Cold Comfort Zones

A few of us decided to go on a chowder run after our regular Saturday morning coffee meetup.

Lately, our weather has been a shard of glass: pretty to look at as it glints in the sunlight but dangerous if not handled carefully. It was 42°F in Corvallis as we departed westward on Highway 20, with temperatures sure to drop as we crossed the passes over the Coast Range. ODOT has also taken to spraying chemical de-icer fluid on many of the roads, which can be slicker than snot if you’re not super careful in corners.

Highway 20 is usually the very last choice when planning a route to the coast, but we figured that the constant traffic would help in clearing the frost and de-icer. Our decision paid off, and traction was good as long as you kept to the lines created by car tires. After all my efforts to ride with good cornering lines, it was hard for me to deliberately take the bad line. It’s amazing how much difference a good line vs a bad one can make in a corner!

Thanks to 10guy’s able leadership, we made it to Newport in good time. The coast was beautiful, sunny, and 45°F, which felt like a summer’s day to my windchilled fingers. Delicious chowder was had at the Chowder Bowl, then we bundled up and headed for home.

This ride confirmed that with my present gear, my comfort zone is 60 minutes @ 65 mph @ an average of 42°F. The weak point is not my core temperature (thanks to my new Gerbing’s jacket) but my fingers — the heated grips keep my palms warm but despite the handguards, my fingers end up so stiff with cold that I can barely work the levers. Good information to know, at any rate, and I can always try heated gloves to see if that will expand the comfort zone.

This morning was the coldest yet this year: 22°F, and it’s now sunny as all get out. What is this, Colorado??