Did you guys survive?

[Roland]

I bailed out early. I got snowed on.

I'm still cold.

[Rolf]

12 became 6 by Cook St. Moka House. Alan had to help Josh take his gloves and helmet off due to frozen digits. It wasn't pretty.

Holy gloating points Batman!

[Josh.E]

Hey Roland, get out of your underwear and put some clothes on!

I'm still cold too. Far and away my coldest ride this winter. I must have been in the shower for almost 40 minutes trying to warm up.
Thanks to Rolf for turning my lights off, and to Alan for helping get the gloves and helmet off.

All other gloating points that were accumulated by others during the winter are hereby cancelled, and the 6 who made it to the end now own all gloating rights for the season. The other 6 who bailed get half points for even showing up.

[gav_eaton]

I will hang my head in shame this morning. I bailed at Mt Doug. I just couldn't bare the pain in my hands any longer - I don't think they've ever been that bad. Lobster mitts for sure next time the weather is like that. When I got home, it was snowing really hard and was starting to build up in my yard.

I didn't even finish the ride and still had a hell of a time trying to get my gloves and booties off - felt like I was trying to do it with chopsticks. Then my wife had to undress me (darn) while I lay in a frozen mess on my shower floor. Don't you just love the 'hammer-smashing' sensation you get in your fingers as they defrost?

Kudos to those who finished this morning - I certainly wasn't man enough!

[Lister Farrar]

Did anyone have gloves that worked? My rubber work gloves with fleece liners were a total bust. Cleverly loose enough in the wrist to funnel all the water off my sleeves into my gloves and down to my fingers where the rubber kept them from draining. Thoroughly cooled them to screaming level, when I got home and put them in warm water to rinse my booties. Note to self, warm hands from the inside.

I did miss coffee though, so after after showering I drove down by both mocha houses with a couple pair dry gloves and a caffeine itch. But alas, missed you all. Quitters! I spent too much time in the fetal position on the basement floor I guess...

What did work, was neoprene booties covered by MEC gortex booties. Garneau plastic rain jacket was great too.

[steve]

My hands felt pretty good for the last 10 minutes of the ride as I think they had gone completely numb... I had the same problem as Josh and had to use my mouth to take off the gloves and then couldnt switch the light off on my bike - resorted to clubbing the off switch with my fist!

That ride made Saturdays rides feel easy.

Steve

[Brian S]

Ah--just finished second coffee, warm and dry all morning. Feeling smug that although I missed on winter gloating, just being smart enough to say "no" makes me gain (self styled) winter gloating points on a different scale.

[Alan]

I didn't have hands on the last 10 minutes of that ride, just frozen stumps at the end of my arms--couldn't shift, couldn't brake, could barely steer. What the hell was I doing out there?
So, it wasn't pretty--but all well worth it for the hockey sock full of gloating points I earned by being one of the "HARDEST men of Winter!"

[jeremy]

So do I get half points for showing up at Pareto in my van on the way to work to laugh at you nutjobs, maybe I should have driven the support car this morning, sounds like you guys could have used it. Well done to the 6 who finished.

[Rolf]

Lister: I wore these $25, "intended for summer use", MEC gloves and I was still able to open my Clif Bar no problem (which is often not the case):

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_deta ... 8439798542

I also wore knee-warmers and my calves have never felt colder.

Gavin: given you had a half-hour ride from home and back, I'd give you full gloating points. We also didn't see much snow; actually it was raining too hard to see much of anything.

[dreeves]

I had to put some aloe on my hands this morning...the sun is sooo freakin' hot in Mexico this time of year..

Hope all are doing well and recovering from frostbite. I hope to be back riding in a couple weeks.

dylan

[Rita]

Guys, it sounds like you're all crazy! If it's cold = winter time = skiing time! You put on your skiing gear and go up a white mountain and then swoosh down, like I did for the last 3 days

I'm very sad though that I missed this opportunity to show off my manliness

Rita

[Lister Farrar]

Guys, it sounds like you're all crazy! If it's cold = winter time = skiing time! You put on your skiing gear and go up a white mountain and then swoosh down, like I did for the last 3 days

I'm very sad though that I missed this opportunity to show off my manliness

Rita

Freezing our _ _ _ _ _ off is manliness, and skiing is womanliness? I'm gonna get in touch with my feminine side! Skiing this week, yahoo!

[Alan]

I did the swooshing thing on Saturday, not before I rode my bike up to the top of the mountain (some other guy, who I recognized as being an Oak Bay rider saw me arriving in my Triple shot gear and thought I was a total basket case, bike covered with mud, etc.) The worst part was dealing with the nutjobs in their Volvos (Guys like Lister) driving like maniacs to be the first person on the hill. Note to file: don't try to go up Mount Washington on a bike in the Winter!
Anyways, the trip home on Sunday was special--I made it as far as Qualicum Beach before my wife picked me up with the car, freezing cold, wimpering, 100km under my belt, soaked to the skin--it rained the whole time... I was near hypothermic. Took me the entire ride back to Victoria to warm up... Don't know what I was thinking... but have to say it was likely worth it....more gloating points... hope Sardinia isn't quite so cold...

[Lister Farrar]

Wow, aren't you just the metrosexual, skiing and cycling in the same day. And in pastel argyle!