Commuting - Whaddaya mean it's too cold out?!?

Not according to this article in the NY Times: Too Cold to Exercise? Try Another Excuse (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/health/nutrition/17BEST.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)

While most of us just throw on another layer and continue commuting when the temperature drops, we've almost all heard, "You ride in this weather?!? But it's so COLD outside!!!11one!" Well, now we can just give them a copy of this article and tell them to HTFU. ;)


“The big question was, ‘Is it ever too cold?’” Dr. Castellani said. “The answer is no. People go to the poles, people are out there when it’s minus-50 degrees, people do incredible things, and safely. There really isn’t a point where you can tell people it is not safe anymore.”

good one...book marked

When people give me the "How can you commute in this cold?" question, I've been using the line:

"People ski in this weather for 12 hours. I'm only biking for 15 minutes!"

When people give me the "How can you commute in this cold?" question, I've been using the line:

"People ski in this weather for 12 hours. I'm only biking for 15 minutes!"

good one, I'll remeber that :)

i biked 11 miles in 25f (14f windchill) in SHORTS this am. It was chilly. Maybe if it stays cold I'll try wearing pants :p

Of course you can exercise in any temperature. It is more of a matter of will you enjoy it and are the risks worth it for you. I find the prospect of a breakdown in the lovely places and distances that I ride to be a large negative. Plus, past a certain point the act of getting dressed takes so freaking long that I say the heck with it. No matter how warm I am there is a point that I find it miserable to ride in.

I am not prone to the usual commuting "I rode in -20F temps. Look how big my ...s are!"
I would rather ride a trainer. Of course, that would change if Denver experienced colder temps regularly. As it is now I usually need to wait a week for it to warm up to a level I am comfortable at. Currently my low is 15F and the low for the next week is lower than that. My all time low is 5F.
Eventually the desire to ride may overcome my sensibilities and I will load up my bike on the bus to ride it home. Seems to happen sooner or later.

There is my contrary point of view. For whatever it is worth.

In shorts? Now that's just silly. Tendonitis(sp?) can be evil. I ride in all sorts of nasty temps and weather. Word to the breakdown though. Luckily I can shadow the subway line in the city and still be out for a couple hours there and back.

The commute is 15 minutes-ish so it's all weather.

Of course you can exercise in any temperature. It is more of a matter of will you enjoy it and are the risks worth it for you.
...
Eventually the desire to ride may overcome my sensibilities and I will load up my bike on the bus to ride it home. Seems to happen sooner or later, not use it as an excuse.

There is my contrary point of view. For whatever it is worth.

That's different, because you've actually *done* it, and found a point of no return in terms of enjoyment, and you're OK with that. It also sounds like your solution to it being too cold out is to find a different way of exercising (trainer), not just give up.

I think it's different for people using the cold as a crutch to not exercise, especially when they've never tried it to know where that personal tolerance level is.

Personally, I haven't found a temperature yet that was too cold for some form of exercise to be pleasurable. The coldest daytime temperature I've seen in years was 8 degrees, and I went out running that day. It was a really interesting experience - the air was so dense it was almost like getting high on oxygen. I have a feeling, though, that you're seeing a different kind of cold on occasion that most of us east-coasters (like the NYT writer) don't experience.

On the other hand, I've finally decided that I have a limit for summer running, and that would be a heat index of 110 in the shade OR a heat index of 85 in full sun. It took me a while to learn that the sun beating down on me takes a far worse toll than anything else. As for cycling, I haven't met a "too hot" limit yet - hell, out here the only way to get a breeze in summer is to make it yourself.

Physioligists or anyone please feel free to poke holes in this. Isn't easy to warm up quickly but difficult to cool down quickly? That is, no matter how cold the temperature (lim > absolute zero.... :( ) it's always going to be easy to stay warm by exercising but after a certain point in hotter temperatures the body starts to struggle badly.

Sorry for all the technical terms :p

good one, I'll remeber that :)

i biked 11 miles in 25f (14f windchill) in SHORTS this am. It was chilly. Maybe if it stays cold I'll try wearing pants :p

Yes, I still have trouble getting chilled on my 19 mile (each way) commute. The first time I tried, the starting temps were around 40 degrees, and my feet got quite cold. When I got to the office I was chilled all day - so I clearly needed more. I went out and got some shoe covers and another torso layer. The next time I tried riding with temps in the 40s, my feet were fine, but my legs were chilled while at the office (but the torso felt fine), so I need another layer for the legs.

