Ryan & Amanda Keefer's Personal Site: Cycling, Family, Tech, Music, Software & Game Reviews, etc.
// January 22nd, 2011 // No Comments » // Cycling, Health & Fitness, Weather
Seems like this year in North Carolina has had more than its share of cold weather this year — including several bouts of snow and ice. Granted, not a ton of accumulation, but enough to force most of us indoors for our workouts. Active.com has done a great roundup of seven ways to make it through the winter.
// October 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Cycling, Weather
As the days get shorter, and the temperature cooler, it’s time to break out the layers of clothes for riding in the saddle. Over the seasons of riding and racing, I’ve acquired quite the collection of bib shorts, jerseys and socks. But to this day, the cool to cold weather clothing is still pretty thin. I’ve got a single pair of bib tights, a set of arm warmers, a set leg warmers and a set of arm warmers. I’ve got a couple base layer tops, some heavier socks and a couple long-sleeved tops/jerseys of varying materials, but it still pales in comparison to the warm weather riding collection.
I was trying to figure out why there’s such a discrepancy, and it really comes down to a couple of obvious reasons:
// January 31st, 2010 // No Comments » // Cycling, Local (Raleigh Durham), Weather
So central North Carolina got its annual one snowfall this weekend to the tune of about 6 inches here at the Keefers’ abode. Last year, we got a similar amount just a few weeks earlier in January. Being born in Pennsylvania and growing up in the early teens in Baltimore, it’s still funny to see how poorly the roads are taken care of here. It’s hard not to laugh. Anyway, our hilly neighborhood is at an even bigger disadvantage — the roads have yet to be finished with their final grading, meaning manhole covers, water main access, etc. continue to protrude higher than the rest. This means a snow plow could never plow our neighborhood streets.
But as it turns out, it doesn’t really matter.
// July 29th, 2009 // No Comments » // Cycling, Weather
Every web-surfing cyclist should already have BikeHugger bookmarked or follow their RSS feed, but for those of you who don’t, or just haven’t frequented the site today.
Here’s a post about hot weather riding, which a ton of cyclists can take advantage this time of year — even Oregon and Washington state with their recent record-breaking heat wave.
// April 5th, 2009 // No Comments » // Local (Raleigh Durham), Weather
It’s a North Carolina tradition around this time of the year – the nasty dusty coating of yellow pollen. It gets anywhere and everywhere. Cars magically have a duller and different tint to them this time of year. Even during the Tri-Cyclists training ride yesterday, my Garmin GPS even had yellow particles building on it.
We had the windows open late this afternoon, to air out the house, along with assisting in drying the freshly shampooed carpet. Now, despite the cleaning we did earlier in the day, we’ve not got a new layer of dust – of the yellow type all over the place. The window screens need a finer mesh to keep the pollen outside.
// March 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // Cycling, Personal Crap, Weather
So on the heels of last night’s wining regarding my current cycling struggles, I was in the gym first thing this morning doing hugh reps, low weight to tone muscle mass and work more on endurance. Unfortunately, an after work ride was hindered by more rainfall. I was on the trainer instead. Bleh!
I’m not trying to mske any mistake, but it has been frustrating, boring and slightly boring clipping into the trainer for so many workouts cause of all the rain. It’s also reduced my available bike commuting days.
It’s unfortunate too that the damn rain keeps hitting strategically on weekends – the days when we cyclists get our longest rides in.
Anyeay, here’s to drier and warmer days in the coming weeks and months.
// March 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Personal Crap, Weather
I really don’t know if it’s just because we already have sprung forward, if it’s the indecisive weather patterns or just being completely swamped at work, but here it is 8:45pm and I’m completely exhausted.
I doubt it’s the time change. Usually, after the springing forward, the later sunset is a bit energizing to me. Plus, I’ve started back bike commuting – also energizing and satisfying.
The swinging and indecisive temperatures and weather in general shouldn’t be my tiredness’ culprit. This happens every spring and autumn and usually doesn’t affect my senses. Sure it’s annoying when one day’s low temp is the next day’s high.
I’m almost sure it’s not work. Adding back my bicycle commutes tends to start my days out right, and flush the stress out on the way back home.
Maybe I’m just tired.
// March 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Local (Raleigh Durham), Weather
With the early time change less than a week away, it was a little strange to see snow in the forecast early here in March. Such is the weather in central North Carolina. Throughout Fall, Winter and Spring, it’s not uncommon to see temperature fluctuations day to day and week to week. Several years, I’ve biked in shorts on Christmas.
// January 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // Personal Crap, Weather
So it’s been a crazy 24 hours here. It all started last night, taking the mother in-law out for her birthday to the locally well-known, Angus Barn, for a good and over-filling dinner. Everything was delicious and we got to tour their large wine cellar afterward.
The real shocker of the night though came when we returned back home to find our beloved Beagle, Bongo had trashed the downstairs, getting into a canister of cocoa that we had procured the previous day at A Southern Season. Bongo got up on the dining room table, and went through Amanda’s purse and devoured that whole cocoa, staining our carpet in like 10 places.
// November 28th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Cycling, Local (Raleigh Durham), Weather
One thing I love about North Carolina, and hate at the same time are the wishy washy season transitions.
A few short weeks ago, the beginning of a group ride I did in downtown Durham left us all frozen on the downtown ups and downs. Granted, by the end of the ride, we had all shed layers and it ended up being a very comfortable, if not crisp autumn Saturday.
Yesterday, was much the same, with my group ride with the Gyros starting out a bit cool, but warming up to a fairly comfortable, yet still on the chilly side. I had a long-sleeved base layer with a thermal long sleeve jersey over top of it, along with tights, doubled-up socks and toe warmers. I had long-fingered gloves and a fleece head covering under my helmet.
Copyright © 2012 Keefer Madness. All rights reserved.
