Crusader's Journal

[AxelHeyst]

I don't I don't even have proper knowledge of what I am supposed to wear while biking, but I like experimenting and figuring it out.

I think your approach is good. It's better to wear things you have and only get 'appropriate' gear as you find it necessary, rather than getting a whole lance armstrong getup and being a type 2 Fred.

[mooretrees]

I knew a guy who biked during Portland winters (mainly wet and 30 F, not really cold) in shorts and T-shirts. He biked really hard, got warm and sweaty and then took a shower at work. There’s all sorts of ways to deal with the weather. You will find your own way I’m sure. Have fun! Remember to down shift before stopping. That’s my big tip when biking.

[loutfard]

Just an anecdote. When I lived in Riga, Latvia, I would regularly see a man cycling barefooted in shorts. In the middle of winter. At -20°C/-4°F.

[avalok]

These anecdotes are inspirational: I am not that tough, though I do ride more intensely in winter to keep warm. I want to redact what I originally said, because I think it sounds like I was claiming you need particular kit, which wasn't my intention. @AH is spot on: if I was starting cycling again I would just learn through experience what particular gear should be acquired.

[Crusader]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I think that the only thing I really need is some sort of pants that I could use both for cycling and socially. I think I'll just buy the most appropriate pair of pants for this purpose on my next trip to Costco and go from there. Probably something stretchy.

[avalok]

Stretchy, quick drying, and I'd say try to avoid a tight fit around the thigh, else they'll restrict your pedalling motion.

[shaz]

@crusader if you experience chafing in personal places, definitely look into getting padded cycling liner shorts to go inside whatever pants you choose to wear. I also consider gloves with an abrasion-resistant palm to be essential because getting road rash on your palms is THE WORST.

[basuragomi]

For Toronto, any time that it's above 10C I'll wear t-shirt and gym shorts.
0-10C is gloves+windbreaker. Pants optional.
-5-0C is mitts+windbreaker+pants+boots. I'd say you don't need stretchy pants, but I realize that I only have baggy or stretchy pants left due to attrition...
-10 to -5C is all of the above plus full-face helmet (you can just use a balaclava or scarf), and maybe gloves under mitts.
-20 to -10C is all of the above plus rainpants.
Below -20C is all of the above plus a sweater. I usually just stay home though.

Once you get going hard enough you can ignore all of the above and strip down to shorts and tshirt!

The key is to keep your core as ventilated as possible, and insulate the extremities. Your experience might be different from mine though.

Whenever it rains, I wear a t-shirt, shorts, boots, rainpants and windbreaker. All-day downpours are rare in Toronto, though. It's usually a drizzle that you can ignore or a huge storm that you can wait out. I find that the TTC gets dramatically slower in the rain, i.e. below walking speed. So biking still makes sense.

Odds are your commute to work is downtown, i.e. mostly flat/downhill, so you might not even get sweaty once you learn the route.

[Crusader]

For Toronto, any time that it's above 10C I'll wear t-shirt and gym shorts.
0-10C is gloves+windbreaker. Pants optional.
-5-0C is mitts+windbreaker+pants+boots. I'd say you don't need stretchy pants, but I realize that I only have baggy or stretchy pants left due to attrition...
-10 to -5C is all of the above plus full-face helmet (you can just use a balaclava or scarf), and maybe gloves under mitts.
-20 to -10C is all of the above plus rainpants.
Below -20C is all of the above plus a sweater. I usually just stay home though.

This Toronto-specific information is really helpful, thanks basuragomi!

[Crusader]

Well, this week, biking has been put on hold. I've been trying to test how little clothes I can wear, and at a particularly cold/windy day (<5 degrees C), I got so cold that I got sick. The problem seems to be with the wind and speed that you are going, but at the same time, I get sweaty/wet inside so I don't know how one can win at this game. The nice thing I discovered is that if it rains, I can just take the subway with my bicycle.

