November cycling,,,,continued

Note to myself: just because the sun is out is not reason to assume that it will be a warm day. I knew that the temperature was somewhere around 45 when I "suited up" this morning but for some reason I skipped the liners I usually wear under the wool socks I favor in winter. About ten miles out my toes started to feel sensations that I typically associate with my ice skating days as a kid in Detroit. The layering protects the body but the extremities are exposed not only to the cool temperatures but to the self-generated wind-chill as well - going downhill and hitting speeds of 30 to 35 mph probably drops the effective temperature by ten to fifteen degrees (I read that somewhere, don't ask me to prove it). In any case it was a good ride - 55 miles with about 3500 ft of climbing and not a cloud in the sky. I have a kind of self-imposed minimum temperature of 4o but above that I love a winter ride. The senses somehow seem more alert and sensitive to what is around, the roads seem to be a little less busy (all the tourists have gone into hibernation?) and especially with minimal wind you can put together a nice ride. I'm hoping that the real winter, i.e. snow and ice, will hold off for awhile (like forever?) and we get one of those years where we can ride right into January. My goal at the beginning of the year was to hit 5,000 miles and I'm at about 4200 now...it will be close.