[timmhaan]

on longer rides, i sometimes get a chill that is really hard to get rid of. for example, i'll start off cool and warm up nicely and stay warm for a couple of hours. then, maybe i'll take a break or something. when i start up again, i'm really cold and uncomfortable for a long time. after that, it seems like my body is struggling to warm up again. i wonder if it's not a clothing issue - but instead a food\energy issue? maybe i shouldn't stop and start up again?? my solution is to bring an extra layer in a backpack but i'd rather not have to do that.

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[CastIron]

Try this: when you stop for a break, put on a wool hat immediately. And yeah, a little fuel wouldn't hurt either.

[Roody]

I agree with CastIron that you should eat something. But it also sounds like you might be wet? You stop producing heat when you rest, but you keep sweating for a while. Also, there's no breeze when you're resting to help dry your outer layer. If it's not TOO cold, you might want to take off your outer layer for a couple minutes when you first stop and let stuff dry out a bit. Maybe you'll be warmer when you get going again.

I don't know if this will help, but it's what I do if I'm riding in a cold rain. after I stop some place wher I'm out of the rain, like even under a bridge or a picnic shelter or bus shelter. Of course it's even better if you can get indoors to rest, and take off all but your bottom layer.

[2manybikes]

on longer rides, i sometimes get a chill that is really hard to get rid of. for example, i'll start off cool and warm up nicely and stay warm for a couple of hours. then, maybe i'll take a break or something. when i start up again, i'm really cold and uncomfortable for a long time. after that, it seems like my body is struggling to warm up again. i wonder if it's not a clothing issue - but instead a food\energy issue? maybe i shouldn't stop and start up again?? my solution is to bring an extra layer in a backpack but i'd rather not have to do that.

I think what is happening to you is what happens to me. I stop in 25F weather once in a while to use the camera, have a snack, etc. I take off my mittens and the inside of the mittens get cold too. I'm usually sweaty too. No Problem......

When you are riding steadily you are producing enough heat to keep your clothes and any sweat up to temperature. When you stop, since the effort almost stops, the furnace is off. The clothes and the sweat gets cold. Now when you start up again you have to heat up the clothes, the sweat, and your self again.
You need to put the furnace on high to heat up all that stuff. You need to work hard or spin fast
until the heat comes on and warms you up. When it gets warmed up you can set the thermostat at a comfortable level again. Just go back to the effort you were using before you stopped.

In other words turning up the effort turns up the heat. Works every time if you were comfortable before you stopped.
Unfortunately it works better if you can shift down and spin, that way you can keep the wind chill down. If you're riding fixed it's harder because you increase the wind chill as you spin faster.
Try slowing way down and sprinting up to speed until you feel some heat. Or try a good hill, that works great.

[Machka]

on longer rides, i sometimes get a chill that is really hard to get rid of. for example, i'll start off cool and warm up nicely and stay warm for a couple of hours. then, maybe i'll take a break or something. when i start up again, i'm really cold and uncomfortable for a long time. after that, it seems like my body is struggling to warm up again. i wonder if it's not a clothing issue - but instead a food\energy issue? maybe i shouldn't stop and start up again?? my solution is to bring an extra layer in a backpack but i'd rather not have to do that.

I used to really struggle with that, until my last two centuries where I wore a polypro base layer, and I was fine!

But a few other suggestions I've found to be helpful as well:

-- if you are going to stop, try not to stop outside. Plan to stop somewhere where you can go inside where it is warm. I have found on some of my colder rides, that going into a place where the temperature is above normal is better for me. I remove my jacket, and the stuff on my head, do whatever I need to do, then put it all on again and head out. On my coldest century, I did loops out and back from my apartment, and I kept the apartment temperature at 80F. That was perfect!!

-- if you have to stop outside, keep the stop very short so you don't cool down.

-- eat and drink ... especially if you're going to be out there for more than an hour. You should be consuming about 250 calories per hour while you are riding, or if you ride for a couple hours, then stop, you might want to consume about 500 calories before heading back out again.

-- move when you get on the bicycle. Don't just sit there and pedal. As silly as it may sound, I've found if I do a couple "windmill" rotations with my arms shortly after I get started, it gets the blood flowing and I'll be warm quite quickly.

-- make sure your outer layer is windproof. If you happen to be a bit damp, you can still be warm as long as the wind doesn't penetrate your layers.