So unfortunately, I've been driving my car more and I went over the budget for this month, but I want to make up for it next month. What's good is that I bought a lot of food this month that I didn't spend. So for May, I am thinking the following:
-> limit the grocery spending to $100
-> buy some kind of pants that can be used both for biking, work and dancing... maybe track suit or yoga or golf pants

I have also noticed that my phone screen time is embarrassingly high. I'll try to limit it to 1 hour a day.

[theanimal]

What clothes are you wearing? Are you getting sweaty and then cooling down? Ideally, you do not want to be sweating as the evaporation of your sweat is likely what's causing you to become so cold. If you aren't wearing them already, layers are your friend. I prefer to start out cold, knowing I'm going to be warm later on. Some people like to start warm and adjust along the way. Either way, if you are getting sweaty, you are wearing too many clothes.

[avalok]

You are right that the wind plays a major factor in staying warm on the bike. Go for a run/walk on a cold/windy day and you'll likely get warm, but on the bike it is far more uncertain. With wind chill, the faster you travel, the more you are going to be fighting to stay warm. You may be doing this by riding more intensely, which will of course lead to sweating.

It's also worth considering what basuragomi said above; are you insulating the wrong places?

The key is to keep your core as ventilated as possible, and insulate the extremities.

[jacob]

Well, this week, biking has been put on hold. I've been trying to test how little clothes I can wear, and at a particularly cold/windy day (<5 degrees C), I got so cold that I got sick. The problem seems to be with the wind and speed that you are going, but at the same time, I get sweaty/wet inside so I don't know how one can win at this game. The nice thing I discovered is that if it rains, I can just take the subway with my bicycle.

In California, I used a thermal bib down to freezing at cruising speed going about 17mph or 27kmh. Change on arrival. These are relatively wind resistant but also breathable. Internal temperature is determined by your effort e.g. too cold => ride faster. For the top, I just used my standard goretex jacket.

[Crusader]

The day when I got cold, it was about 4°C, but it was windy, so I don't know what the wind chill was. I was wearing:
-> thin track suit pants on the bottom
-> a t shirt and thin cheap windbreaker on the top
-> a helmet (pretty breathable)

I was cold everywhere, but especially on the head (I should have probably worn a hat), neck and torso in general (especially when going down a hill or stopped at a traffic light). But, when I stopped cycling, my t-shirt was drenched (and I did try to cycle faster to warm up). Maybe I should have worn some kind of a thin balaclava and gloves that would not make my skin as exposed. I forgot to mention, but 45 mins before I left the house, I also took a shower. That was probably not a good idea.

The good news is that the weather is improving, so I won't have to think about this until about November...

[basuragomi]

I was out on my bike for about an hour that day (it was snowing, yeah?), I was wearing stretchy jeans (Levi 541s), a thin sweater over t-shirt, gloves and helmet. Lots of air movement over the core because no windbreaker, and my hands and limbs were fine. I had to take off the sweater as soon as I stopped to avoid overheating though.

Seems like you run a bit colder than me so could probably use more insulation. Like an unzipped hoodie under an unzipped windbreaker, gloves, earmuffs and a slower pace to generate less sweat? Gloves alone make a huge difference, since your hands are so exposed to windchill.

[Crusader]

I was out on my bike for about an hour that day (it was snowing, yeah?)

No, it was actually the day before, Monday, around 6pm. Going on on the snow day after my bad experience the next day was not appealing at all. I guess I'll have to learn how to adjust the layers and heat in real time. In retrospect, I think that I would have been fine with a thin balaclava and gloves.

[Crusader]

Hello journal after a long time! Greetings from Prague, where I am stopping by before visiting my mom in Serbia.

