Northeast - Any other people planning on riding thru' winter

As I have previously posted looking to ride (commute, 25miles round trip) as much possible this winter, first time. If you have any surgestions or comments that may help, I would certainly appreciate them.
Bigfoot

canilark,
welcome to bf!
your distance is the same as my new commute, 12 miles each way!
i have been commuting 6.5 miles total, 3.2/3.3 miles each way. i gave up the car to work thing officially 1/1/06, and have missed bicycle commute 8 days total due to a variety of "reasons".
this new distance will be a challange. do you have lights, fenders, panniers, rain gear,etc?
there needsto be more details; what you have, where your going, time frames, etc to be more able to help !
i'll look for details!
t

I commuted all winter last year in southern Maine (16 miles RT). Coldest last year was 2F.

So far this "winter" (lol) I've been riding in 2-3 days a week. It hasn't really gotten too cold. Not sure what will happen when we actually get some snow here.

Riding in the winter really sucks, but I've done it for a year now. Ussally it isnt the "raw" cold that does me in, but rather the combinded effect of the wind and cold. Having a good pair of winter gloves is key.

I rode through one winter recreationally (learned a little about what works and what doesn't) and last winter rode for real (commuted every day 13.5 miles RT at a minimum). Biggest problem I had commuting was my toes. This year, I've given up on clipless and am switching to Keen Growlers (eVent waterproof hiking boots) and Powergrips. Should keep my feet warm and dry, neither of which happened with the Lake winter boots I bought last year. If you plan on riding every day, you'll probably want some studded tires too. I am so looking forward to ice and packed snow again this year :)

I got back into riding last fall and rode through the winter. Luckily out here on Long Island the weather was pretty warm. My club has rides throught the winter and one of the days on the weekend it was usually in the 40's. The rides were usually 40-50 miles. This winter time will tell about he weather. I guess global warming has some benefits. If you wear layers it helps. Wear something close to your body that wicks. I picked up some inexpensive tops at Target by Champion. It also helps to have an outer garment that breaks the wind.

Also check out the Winter Riding section - those cats ride through some stuff that we will probably never see in the Northeast!

I am planning to commute as much as possible all winter (12 miles round trip). Today was probably the coldest so far (low thirties, feels like high twenties), but I still overheated quickly. One word: Smartwool - wore a midweight ladie's top today under my Nike fleece, and a thin windbreaker over that in case it started sprinkling. It was awesome (and I could've and would've easily done without the windbreaker, possibly even the Nike fleece). I wore one layer of tights on my lower half, thin mitten type gloves - not even remotely cold.

I'd agree with those who said layering with wicking base layer, fleece, and windbreaker. That combo seems to work really well for me too -- once I add my neck turtle, heavy gloves, etc., another layer of something on my lower half...it's really hard to imagine not being able to go right down into the teens pretty easily. It's not likely to get too much colder than that here on Long Island for long.

Unfortunately with a 6 mile commute, by the time you start to warm up, you're at work :). Back when I was in high school and commuted by bike (year-round), my commute was 10 miles round trip. Some days I never really warmed up, since it would only take 15-20 minutes on average.

try the information at www.icebike.com. There is an informative and active listserve. The membership is worldwide and our temps in the northeast are balmy in comparison to some of the temps they ride in.

Ah winter riding. Anything above 30 F is a cake walk. Ridden in sub zero weather and wondered why I left my SUV in the garage. :rolleyes: Factoring in the wind and humidity, 0 to 30 can be pleasant too. Depending on the temperature, I wear different tights. The neoprene layered for the cccold and wet days. I wear neoprene booties and gators. The gators are a great barrier! I cover the upper half with a biking tee, short sleeve, long sleeve, fleece vest and a reflective jacket. I wear a fleece scull cap under my helmet which I cover with reflective cover. I recommend as much reflective type gear as possible in the winter, especially if you're commuting to and from work. I wear a glove that is designed for snowmobiling. On warmer days, I'll just put a fleece glove over my biking gloves.

With respect to the bike, my winter rat is an 86 Specialized Sequoia with racks and fenders, 36 spoke wheels with 700 x 32/35 cc tires. To preclude corrosion from salt, I spray areas subject to splash with good old WD-40. I use a hand held spray with warm water to remove road debris, wipe the stallion down and reapply the WD-40.

Oh yes, I keep a bottle of Scotch at work for those cccold days. ;)