Road Cycling - Coldest Ride....

I was just wondering how many people regularly train outdoors in winter.....and if you do what is the coldest, wettest, snowiest ride you've ever undertaken??

I was just wondering how many people regularly train outdoors in winter.....and if you do what is the coldest, wettest, snowiest ride you've ever undertaken??

The second time I hit black ice, I stopped riding in sub-freezing weather. I won't go out now unless it has been at least 35 degrees for a few yours, and I still avoid shaded areas. There is nothing scarier than being tossed off your bike at 25 miles an hours, hitting the curb with both elbows and your head smacking the sidewalk, then the bike comes crashing down on you, the end of the handlebars smacking you in the sternum! What fun!

this past wednesday gave me 2h15m in 25-30 degrees with snow. the snow didn't stay snow for long, and within the first five miles the slush/water had worked through my shoe covers. luckily the water didnt work through my gloves until i was about 10mi from home on the return leg. i hate frozen hands more than i do frozen feet.

Sorry...dont mind my other thread with the same title....

Actually- this afternoon, I thought it was warmer, but temp gage on cyclo-computer (matches local very well) showed 34 degrees. I try to ride when above 40 and calm as possible. As said keeping hands warm is tough. Friend of mine commutes regularly- coldest = about 15 degrees, as said, black ice is his highest concern.

if commuting rides count i could go on and on about <0 days, on one of those mother nature was kind enough to throw some hail into the mix as well.

1F
- 16F windchill (standing still)
top speed that morning was 37 mph
actual windchill _________ (not sure, but chilly ;) )

I used to ride in Michigan through the winter. I found that 15 degrees farenheit was my limit. At that temperature, the wind chill generated by the bike was so fierce that I would not ride hard enough to get a workout. Luckily, when it was that cold, I could switch to cross country skiing instead which for some reason is much warmer then cycling even though I wore my bike clothes when I did it.

I did ride in some mucky stuff too. I learned that in order to downshift when you were getting snow and sleet, that you have to upshift to break the ice on the rear derailler and then downshift.

I did fall a couple of times at high speed when I hit a patch of black ice but I didnt hit hard just kind of spun along on the ice. The layers I was wearing prevented road rash. Didn't do my tights any good though.

Now I live in Central Florida and it gets down into the high 20s pretty rarely. I did go out and ride and froze my water bottles several years back.

15 degrees. But I won't ride outside if the roads are wet. Dry cold is not a problem... Windblock tights, gore-tex mittens, layers with windblock vest and the array of head/foot gear are sufficient. It's all about having the right clothes. You have to have windblock stuff and you're all set. At the same time, you can't be windblock all-around since you'll get too sweaty underneath. I have a chart with temperatures and what to wear on what body part. It works pretty well. This is my first winter riding outside most of the time and I'm surprised it's not that bad at all with the right clothing.

My coldest ride was just 2 days ago. I had wind chill readings of -30F to -50F below zero Fahrenheit(sp?) actual temp was -27 below zero. :eek: Thats something I never want to experience that again. I have rode in colder actual temps but with out the wind.

My snowiest ride was on 12/15/03. I rode to work in one hell of a storm at 4:00 am. With snow blowing and temps in the teens.(total accumulation of 28") That was one hell of ride. It took me an hour 1/2 to get to work (13 miles). Thats the last time I will be on the road in conditions like that.( :rolleyes: at myself what was I thinking :crash: )

The last time I rode BRR

That would be the 20's for me. I don't mind winter riding, but I don't do the frozen thing at all. Falling or getting hit by a car trying to slow down or move over for you isn't fun. Maybe I'm chicken?

I'm going out right now and i might have to use a base layer,it fricken 52 out.

Not below 15 degrees, and when it is that cold, never over an hour. Also never when the road is excessively icy. Proper clothes will keep you warm, but inevitability one of the pieces of the warm puzzle fails. One thing I don’t wear is a windproof jacket. The only thing worse than dressing too little is dressing too much. I went out for a 20 degree ride earlier this winter and while the water bottle froze, my upper body was in sauna conditions. When I took my jacket off I had two puddles of water on the floor. where my sleeves were. To be fair, the windproof jacket would be fine of it were ventilated properly. Could have dehydrated if I had gone much farther.