Commuting - Are bike commuters tougher?

I was walking to the supermarket yesterday and saw three roadies riding out of a driveway heading out for a Sunday afternoon ride.
The temperature was ~55F (13C) and sunny so I was wearing shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. The roadies looked like they were expecting a blizzard. They had leg warmers, tights, heavy jacket or wind breaker with a couple of layers underneath, and one guy wore a balaclava.
When the weather is like this (or even colder) I've seem commuters (including myself) wearing much less and they were comfortable.
Ok, now comes the can of worms. Are all (non-commuting) roadies wimps? :rolleyes:

Yup.

Yes, commuters are tougher.

Especially in the colder climates. ;)

Three things give us hardy strength: sleeping on hairy mattresses, breathing cold air, and eating dry food.

We're probably exposed to more varied temperatures than weekend recreation riders (roadies). I bet all three of them stripped off a few layers once they got rolling. I doubt that we're tougher, we just have our gear and clothing better dialed in for each situation.

Except for Ron, he's tougher than everyone (see his wolf tattoos).

Just more experienced with what to wear and more in tune with quick changes in weather. If you ride everyday you learn quickly what is needed. If you head out once a week or less changes in weather can get ya.

But it can be much harder to prepare for a long (4hr) club ride than a commute. I had a ride this weekend that started at 35F and ended at 70F - did I want to be too cold in the morning or end up carrying bulk in my jersey at the end? (I went for the former and made the right decision I think) Maybe those three were planning on riding well into the night.

Al

My bike club guys/ racers wear leggings and sleeves on 19 degree C days. They just get cold no matter what. And they are all commuters to some degree, one is even a bike courier. I weigh the same and wear less. Depends on the person I guess. I start wearing my tights at about 4 or 5 degrees.

This should be cross posted in the roadie forum. :p

Anyhow, some roadies are equally as temperature tolerant. Then there are those that use a trainer for everything below 50F. :rolleyes: I think it has to do with what you are used to and how nutty you are.
To be fair, we also have quite a few fair weather commuters.

Tempting though it is to say 'Yes', it's just down to our bodies adapting to the more regular exposure to cooler temperatures.

Nah, scrap that...


YES!

Are we talking about *real* skinny roadies with 4% body fat. I think they'd have a pretty good excuse for getting cold easier.

Also, they are probably out for longer, a road ride can last most of the day.

If your commute takes you that long, you're probably really late for work.

It's not a roadies vs commuters thing. I think it's safer to say that both roadies and commuters are tougher than poseurs! ;)

People that "ride 365", in the dark and the cold, are tougher, absolutely.

YES, everyday commuters are 'tougher', (maybe not "fitter") than the 'weekend' poseurs. I know one top CAT rated guy I rode by this summer though, he was wearing shoecovers on a hot August day! I almost burst out laughing.

I have indeed seen a few roadies out on long rides in the barren countryside on very cold, very windy winter days.

Myself, I hang my road bike in the basement from November till March and ride in the city or the woods where it's at least marginally warmer.

We're not toughter. We just don't give a ****. ;)

"Cover your knees below 65 degrees"...

Just because you have insufficient gear for the conditions doesn't make you "tough"...

Sign me,

Roadie Commuter

"Cover your knees below 65 degrees"...

Didn't it used to be 55 degrees? :D



I kid, I kid, I wear knee warmers most of the time.

I live in a "hoity toity" part of Kansas City where many (but by no means all) roadies are wimpy yuppies on their $4,000 toys with $1,200 worth of clothing and gear. They're out to show it off, and they think being out in 40*F weather is REALLY showing off how tough they are on top of being able to show of their flashy gear, because all the lesser roadies hang the bike up when it gets below 70.

There are some very serious athletes on the road, though. Most of them are still in lycra near freezing weather, and they're wearing a camelbak under a windbreaker. Those guys are typically pretty hardcore.

Anyhow, those who bike for utility (whether or not they're forced to) may or may not be any "tougher", they are "gamier", though, quite possibly stronger willed than others. Whether this gameness comes from necessity (no vehicle), indifference (who cares how cold it is?), or pride (look at me, it's below freezing and I still use my bike!), it's anyone's guess unless they tell you.

Personally, I'm about 50/50 indifference and pride. I'm doing it to get a workout, but getting called "insane" and getting props from co-workers has started to nibble away at my humility a bit.

Except for Ron, he's tougher than everyone (see his wolf tattoos).
Hey, I've gotten 3 nice compliments about them lately. :p

Tempting though it is to say 'Yes', it's just down to our bodies adapting to the more regular exposure to cooler temperatures.

i.e. TOUGHER!!!!

