frostbite

crap.
On Sunday I got minor frostbite on my nose. It's swollen and the skin looks kinda funny. I didn't do it on the bicycle though, we went snowboarding at Jay Peak VT this weekend and the low temps and windchill were just crazy. Temps at the base were around 0 degrees and the wind chill knocked that down to around -20.
Now, I'm probably always going to have to be extra cautious in cold weather to avoid more damage, which might mean wearing a balaclava or face mask. I hate both of those options.
crap.

thoughts on fixed gear bikes

I have been running little errands on the fixed-gear bike but I was nervous about commuting through the city on it. Today I jumped on and went for it.
Not so bad. I had to use my front brake only once, and that was at the bottom of the hill at the end of my street.

Here's what I learned on my fixed commute.

• 99% of the time it's no different than any other bike. I guess I don't coast much.
• The remaining 1% of the time is 'exciting'. Some would call it scary.
• 'Sudden stop' is deprecated, and is replaced by 'swerve' or 'crash'. You decide.
• My commute time was significantly slower because I was being so cautious.
• My legs are sore. Riding fixed uses different muscles, especially when going down hills and trying to slow down.
• My lockring needs to be tighter.