Commuting - Emergency warmth in a pinch

In the winter, the weather can get bad fast. While you are at work, the temperature can drop significantly and the wind can pick up.

A tip from some very old timers is to tuck a newspaper or magazine on top of your torso under you clothes - as in cover your stomach and chest with the newspaper. You can tuck one on you back over your kidneys too.

So, if you are looking out into the freezing cold darkness for your commute home and wish you had one more layer of clothing, grab that newspaper from the boss's recycle bin or swipe an old magazine from the reception area. Tuck and go.

Pushing a shopping cart full of dead cats would complete the look. ;)

I've heard of plastic bags being used this way, too. Male runners find them to be a dandy emergency windbrief.

[COLOR=SIENNA]Pushing a shopping cart full of dead cats would complete the look. ;)
COLOR]

:roflmao: :lol: Hee hee. That's rich, bonobo. Thanks for the laugh.

Another way would simply stash clothes at work. I stash rain clothes at work so just in case the weather dudes get it wrong and it is raining on the way home, I'll simply grab the backup rain gear in my cabinet and go home. You can also stash lube, tubes, and anything else you think you might need...

Jay

I have those hand warmers- those bags that activate when you open the wrapper and stay warm up to 8 hours.

I also have some bigger ones that can go across the back. I carry them all the time in the winter.... just in case....

Koffee

I have those hand warmers- those bags that activate when you open the wrapper and stay warm up to 8 hours.

I also have some bigger ones that can go across the back. I carry them all the time in the winter.... just in case....

Koffee

Hey, Koffee, those handwarmers do work great. It is effective if you understand that they work by oxydation. If you seal them too much from air, such as being inside a nonbreathable glove or boot, they lose their effectiveness and fizzle out.

True, Mike. Fortunately, I wear breatheable fabric regardless- so it works well for me. But if you wear some type of pore-less gloves or boots, you got problems!

Maybe you could puncture a small hole in your glove or boot to allow for some air?

Koffee

Reminds me of the time I totally underestimated the weather.

It was in the low 40's, bright and sunny, a bit breezy. I stepped out the front door (into a wind-protected area) and said to myself, "What a nice day for biking! Brisk, but sunny!" When the first frigid blast hit me, I said, "Wow! Now that's exhilirating!"

By the time I reached mile six, I knew I wasn't ever going to warm up. In fact, in a cruel twist of fate, it got overcast and colder. It didn't help that the kids coming home from school were taunting me. If I'd known about the newspaper trick, I'd have stolen some just to get warm.

Needless to say, I pedalled my ass off all the way home. It's funny how, when your skin starts to numb as it freezes, your brain finds ways to disconnect from your body.

I opened this thread with dread... I work in the scuba diving industry, and when we dive, sometimes the best way to keep warm underwater would be to, uhh, open the floodgates below... but then we have the water all around to wash the mess off, even cycling in the driving rain doesn't quite achieve the same rinsing effect.

I opened this thread with dread... I work in the scuba diving industry, and when we dive, sometimes the best way to keep warm underwater would be to, uhh, open the floodgates below... but then we have the water all around to wash the mess off, even cycling in the driving rain doesn't quite achieve the same rinsing effect.

Icky! I'll take rain any day over that.

Whenever it's the colder time of year, when I ride with a backpack or Camelbak I carry a sleeveless sweater. Ones made with a high percentage of wool are best. It makes a big difference to put that on over my jersey. If it doesn't have wool, try it under the jersey.

Plastic bags on the feet have saved me a few times when the weather changed for the worse. I also keep and extra windbreaker and sweatshirt at the office so i can add those if the weather makes a drastic change.

I always have my rain coat in my bag and at this time of the year I keep my rain pants in my bag for an extra layer and they make a good wind breaker I have heard about plastic bags over your feet help to keep them warm but I haven't tested that one yet.

The newspaper does work. I now use some very thin reflective insulation called
Reflectix Insulation it is only 5/16" thick and very light weight. This stuff is warm. You can feel your body heat reflect back from it in seconds after using it.

I use it in my shoes and always carry a 2'-2' section in winter.

The link http://www.reflectixinc.com/default.asp

While everyone seems to agree that a newspaper might add some extra warmth in in a pinch, I'd like to be on the side that says winter bike commuters should plan ahead.
I've been biking the frozen streets in Toronto for 7 years, and although I've never used a copy of the National Post to keep warm (perhaps its' only use, except for wrapping F&C) I would like to suggest a few products you can carry which will keep you warm and dry down to -25C.
If your feet are cold and wet everything else will seem uncomfortable. Try these
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=668957&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=573053&bmUID=1072901820988
I go with a wicking underwear, a layer of fleece and a waterproof top. My commute is 25 kms. I'd be hypothermic if I didn't plan ahead.

A tip from some very old timers is to tuck a newspaper or magazine on top of your torso under you clothes - as in cover your stomach and chest with the newspaper. You can tuck one on you back over your kidneys too.
Mike,

I tried this, but frankly, when I hopped into bed with my wife, the newspaper got lost quickly.

Even my kidneys warmed up might fast, after that.

:beer:

(Emergency warmth is great. So is getting pinched under the covers.)