The last couple of months have been really intense. While working full time in my relatively new management role, I also focused on dance teacher's training certification and becoming a dance teacher. I was definitely the weakest link in the training course, and given that I did really well in the final exam (came in 3rd in 20+ of us who ended up doing it and passing in Canada). I still am not a very good dancer nor teacher, but I guess I can pass structured exams. What is more important is that I really feel like I started doing something that "doesn't feel like work" (at least not yet). I stopped caring even about getting paid and any money I get from teaching dance, I reinvest back into the dance school by buying dance classes (even though I technically only need to pay a fraction of the price). As I feel that I am truly contributing (in the net) to the dance school, I might "give" myself a salary, but for now it just helps with the cost of my hobby. They also want me to be a "chief of staff" (whatever that means) for the next congress in Toronto. Basically someone responsible who is overlooking everything and is able to fix problems or step in if something goes wrong. I kind of like that role. I am kind of doing that at work as well -> I am a software developer, team lead, manager, basically a jack of all trades. I like the fact that I am basically my own boss (my actual boss very rarely interferes with anything I do, I just give status updates to her... I guess she trusts me).

Looking forward, I got a desire to develop my musicality in some way. Being a part of the dance school will open up opportunities to become some kind of a DJ, but it's not something that feels like a priority for me. What feels more pressing is singing. I noticed that I would just randomly sing karaoke on my own as a form of procrastination. I wonder if I could become some kind of singer? Of course, just like with dance, I have zero talent. But I am getting better (I took some online singing lessons during the pandemic which gave me some of the basics), and I recently had a catch-up coffee with an old friend who has been singing in the Serbian diaspora in and around Toronto for years. She said that I can come out with her and see what she is up to and try signing with her any time, and I might hit her up on that, but I am very nervous about that. Contrasting that, she seemed to have picked up singing naturally on her own. I need some of that courage.

Veganism seems to have been working out for me. For 3 months or so, I have not "cheated". I think I could do this forever, unless I get some kind of a health issue. I have a friend who apparently got a severe vitamin D deficiency and her blood wouldn't clot. The plan is to get my doctor to do some blood work at some later point to assess. I do take a vegan multivitamin every day to give me some extra B12, D, Calcium...

Now for some not so great updates...

I haven't been cooking and eating very well, and as a result I didn't lose any weight after becoming vegan (not that was my motivation for going vegan). After I come back from my vacation, I really need to start planning my meals, as well as exercising. I also went back in time and summed up all my expenses for the months that I hadn't done that, and the numbers are really depressing. I still have some work left to do, but I am almost too ashamed to post them. I am not on a ERE budget by any stretch of the imagination. With the travel and dance spending that I do, I don't think if an ERE budget is possible, to be honest. I also give gits to family (I just bought my mom an Apple watch because I hadn't gotten her anything in a couple of years and I know that at her age and living alone, she'll appreciate the fall detection and emergency SOS call feature). Out of the expenses that I feel bad about, it would definitely be eating out or ordering in food. I just don't like cooking!

I think that for the next little while, my goals will be to get into the following habits:
-> make a cooking food plan and follow it
-> ramp up the exercise (ideally I would like to do it every day)
-> get closer to the ERE level spending (at least for avoidable expenses)

[ertyu]

about singing: you can find lessons and exercises on youtube. to me, there's 0 downsides to developing in that direction. if it sparks joy, the results will come -- just like so far, you don't know what exactly will come out of your dancing but you do know you enjoy it and it gives you opportunities to expand your network, which in turn opens up future possibilities.

Good luck getting back on the wagon with food and expenses, and enjoy your time in Serbia!

[Crusader]

Well, here I am again, trying to make an effort to post more. Ever since the stock market started recovering, I've been thinking about the fact that my portfolio is large enough that I could, in theory, be leanFIRE, if I was disciplined enough (like I haven't been). I tried to start living on 4% of my investments in August, but my car unexpectedly broke down, so that had to wait until September. I also used August as a way to "cheat" a little bit and prebook some upcoming activities and buy some stuff so that I won't have to in the future. I dare not calculate how much money I spent (I'll do that at a later date, maybe in a year from now).