[2manybikes]

- move when you get on the bicycle. Don't just sit there and pedal. As silly as it may sound, I've found if I do a couple "windmill" rotations with my arms shortly after I get started, it gets the blood flowing and I'll be warm quite quickly.

Awesome suggestion, good if you can't downshift and spin a lot. Now that you bring it up I think I read somewhere that it is very good for cold hands. The centrifugal force aids blood flow to the hands.

[chipcom]

Lots of good advice...now I'll add mine for what it's worth.

First, your base layer needs to wick moisture away from your body. Polypro is good, merino or bellana wool is better, at least in colder weather. In fact wool for your mid layers is good too, it allows cooling air in, but still keeps you warm, yet it also wicks moisture away. But none of this does any good if all the moisture is trapped by your jacket/outer layer. A good wind resistant/water resistant shell that not only has breathable fabric, but also plenty of vents, is the key. The moisture wicked from your body needs an exhaust. The trouble with way too many of the wind/waterproof 'breathable' shells is that even if they have vents, way too much moisture condenses on the inside of the fabric or soaks into the fabric. That's why I can't speak highly enough of my J&G wind jacket. When I first got it I thought, 'man, this thing isn't going to be worth a darn for cold weather', but I have found that the jacket is perfect for all year round, letting me concentrate on my inner layers instead of the jacket. It blocks wind just fine, but the zips can be adjusted for more intake and exhaust. The best thing, even if I am sweating like a pig, the moisture wicked from my wool is not retained inside the jacket or within the fabric...it drys very quickly, so when I stop there is not excess moisture to give me a chill when it cools and there is no air flow.

[Machka]

First, your base layer needs to wick moisture away from your body. Polypro is good, merino or bellana wool is better, at least in colder weather. In fact wool for your mid layers is good too,

I coolmax as my base layer and it wasn't very good. Then I tried marino wool, and I found that wool is all right in warmer temps (like right around the freezing mark). And then I tried the polypro (very, very skeptically) and it worked for the colder temps. I will agree though that wool makes an excellent mid-layer.


A good wind resistant/water resistant shell that not only has breathable fabric, but also plenty of vents, is the key. The moisture wicked from your body needs an exhaust. The trouble with way too many of the wind/waterproof 'breathable' shells is that even if they have vents, way too much moisture condenses on the inside of the fabric or soaks into the fabric.

I found it interesting on my last century ... it was extremely foggy and frost was forming anywhere there was any moisture at all ... so it formed all over my gloves, on my balaclava and neck gaiter around my face, and all down the front of my jacket, where I was sweating. That jacket is definitely breathable!! I got my father to take a picture of me, so I hope it turns out!! :D

[chipcom]

I coolmax as my base layer and it wasn't very good. Then I tried marino wool, and I found that wool is all right in warmer temps (like right around the freezing mark). And then I tried the polypro (very, very skeptically) and it worked for the colder temps. I will agree though that wool makes an excellent mid-layer.

I can see that. Polypro seems to hold sweat more for me, but below freezing I normally don't sweat as much. I really like the bellana wool I got off Nashbar...it's a mixture of wool and viscose I think.

I found it interesting on my last century ... it was extremely foggy and frost was forming anywhere there was any moisture at all ... so it formed all over my gloves, on my balaclava and neck gaiter around my face, and all down the front of my jacket, where I was sweating. That jacket is definitely breathable!! I got my father to take a picture of me, so I hope it turns out!! :D

It'll give the phrase 'ice princess' new meaning!

[timmhaan]

great advice. i thought i had a decent baselayer, but i'll inspect it for mosture next time. now that i think about it - it makes a lot of sense. i'm usually working pretty hard on the bike before stopping for a break, so i'd imagine i have a lot of sweat going on. perhaps the baselayer is wisking away sweat, but the jersey on top is retaining it? does that make sense?

i never eat enough during rides, i have to admit. but i'm trying to get in the habit of bringing a few clif bars with me. the last ride i did, i ate half a clif bar about every 12-15 miles and that seemed to help quite a bit. a new years resolution to eat more, i guess. :)

[2manybikes]

I found it interesting on my last century ... it was extremely foggy and frost was forming anywhere there was any moisture at all ... so it formed all over my gloves, on my balaclava and neck gaiter around my face, and all down the front of my jacket, where I was sweating. That jacket is definitely breathable!! I got my father to take a picture of me, so I hope it turns out!! :D

That's happend to me twice, I never got a picture. I would like to see that picture if you can post it. It sounds like a good picture. :)