Temps in Phoenix in December (Mesa, Scottsdale: neighborhoods, cars, bikes)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Take heart! The seasonal minimum highs were reached in late December. Temps are on the way back to 120 now!

As far as I know the hottest day last year was 118?? When was the last legit 120 day? Other then on people's car dashboards?

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

I want 75 and sunny, not 75 and overcast with the potential for rain. How can I get out and enjoy a bike ride in the rain?

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

I'm just not getting why you couldn't ride a mountain bike or some other type of bike with fat tires when it's wet out. Given how much you love to ride, and given how it's really not that bad riding a bike on wet pavement with thicker tires, why you don't do that? It seems like a reasonable and evergreen solution to slick roadways.

Is it some kind of bicycler identity thing where people don't cross certain lines and sort of identify as "one or the other," kind of like motorcycle enthusiasts, who seem to either ride the big bikes like Harleys, or the sport bikes, but rarely both?

You might not be able to ride as far or as fast on a heavier, fatter-tired bike, but you'd be able to ride in a wider variety of conditions.

Additionally, perhaps a change in clothing would help ameliorate your issues with being cold. I understand that it is more of a pain in the butt using windbreaking/waterproof fabrics, because you don't want to get too hot, either, but it's something people in many climates deal with throughout the winter. I used to go skiing a lot, both downhill and XC, and you just get used to helping your body thermoregulate on a continual and ongoing basis by adjusting your clothing and/or your pacing.

Like many people here, I'm just trying to help you find a solution that will help you enjoy yourself.

Ive owned mountain bikes in the past (one Gary Fisher Level Betty and one Trek Antelope) and didn't realize what I was missing by getting on a road bike. I wont go back to mountain bikes, nor feel the need to spend the money on a bike that Ill utilize only when it rains. Its just not worth it for me.


As for clothing I wear when its cold? Ive tried everything. I used to ride in IL in the early winter, and would simply wear black long johns under my biking shorts if it was cold enough. I would wear a hoodie, too, if temps were below 50, but I quickly sweat too much and would often get sick. Its the same story here. Finding the right balance is virtually impossible it seems. One is either too hot or too cold. I prefer Spring and Fall riding, as all I need is my jersey and shorts.


I appreciate your levelheadedness, most people on here haven't the slightest clue what its like trying to ride in this crappy weather as of late. The excuses and name calling fly off the fingertips, but until they get out there and ride in this crap, they have no room to talk.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by locolife

Your entire weekend was shot because of the rain? I managed to get out on the bike without a problem, they still work in the rain ya know? It also made for some killer shots of clouds encompassing the local ranges, definitely some of my favorite views.

You do know there are more trails then just the Greenbelt right?

As I said, riding my bike along the saturated Greenbelt on skinny, slick tires is like riding on ice. I cant ride fast on most portions, have to walk around flooded sections, and when I do pick up the pace Im worried about eatin' concrete. I only have a road bike (I long since sold my mountain bikes) and have crashed in the rain a few times, so Ive learned my lesson. I don't do leisurely rides as they bore me, so if its wet out, I stay home.


And yes, Im well aware there are more trails than the Greenbelt. Ive ridden along the canals, but there are too many shady idiots, bums, and tweekers than I care to deal with. Plus, I often see lots of broken glass in spots. No thanks. I used to ride in PV by my place (climbing up Mockingbird, Cheney, etc), but there are too many bad drivers to contend with. I got my elbow hit by a Chevy Suburban's mirror on Doubletree (just West of Invergordon) due to an inattentive driver, and got hit by a car who didn't feel like stopping to make his right turn on a red off Hayden onto Mountain View. That was the last straw, I said I wasn't going to ride roads any more, so I just stick to the Greenbelt. And even on the Greenbelt Ive almost been hit by a bimbo turning off of Hayden (southbound) onto Indian Bend.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by locolife

As far as I know the hottest day last year was 118?? When was the last legit 120 day? Other then on people's car dashboards?

June 25, 1990 according to Google.

Hottest day ever was 122 the very next day.

[ScottsdaleMark]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

As I said, riding my bike along the saturated Greenbelt on skinny, slick tires is like riding on ice. I cant ride fast on most portions, have to walk around flooded sections, and when I do pick up the pace Im worried about eatin' concrete. I only have a road bike (I long since sold my mountain bikes) and have crashed in the rain a few times, so Ive learned my lesson. I don't do leisurely rides as they bore me, so if its wet out, I stay home.