So far I haven't tried with temps below 40 degrees, but now the lows are in the mid 20s. I probably need another layer for both legs and torso (and probably a better neck/face warmer before I try again. I guess I need to work from home and try shorter rides at lunchtime with my new gear and see how I feel before I dare an 18 mile ride in these temps.

Today it is snowing, and working from home seemed like a good option. The commute from bed to the couch with the laptop wasn't particularly difficult, but I did have to get up once to let the cat in :D.

The only comment I don't agree with is that you don't adapt to cold.

Try going straight to it and see how that works :p:D.

Thats why I run around in shorts and a tshirt when it gets warm (35-40°F) in the spring and am comfortable. In the fall, I am cold at those temps.

Good article though. Thanks!

Since I've started bike commuting here in NYC on a regular basis (only been doing it since Spring 2007) I can definitely say I prefer the cold weather temps NYC gets in December and January to the July and August muggy heat waves. If you have the right insulating gear, ninja-type face mask that fits under the helmet, decent gloves, and goggles to protect from the wind--it's more comfortable in frigid 20 fahrenheit weather than 90 degrees and humid.

Right now, I find that the boots I have available, plus soft acrylic socks and sock liners (Polypro, I think) will leave my feet in acceptably warm condition down to about -5f. At -8f, on my 55 minute commute, when I arrive my feet are uncomfortably numb and chilled. Until I find a way to increase the insulation on my feet, that's my temperature floor. Probably some new boots will do the trick, but I haven't put together a shoe order in awhile. (I have to special-order shoes because I wear 12EEEEEE. Does anyone know if they make clipless in that size?)

Good article. I have been continually surprised by how little clothing I require to stay warm on my commute.

I have to special-order shoes because I wear 12EEEEEE. Does anyone know if they make clipless in that size?
Holy crap, I didn't know that was a size! Maybe switch to Powergrips for the winter?

I have to special-order shoes because I wear 12EEEEEE. Does anyone know if they make clipless in that size?

Those aren't shoes... those are canoes with leather covers! :D

(I have to special-order shoes because I wear 12EEEEEE. Does anyone know if they make clipless in that size?)
:eek:

Okay, 7 toes a side is too many.

Pointing out the obvious, I'd say. Anybody who gets outside knows all these things. Cold is easy to deal with. Heat I find terribly claustrophobic and can't get out of.

Doesn't get too cold anymore.....
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/6642/photo24hr4.jpg

I'm always amazed how little clothing is really needed. Today was 33F and dry. I started out with a windbreaker over a long sleeved jersey over a merino baselayer. After riding hard for 20 minutes or so, I was really sweaty in that windbreaker. I was cold from the evaporating moisture that had been trapped inside, but was soon comfy again once that dried out. I really should have avoided the windbreaker entirely.

As long as your head, hands, and feet are warm, the rest really doesn't need much.

I find myself constantly confronted with the question: "I saw you out riding your bike the other day, it was below freezing! You must have been frozen! Why do you ride when you're freezing like that?"

I haven't really come up with a pat answer yet. I always have to explain to people that I wasn't the least bit cold, and in fact, was probably sweating my ass off when they saw me.

What kinda boots is that Bubbles? I can't make out the writing.

Pointing out the obvious, I'd say. Anybody who gets outside knows all these things. Cold is easy to deal with. Heat I find terribly claustrophobic and can't get out of.

I am from SE Washington state and I like the heat.

I find myself constantly confronted with the question: "I saw you out riding your bike the other day, it was below freezing! You must have been frozen! Why do you ride when you're freezing like that?"

I haven't really come up with a pat answer yet. I always have to explain to people that I wasn't the least bit cold, and in fact, was probably sweating my ass off when they saw me.

I think the problem is that most people's experience with bicycling is what they did when they were kids. Pedal a few strokes, glide for a while, pedal a couple more, and generally go along at about 5 mph. They don't understand that you can really work hard while cycling if you want to.