Commuters ride in the morning and evening in cold weather with short days. We ride heavier bikes and don't typically ride as far.

I'd say we're a hardier bunch but we can't really say we're tougher. I've seen some hardcore roadies that I can't begin to compete with.

yes

There's a huge difference between your 1 hour commute and a 4 hour base ride as far as fingers and toes getting cold. I know cause I've done both. I need way less clothing on my commute in than I do if I go for a long road ride. Not too mention, there's a helluva lot more wind when you get out of the city, which affects the temperature quite a lot.

I'll admit though, anyone wearing a balaclava in 13c is a wimp, regardless of the type of bike they're riding...

Are all (non-commuting) roadies wimps? :rolleyes:


I'm both. I still consider myself a wimp. And I've had frost bite twice. But I come from a world of ranching and cattle that most of you will never know. Sat on horseback in the freezing Colorado mountains chasing cattle and learning the art of suffering when I was a kid. And I'm still a wimp. So what's your point?


Cold and frozen takes me to my lowest point in hell.

I think the average commuter has a thicker fat layer than does the average clubbie.

It's not a roadies vs commuters thing. I think it's safer to say that both roadies and commuters are tougher than poseurs! ;)

+1

And I'd say it's your riding that shows your toughness -- or determination. If you can outpace the cars, that's tough. If you ride every day no matter what, that's determination. If you outpace the cars every day no matter what, that's just plain sublime.

Maybe they were planning on being out for a few hours? The temps tend to drop quickly when the sun starts to dip low on the horizon.

I set out Saturday morning for about an hour long ride (all I had time for) and had tights, arm warmers and a light vest on (it was about 55 degrees) and I was a bit too warm. Yesterday I rode for 3 hours and had just arm warmers, bib shorts and a short sleeve jersey. I shed the arm warmers about an hour into my ride and was perfectly comfortable (it got up to 70 here yesterday).

Last week it was in the 40s here in the morning but quickly warmed up to the mid 70s during the daytime and back down in the 40s again at night.

One other factor to consider: sweatiness.

If I'm out for a road ride, I don't really care if I get sweaty. If I'm coming to work, I dress cooler and dial the effort back a lot to avoid showing up in the office drenched in sweat. Doesn't always work out that way in August, but that's the plan.

I commute 5 days a week.
I ride with my local club on weekends.

I showed up Saturday AM for a group ride, its was ~60F. I'm in a short sleeve jersey and short finger gloves. Most everyone looked at me like I was some kind of alien being, everybody was bundled head to toe trying to stave off the cold winds that have been blowing here.
So when it warmed up to 80F later in the day I was still comfortable and everyone else was dragging around bundles of extra clothes.

Some roadies are tough.
http://www.icebike.org/images/icebike-IMG_3387small.jpg

I was walking to the supermarket yesterday and saw three roadies riding out of a driveway heading out for a Sunday afternoon ride.
The temperature was ~55F (13C) and sunny so I was wearing shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. The roadies looked like they were expecting a blizzard. They had leg warmers, tights, heavy jacket or wind breaker with a couple of layers underneath, and one guy wore a balaclava.
When the weather is like this (or even colder) I've seem commuters (including myself) wearing much less and they were comfortable.
Ok, now comes the can of worms. Are all (non-commuting) roadies wimps? :rolleyes:


ha

haha

HAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHA




err, sorry.

I've seen some hardcore roadies that I can't begin to compete with.
I never believed bike commuting was about competition at all, and most certainly not with weekend warriors or club pelotons.

There's a huge difference between your 1 hour commute and a 4 hour base ride as far as fingers and toes getting cold. I know cause I've done both. I need way less clothing on my commute in than I do if I go for a long road ride. Not too mention, there's a helluva lot more wind when you get out of the city, which affects the temperature quite a lot.


+1

While commuting, i can get by with clothing which would be seriously inadequate for a 4X longer ride.

I think the other responses here are right. I certainly have a thicker layer of fat than most of the club riders around here (of which I've seen a total of about 6, ever). When I get there in the cold, the skin of my torso especially my belly is very, very cold, but my core is fine and I'm never shivering.
Also I think as was also said, we're very good about knowing exactly what clothes we're going to need at different temps. I get up, look at the thermometer, step into the bathroom where I keep my clothes, and know just what to put on. I used to overdress, underdress, pack things because I wasn't sure, etc. Now I just put on the right thing and go.

Tougher? Meh.