Then ERE happened, in September, so I thought that it would be a great goal to be able to start with my mission then, and if it happens at the same time next year, come to it and say: I've been living in a leanFIRE way for an entire year!

Needless to say, I stocked up on beans, lentils, and the pressure cooker is ready to go. I don't anticipate any bit expenses over the next 12 months, apart from 1 international trip (visiting my mom and friends in Serbia), and possible 1 or 2 smaller trips. My September expenses have been good so far.

Other than that, my thoughts are occupied by a few things:
-> Excitement about learning how to cook new frugal meals
-> Not sure how to learn music. I thought I was an OK singer, but at a cottage trip when a musician friend tried to make us harmonize the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody, I was really put in my place. Now I am thinking if I should learn guitar as well, at my own (slow) pace.
-> I can't help but think that I spend too much time at work, or at least stressing over work, although overall I do enjoy my work. I am thinking about implementing some kind of a "only 8 hours per day allowed" rule. I am actually not sure I work a full 8 hours, but it sure feels like more.
-> I can't help but think that I am somehow broken by not having a romantic partner. And I don't have a romantic partner because I don't feel like I was really into someone for 8 years (I am 38 now). I feel that I won't end up with anyone and although I am not sure I should (all the external objective indicators seem to point that I really am not meant for a relationship, although I would like to if I met someone on the same wavelength as me, or at least someone with which it felt right), what seems to bother me more is the fact that it seems that I am NOT following that standard script of "get married, have kids, work hard", and for some reason that bothers me.

Given the above, as soon as I address some personal finance errands, I intend the following to be my priorities:
1) Start the GTD system again for personal projects (I already restarted it at work).
2) Start the Science of Well-Being online Coursera course. Tentative start date: October 1st.

In other news, my car is on its last legs. The transmission is failing, and it will die at some point in the near future. The cost of repair is more than the cost of the car. So, I haven't been using my car at all. It is only to be used for emergencies and when I absolutely have to. I'll allow myself one monthly Costco run. I think all of this fits in nicely with my web of goals. I hope to pay very low "pay as you go" insurance, as my mileage will be very low.

Another update is that I finally started to teach dance at the dance school, as the most junior dance instructor there. I am doing an "OK" job. Lots to learn and improve on. I just hope they don't fire me.

Last but not least... I said it elsewhere, but I attended EREfest, and it was a delight. I feel so grateful for this community and everyone I've met. Many thanks to AxelHeyst and everyone who helped with the organization and everyone who came!

[Crusader]

A little update. I have successfully started doing my "spend only money your portfolio can sustain" year. Because of ERE fest, I went a little bit over ($100) in September, but I think I'll carry that negative balance into October and make it up. Here are some changes I've made:

-> I only take public transport now. My car is only for emergencies and the occasional out-of-the-city trip.
-> I only cook my own food (that I buy from Walmart... because my Costco membership will expire)
-> I track every expense again
-> I transferred all my brokerage accounts to one bank (they gave me a sign on bonus) with no fees, and I closed my other bank account. The goal is to have a no fee bank and brokerage.
-> I started doing the Science of Well-Being course. I am really enjoying it. The biggest takeaway so far is that me getting a romantic partner is not really going to make me "happy". Happiness comes from within, as cliche as it sounds. Also, my life is pretty good as is, even if I sometimes feel lonely or like it doesn't have a purpose.

I lost weight because it seems that my desire to not go over budget and laziness is stronger than wanting to eat. I might have to consciously start eating MORE food soon (my BMI is almost 25 now... it hasn't been that low in years).

We revisited the ERE book in our MMG again. My biggest takeaway is that I am fairly good/skilled with being able to save and invest the difference... but I do NOT have a vision of where I want to go after achieving FIRE. I need to start working on figuring this vision/strategy out ASAP.