I read the article and thought it was excellent. I get asked a lot at work how I can ride in such cold weather. I compare it to skiing -- people do that in temperatures much colder than my commute, and cycling also generates a lot of body heat. I think for most cyclists riding in cold weather, the hardest part is keeping your hands and feet warm.

Right now, I find that the boots I have available, plus soft acrylic socks and sock liners (Polypro, I think) will leave my feet in acceptably warm condition down to about -5f. At -8f, on my 55 minute commute, when I arrive my feet are uncomfortably numb and chilled. Until I find a way to increase the insulation on my feet, that's my temperature floor. Probably some new boots will do the trick, but I haven't put together a shoe order in awhile. (I have to special-order shoes because I wear 12EEEEEE. Does anyone know if they make clipless in that size?)


Check out Lake Cycling. Their wide version is like EEE. I have EEEE and have managed to squeeze into Sidi Dominator 2s, but they still hurt after 10 years of riding. The Lakes are much more roomy...and about the best you can get short of going custom.

I chickened out on my commute this morning...I feel like a *****. It was 4 degrees when I would have left, with windchill taking it down to -10. I probably would have sacked up, but I have this stomach bug that has essentially reduced me to dripping from my rear three times a day for the last three days AND I woke up with a sore throat from post-nasal drip. I figgered if there ever were a time to play the sick-and-I-need-the-car card it were today!

But I still feel like a total vag.

...I have this stomach bug that has essentially reduced me to dripping from my rear three times a day...
You should've rode. The ass drippings are useful for protecting a Brooks saddle. It's like nature's own Proofide. :D

Physioligists or anyone please feel free to poke holes in this. Isn't easy to warm up quickly but difficult to cool down quickly? That is, no matter how cold the temperature (lim > absolute zero.... :( ) it's always going to be easy to stay warm by exercising but after a certain point in hotter temperatures the body starts to struggle badly.

Sorry for all the technical terms :p

That was the basic point of the article, that as long as you're reasonably dressed for the weather the heat generated by brisk exercise should be more than enough to keep you warm. If anyone feels like reading ESPN they have stories about the two coldest games ever played, the so-called "Ice Bowl" and "Freezer Bowl". Temps were -13 and -9 respectively, but the latter also sported 35mph winds that dropped the wind chill to -59. The biggest challenge was keeping extremities warm, and staying warm while on the sidelines.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?columnist=luksa_frank&id=3198023
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3198404

As for hot weather, you're right - all the body can do is dilate the skin's blood vessels to max and have you sweat like a pig. At that point, you're as cool as you're going to get, and in warmer temperatures with significant exercise it isn't enough. An additional effect includes the fact that hot air is significantly less dense than cold air (thus proportionately less oxygen), making it feel like you're exercising at altitude sometimes. This is why my ideal running temperature is about 35 degrees.

Gaerne Eskimos...
Bought 1 size too big, my feet haven't figured out it's winter yet. Never been cold or wet yet. My feet in recent years have been less accepting of the cold. In the twenty + years of winter riding I've never had winter specific clipless footwear, and I can;t believe it;s taken me this long to knuckle down and get some. AWESOME!!! I find that being out and about everyday on the bike has also given me a constitution like an ox, during sicky season when everyone is knocked down for several days I am 24 hours sick.

Climbhoser needs to stay home when sick like that.

I figgered if there ever were a time to play the sick-and-I-need-the-car card it were today!

But I still feel like a total vag.

Sounds like it's time for you to take a few days off... even though it may be hard to convince yourself to lay back a little.

I found out a few weeks ago the hard way. I had a cold and cough that I tried to "power through" without getting a little more rest and maybe driving to work for a few days. I was too stubborn to slack off a little to rest... and finally went to the doctor when I had a coughing fit reduce me to doubling over and vomiting beside the road.

Turns out that I had pneumonia. Operating a bike on one lung makes for a challenging commute.

Get some rest and get over the illness before it gets you.