More disciplined? Yes.

I would think the amount of training many roadies take part in would disqualify the disciplined part.

I would think the amount of training many roadies take part in would disqualify the disciplined part.

At a certain level you're right, but I'm not talking about racers. You should hang out on the Road Cycling forum when they're discussing riding in the rain sometime.

Actually, I find those discussions quite amusing. I lurk there when it is dead here.

Rain, snow, sub 50F temps, on and on.

I remember reading post somewhere on BF last winter. Someone in south Florida was asking for trainer recommendations because it was getting too cold to ride outside --- below 60F. :lol:

The temperature was ~55F ... and one guy wore a balaclava.

My head would melt. I only bust out the balaclava when temps drop below 30F. Above that, I just need my microfleece hat under my brain bucket. I pull it down to cover my ears, and my beard keeps the lower half of my face warm enough.

As someone else mentioned, they may be heading out for a long ride and it's better to be prepared. On the other hand, a lot of commutes are under an hour. On my own ride to work, I know that even if it's 32 degrees, I'm not going to be cold for more than 20 minutes.

Some roadies are tough.
http://www.icebike.org/images/icebike-IMG_3387small.jpg


Nice job with the PhotoShop.... you almost had us.

I guess I'm a cross-breed. I can ride in sub 30F weather that most of my roadie friends won’t go out in but my commute takes up to 3 hours one way.

Actually, I find those discussions quite amusing. I lurk there when it is dead here.

Rain, snow, sub 50F temps, on and on.

I have gotten **** in the Road Cycling forum for not wanting to get up early to ride on the weekends. Hey. I already do that 5 days a week.

One other factor to consider: sweatiness.

If I'm out for a road ride, I don't really care if I get sweaty. If I'm coming to work, I dress cooler and dial the effort back a lot to avoid showing up in the office drenched in sweat. Doesn't always work out that way in August, but that's the plan.

Indeed!

It's not a roadies vs commuters thing. I think it's safer to say that both roadies and commuters are tougher than poseurs! ;)

Yep.

One wonders whether those riders heading out in all the spanky gear were in fact poseurs rather than roadies.

The real test, however, is how they respond to traffic.

At a certain level you're right, but I'm not talking about racers. You should hang out on the Road Cycling forum when they're discussing riding in the rain sometime.

Again, it depends on the area. Here in SoCal it rarely rains so rain gear is something most cyclists here do not own. I generally don't ride in the rain. I've been caught out in it a few times without adequate clothing and it's not fun. I'm sure as hell not about to go out and buy a full complement of rain gear because it rains 10 times a year and I may or may not ever get caught out in it.

Oh, and road racing in the rain is downright treacherous.

I've known some mountain bikers that don't over dress and think nothing of riding in a combination of snow, mud and rain that many commuters wouldn't think of facing.

and long distance touring cyclists that actually do take on mountain passes in extreme weather and peel down to very little because the effort to climb with gear on the back rack up such a tough grade makes them overheat.

and I've seen a pack of road riders on a 120 mile road ride hammer up the Kancamangus Highway in a freezing rain and nothing but a jersey and shorts and decide to take the added dirt road loop "just for the exercise".

and I've commuted in -8F weather on studded tires and seen a few other commuters rolling along with smiles on their faces,too.

I don't know how tough all these bikers are but one thing I do know- they sure are crazy! as fun as it is to pit one group of cyclists against another I think all of them beat the poseurs hands down and I'll stick with the crazies no matter what column they fall under.

Three things give us hardy strength: sleeping on hairy mattresses, breathing cold air, and eating dry food.

No wonder my dog is so strong!

Three things give us hardy strength: sleeping on hairy mattresses, breathing cold air, and eating dry food.

and sn-t Rockets!

I've known some mountain bikers that don't over dress and think nothing of riding in a combination of snow, mud and rain that many commuters wouldn't think of facing.

and long distance touring cyclists that actually do take on mountain passes in extreme weather and peel down to very little because the effort to climb with gear on the back rack up such a tough grade makes them overheat.

and I've seen a pack of road riders on a 120 mile road ride hammer up the Kancamangus Highway in a freezing rain and nothing but a jersey and shorts and decide to take the added dirt road loop "just for the exercise".

and I've commuted in -8F weather on studded tires and seen a few other commuters rolling along with smiles on their faces,too.

I don't know how tough all these bikers are but one thing I do know- they sure are crazy! as fun as it is to pit one group of cyclists against another I think all of them beat the poseurs hands down and I'll stick with the crazies no matter what column they fall under.

AMEN brother!