and feel compelled to share them with the biking community in the hope that the answer can be found.

The top ten reasons that rides should not start after 9 between November and April:

10. If Lance can win 7 Tours without doping, never mind, bad example.

9. No one really likes to sleep in when they can ride in wind chills under 20.

8. Have to use all those expensive bike clothes sometime.

7. When else can you use your ski goggles on a road ride?

6. It is a fact that the body needs to work harder in cold weather to maintain temperature so it is a better workout. So is riding with a 30 pound weight on your back, or as it is commonly called, an aqua pack.

5. We sweat enough in the summer so why not ride during the coldest part of the day.

4. Riding in 20 degrees builds character and makes for a good war story.

3. My spouse/partner gets upset when I ride past 11 – referrals for couple therapy available upon request.

2. It is too f**&ing cold to talk.

1. We always ride at 9 – duh!

Please feel free to add reasons of your own, witty retorts and/or sarcastic comments. They are all welcome in the search for knowledge.

Joe & Joe