That was the basic point of the article, that as long as you're reasonably dressed for the weather the heat generated by brisk exercise should be more than enough to keep you warm. If anyone feels like reading ESPN they have stories about the two coldest games ever played, the so-called "Ice Bowl" and "Freezer Bowl". Temps were -13 and -9 respectively, but the latter also sported 35mph winds that dropped the wind chill to -59. The biggest challenge was keeping extremities warm, and staying warm while on the sidelines.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?columnist=luksa_frank&id=3198023
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3198404

As for hot weather, you're right - all the body can do is dilate the skin's blood vessels to max and have you sweat like a pig. At that point, you're as cool as you're going to get, and in warmer temperatures with significant exercise it isn't enough. An additional effect includes the fact that hot air is significantly less dense than cold air (thus proportionately less oxygen), making it feel like you're exercising at altitude sometimes. This is why my ideal running temperature is about 35 degrees.

thanks - pretty obvious I didn't read the article :o

I've XC skied in -35C and done sprints in +60C temperatures. The former was fun - the latter just hurt.

edit: 100% sure of the +60C temp but only 80% about the -35C figure - it was in Lillehammer, Norway and definitely colder than -25C anyway

I'm from New Joisey. Da Stinkiest State in da Union. And it gets cold here. But I ride anyway.
Snow?! Whose afraid a some stinkin snow?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l222/adventure_maniac/Random/david_nieve.jpg

That is barely a dusting. I love riding in snow and snow does not necessarily mean cold.
Cold for me is below 15F.

well it was 14F this morning in N Texas.
I kept my windbreaker zipped up the whole ride in :)

Whaddaya mean it's too cold out?!? Would that happen to be a Megadeth reference by any chance?

Back on topic, while I don't have any experience with cold weather cycling, seeing as Melbourne, AU doesn't really get cold at all, my friends in Norway and Sweden do ride when it's cold, and go skiing, etc. and don't complain about it.

I am consistently surprised at the little clothing I need as well. even when riding home in 35F rain last weekend, I just had on my long sleeve Cannondale base layer and short sleeve jersey with breathable jogging pants. I was just fine as long as I was wearing my Columbia Titanium Ice Axe gloves (best find ever!) and goggles to keep my prescription glasses dry.

As long as your head, hands, and feet are warm, the rest really doesn't need much.

Just remember not to wear pants with metal zippers. Learned the hard way at -15° F air temperature. Metal framed glasses can be a problem too.

And remember not to stop for anything if you wear glasses as they can frost up from body vapor escaping from outerware if there is no air motion to take it away from your face; removing frost from glasses can be quite a test of endurance at below zero temps.

Also forget about repairing flats outside at sub zero temp; can't afford to stop generating heat; plan on walking to shelter/destination instead. BTW, Tube patch repair glue does freeze.

The guys at the shop keep asking me when it will be too cold for me to ride to work... it's a balmy 6f / -14 C right now which is an improvement over yesterday's -20 C commute.

Staying warm is never a problem when I am riding.

I need some HTFU encouragement. It's been low 20s for my AM commute, and after a very cold ride in Monday morning, I haven't been able to face the ride the past two days. Maybe it's the stress, sore muscles, and being generally tired from moving to a new apartment (I get home from work and move a carload of stuff to the new place each night for the last week.) Anyone else having a difficult time dragging their butt out into the frigid darkness to ride to work?

You guys are hard core. All I have to complain about is rain and temps in the 40s (F).

I need some HTFU encouragement. It's been low 20s for my AM commute, and after a very cold ride in Monday morning, I haven't been able to face the ride the past two days. Maybe it's the stress, sore muscles, and being generally tired from moving to a new apartment (I get home from work and move a carload of stuff to the new place each night for the last week.) Anyone else having a difficult time dragging their butt out into the frigid darkness to ride to work?

You got to find a way to enjoy the ride.

Yesterday I rode in with a stiff breeze in the face, snow showers, and 1 to 2" on the ground. I felt like a hee-man. Just kept pumping it when no one else was outside--all were in their steel cages. Made pretty good time considering. When I got to work, I went to my locker and cooled down. I felt great.

Today, however, I drove my car. Bowling day, but pick your own excuse. I'm looking forward to my ride in tomorrow. I'll be in decent shape for my ski trip Friday to Utah. :D

Low 20's is no problem. If you keep your extremities covered, you'll be fine. Hat or bacalava, mittens, and warm boots are important. I don't use clips.

