This is Just One of My Favorite Things

The weather the past few days has been spectacular — cool in the morning and rising to 70ish in the afternoon. Where was this weather all September? I do not know.

Anyway, thanks to the wonder of Winter Hours (Pedal doesn’t open until noon) I’ve been out riding between the hours of school starting and work starting. Yesterday it was forty when I began my ride, today it was 53. Brrr. Cool enough for toe- or shoe covers and windproof gloves. For a wuss like me, at least.

One of my favorite companions on days like this is one of these:

A Craft Pro Zero Wind-Stopper baselayer. It’s a regular (which is to say, fantastic) Craft Pro-Zero long-sleeved baselayer with a Gore Wind Stopper panel sewn to the chest. I like biking in it because it keeps my trunk warm without overheating the rest of me. For winter running, it’s the perfect thing to wear down to just about freezing, especially against the wind. My wife gave me one of these on my birthday years ago. In the time since, I’ve amassed several more, always wishing I had one when the rest were in the laundry.

You might check this out and say, “Nifty! But $80 for underwear is stupid.” I’d agree if said expensive underwear lasted one season or two, but I still have the original garment my wife bought me six years ago. In fact, I wore it this morning. So, yes. $80 is a lot to spend on fancy underwear, but $15/year doesn’t seem bad at all to be more comfortable on those chilly days.