And yes, Im well aware there are more trails than the Greenbelt. Ive ridden along the canals, but there are too many shady idiots, bums, and tweekers than I care to deal with. Plus, I often see lots of broken glass in spots. No thanks. I used to ride in PV by my place (climbing up Mockingbird, Cheney, etc), but there are too many bad drivers to contend with. I got my elbow hit by a Chevy Suburban's mirror on Doubletree (just West of Invergordon) due to an inattentive driver, and got hit by a car who didn't feel like stopping to make his right turn on a red off Hayden onto Mountain View. That was the last straw, I said I wasn't going to ride roads any more, so I just stick to the Greenbelt. And even on the Greenbelt Ive almost been hit by a bimbo turning off of Hayden (southbound) onto Indian Bend.

This is one of the reasons I gave up riding a bicycle. Pretty much anyone who's ridden a bike around town for any length of time has been hit by a vehicle at least once, often more than once. It happens to people biking on suburban roadways on the weekends, it happens to the people downtown using bikes as their sole transport, it affects all locations and types of bicycle riders.

I got tired of all the close calls and after being spilled by a right-turn driver who somehow didn't see me until they hit me, I just decided life was too short for me to mess around with a bicycle on public roadways. Including sidewalks, they may be even more dangerous than riding in the road. If I was to ride again, I'd stick solely to non-vehicular places like you do. Similarly, I have never ridden motorcycles. I know too many people who've been hurt or killed.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Ive owned mountain bikes in the past (one Gary Fisher Level Betty and one Trek Antelope) and didn't realize what I was missing by getting on a road bike. I wont go back to mountain bikes, nor feel the need to spend the money on a bike that Ill utilize only when it rains. Its just not worth it for me.


As for clothing I wear when its cold? Ive tried everything. I used to ride in IL in the early winter, and would simply wear black long johns under my biking shorts if it was cold enough. I would wear a hoodie, too, if temps were below 50, but I quickly sweat too much and would often get sick. Its the same story here. Finding the right balance is virtually impossible it seems. One is either too hot or too cold. I prefer Spring and Fall riding, as all I need is my jersey and shorts.


I appreciate your levelheadedness, most people on here haven't the slightest clue what its like trying to ride in this crappy weather as of late. The excuses and name calling fly off the fingertips, but until they get out there and ride in this crap, they have no room to talk.

I never resort to calling people names, that's just silly. But figured I'd throw out some options to you, I'm an avid cyclist too but I actually don't go to the green belt much because it's usually pretty crowded, I prefer mountain biking since it gets me away from the concrete jungle and other then winter weekends the trails are pretty well open.

When I do ride road I tend to stick to South Mountain, the San Juan road is usually always closed to vehicles so you can avoid them there but I know that's a pretty far hike from Scottsdale. They also close the road at I believe 6pm year-round, so a lot of times I'll do evening rides especially in the summer and see very few cars, just the people still making their way down from the type.

I guess the canals in the East Valley must be a little less shady, I've taken the Western Canal from Rural in Tempe all the way out to Gilbert and it seemed really nice.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

This is one of the reasons I gave up riding a bicycle. Pretty much anyone who's ridden a bike around town for any length of time has been hit by a vehicle at least once, often more than once. It happens to people biking on suburban roadways on the weekends, it happens to the people downtown using bikes as their sole transport, it affects all locations and types of bicycle riders.

I got tired of all the close calls and after being spilled by a right-turn driver who somehow didn't see me until they hit me, I just decided life was too short for me to mess around with a bicycle on public roadways. Including sidewalks, they may be even more dangerous than riding in the road. If I was to ride again, I'd stick solely to non-vehicular places like you do. Similarly, I have never ridden motorcycles. I know too many people who've been hurt or killed.

They close the south mountain summit road to vehicle traffic on the 4th Sunday of each month for what they call Silent Sunday. Also, San Juan road at South Mountain is almost always closed to vehicles, that's a nice quiet/isolated place to escape vehicles and see nature a little closer. It also stays relatively flat, there's some hills in it but nothing like the Summit road.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

June 25, 1990 according to Google.

Hottest day ever was 122 the very next day.

I knew it had been a while, I hear people throw out the 120 number like it happens all the time. I guess it was 27 years ago since we last hit that number now.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by locolife

I knew it had been a while, I hear people throw out the 120 number like it happens all the time. I guess it was 27 years ago since we last hit that number now.

Those are official airport temps. IIRC some outlying areas of the valley did hit 120 on that 118 (official airport temp) day in the summer of 2016.