Clifton, make sure you dress better to avoid the cold and have the confidence in that to fuel you along - as soon as you are 2 minutes in, you'll be way happier you rode I bet.

It snowed here yesterday so we've an added pain in the ass, I prefer the cold to the snow if only because the snow then turns into hardpack/ice which is a hell of a pain to deal with as I almost always take my road bike out.

People pay $86 per day (discounted, of course) to ski in the cold of Colorado. So what is so crazy about being outside and not paying to do it?

People pay $86 per day (discounted, of course) to ski in the cold of Colorado. So what is so crazy about being outside and not paying to do it?

Absolutely nothing, really. Usually I like riding in the cold and the rain and the snow, etc. For the last week I've been moving things into a new apartment, so my schedule is pretty sucktackular. Early mornings, late nights, and all the associated stress that comes with moving.
I should be happy, since the new place is so much nicer than the junkpile we're living in now; but the stress of not sleeping well, busy schedule at work, and then coming home and moving more stuff... it's just taken its toll after a week of doing it.
I think after Saturday, when we're all moved into the new place and situated with furniture and such, I'll be back on track.

Give yourself a couple lie down and stare at the ceiling/tv days. Decompress a bit, man moving is stressful.

Clifton, make sure you dress better to avoid the cold and have the confidence in that to fuel you along - as soon as you are 2 minutes in, you'll be way happier you rode I bet.

6° F. this morning at 5am, 6mph headwind for my 12 mile commute. Wore the clothes pictured. I was happy; another day, another enjoyable bike ride.

Coat rack from the left: athletic tshirt, duofold long sleeve undershirt, chamois type shirt from Lands End, cotton hoodie, denim jacket (been used for the last 10 years for bike commuting) down vest; long johns, summer shorts, sweat pants also pictured are the no-name insulated gloves worn inside the insulated mitten as well as the thin silver "reflective" socks and gloves inside the outer socks and gloves. Headwear and ear protection is the knit cap, hoodie and headphones. None of the clothes are bicycling specific, all are effective, durable and were reasonable in price. Yes they get sweaty but will be dry by the time I put them on again to go home, though probably I will omit a layer or two depending on the temperature at 4pm.

It's not that I don't have the clothes to handle the weather. Monday I wore my MTS mid-weight baselayer, bib shorts (for the padding) and tights over those. Microfleece lined jersey, smartwool socks, PI Cyclone gloves, balaclava, microfleece lined booties. I was warm just fine during the ride, and I had fun with it. I love rolling up next to cars and seeing the driver jump a bit because I look like a lime-green reject character from Splinter Cell.
I think T'Jammer is right. I just need a couple days of rest from everything. Not just the bike, but the moving, too.

Upheaval demands down time.

Yup. Moving stinks. It still is obnoxious when you pay someone else to move you. Moving yourself nightly is painful. I would take it easy for a bit.

I went riding with a friend this weekend in Eau Claire, WI, and it was pretty cold out. We did about 8mi in -3f plus windchill, and we were both okay, for the most part. I was wearing cleat shoes, and they're a little small for me. So that wasn't the best idea, but I bike I was riding had egg beaters and we didn't want to switch them out (never crossed my mind, actually). The only parts of me that got cold were my nose, feet, and a little strip of skin under each eye where the goggles didn't cover. We just kept hitting steep hills and pushed it. When I got inside, though, my feet hurt while they were thawing out. No damage, though. My nose didn't even get windburned.

Yup. Moving stinks. It still is obnoxious when you pay someone else to move you. Moving yourself nightly is painful. I would take it easy for a bit.

We weren't about to box up everything and pay a moving company for a 6 mile move across town, when we can move a lot of things in our reuseable grocery bags, and various packing boxes we still have in storage, then just rent a van to move the big stuff that doesn't fit in my Jeep.
It gave us a good reason to purge a lot of the junk we've had sitting around for 2 years. At least my meetings, (scheduled 1:30 through 4:30 today) went quickly and I got to bump schedules up on them and finish them both inside of 1 hour. I'm taking off early and getting more stuff moved.
I'm feeling more motivated to get it done now that there's an end in sight. Saturday, 9am, pick up the van and get stuff moved to the new place. Done by noon, BBQ fired up by 12:30.