PIZZ
08-14-06, 04:36 PM
DO any of you guys have good tips for riding in the winter? Cold weather, snow, rain, ice? Thought this would make a good thread for anyone starting their car-free life this winter.:)
Living Car Free - WINTER riding tips.
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Caspar_s
08-14-06, 04:42 PM
Tips that aren't in the winter cycling forum?
Platy
08-14-06, 04:47 PM
I guess there could be a special carfree emphasis on hauling groceries in winter, or dealing with childcare responsibilities.
PIZZ
08-14-06, 04:52 PM
oh! didnt even see the WInter Cycling forum! My bad.
Caspar_s
08-14-06, 05:24 PM
For hauling groceries - you don't have to hurry to make sure the ice cream doesn't melt! :-)
Most of the winter riding is just about balancing keeping warm and not getting too warm from riding. I can't think of anything different living car-free would add. 7 years I've been doing both, so any questions go ahead. (except child care - NO experience with that, winter or summer :-)
Most of the winter riding is just about balancing keeping warm and not getting too warm from riding. I can't think of anything different living car-free would add. 7 years I've been doing both, so any questions go ahead. (except child care - NO experience with that, winter or summer :-)
Artkansas
08-14-06, 07:02 PM
DO any of you guys have good tips for riding in the winter? Cold weather, snow, rain, ice? Thought this would make a good thread for anyone starting their car-free life this winter.:)
Big Extra Points for thinking ahead, worrying about winter riding in mid-August. Makes me cooler just to worry about keeping my fingers warm.
Big Extra Points for thinking ahead, worrying about winter riding in mid-August. Makes me cooler just to worry about keeping my fingers warm.
Roody
08-14-06, 07:35 PM
Clothing is the main thing. Wear layers. With a little experience, you get to know what to wear for the day's weather. For 30 degree F (0 degrees C) I wear for inner layer a wicking T shirt. The middle layer is an old cashmere sweater. The outer layer is a soft shell jacket that is water- and wind-resistant. (Of course this should be a bright color in case they have to find you in a snow bank.) For each incremental drop in temperature I add another layer from my vast collection of winter gear, mostly purchased at Salvation Army. Always, I sweat just as much in the winter as in summer, so I wear wicking clothes and wool to keep my skin dry and warm.
On the bottom I wear cycling shorts as an inner layer, light polyester long johns in the middle, and khaki or wool pants on top. I'm hot-footed so I just wear wool socks under all-terrain running shoes. I have a couple pairs of different weight gloves. Ski gloves are good. I have a big pair of wool mittens to wear over gloves, but I only need those a couple times a season. I have collected many hats, headbands and skullcaps for varying conditions.
For emergencies, I carry an extra layer of clothes in my back pack. If you break down and have to walk your bike home, you'll be much colder than if you're riding.
Oh. I live in mid-Michigan, so we don't have super-cold winters. We usually have snow cover from early December to early March. Sometimes we get rain in the winter, which is much worse than snow.
On the bottom I wear cycling shorts as an inner layer, light polyester long johns in the middle, and khaki or wool pants on top. I'm hot-footed so I just wear wool socks under all-terrain running shoes. I have a couple pairs of different weight gloves. Ski gloves are good. I have a big pair of wool mittens to wear over gloves, but I only need those a couple times a season. I have collected many hats, headbands and skullcaps for varying conditions.
For emergencies, I carry an extra layer of clothes in my back pack. If you break down and have to walk your bike home, you'll be much colder than if you're riding.
Oh. I live in mid-Michigan, so we don't have super-cold winters. We usually have snow cover from early December to early March. Sometimes we get rain in the winter, which is much worse than snow.
gwd
08-14-06, 08:32 PM
(except child care - NO experience with that, winter or summer :-)
You have to remember that the little ones are just sitting there so they need to be extra bundled up. They aren't getting any exercise. Some of the neighborhood moms put those clear plastic stroller covers over the kid bike seat to keep the snow and sleet off the kid. I asked one about suffocation but she thought the breeze blew up into it, also it had snap sides and seams that holds its shape. They put the kid in the normal cold weather playground outfit but since the kid isn't playing they add a big wool blanket and extra scarf on top. At the playground the extra blanket just stays with the bike. When I pick a kid up in winter I have this anxiety about the hand hold. I ride the kid on the top tube and the kid holds the handlebars. The dilemma is that when it is cold sometimes the kid has wool gloves that seem slippy on the metal handle bar. I want the kid to hold on but don't want the kids hands to freeze. I'm probably too paranoid about the whole thing.
You have to remember that the little ones are just sitting there so they need to be extra bundled up. They aren't getting any exercise. Some of the neighborhood moms put those clear plastic stroller covers over the kid bike seat to keep the snow and sleet off the kid. I asked one about suffocation but she thought the breeze blew up into it, also it had snap sides and seams that holds its shape. They put the kid in the normal cold weather playground outfit but since the kid isn't playing they add a big wool blanket and extra scarf on top. At the playground the extra blanket just stays with the bike. When I pick a kid up in winter I have this anxiety about the hand hold. I ride the kid on the top tube and the kid holds the handlebars. The dilemma is that when it is cold sometimes the kid has wool gloves that seem slippy on the metal handle bar. I want the kid to hold on but don't want the kids hands to freeze. I'm probably too paranoid about the whole thing.
kf5nd
08-15-06, 07:49 AM
dang are we talking about winter already? bring it on! heat index here is 105
damian_
08-16-06, 09:19 AM
WInter right here... and my first car-free winter at that.
The biggest things I've noticed are:
- Wear the right clothing (see Roody's post). Keep warm, and dry, don't get too sweaty underneath.
- Carrying stuff - keep it out of the weather. Make sure you have waterproof bags, or wrap your things in plastic before putting them in panniers, saddlebags, etc.
- Slippery roads - just an observation really, but be careful. At times this has come in handy, as cars seem to drive more slowly. At times I have nearly been blown off my bike with gale-force winds.
- More dark hours - headlights need to be A-OK.
- People keep asking if you rode in the weather today. The correct answer is, "Yes, thank GOD! I'd hate to be DRIVING on a day like this!"
The biggest things I've noticed are:
- Wear the right clothing (see Roody's post). Keep warm, and dry, don't get too sweaty underneath.
- Carrying stuff - keep it out of the weather. Make sure you have waterproof bags, or wrap your things in plastic before putting them in panniers, saddlebags, etc.
- Slippery roads - just an observation really, but be careful. At times this has come in handy, as cars seem to drive more slowly. At times I have nearly been blown off my bike with gale-force winds.
- More dark hours - headlights need to be A-OK.
- People keep asking if you rode in the weather today. The correct answer is, "Yes, thank GOD! I'd hate to be DRIVING on a day like this!"