Winter Cycling - A tip for cold weather cycling

Go outside. Spend lots of time outside ... in general, not just for your bicycle rides.

Our bodies acclimatise to temperatures. If you spend your whole day inside ... going from the house, to the garage, to the car, to an indoor job, to indoor malls, etc. etc., you'll never acclimatise to the cold or get your skin and lungs used to the cold. And you'll have a tougher time knowing what to wear in cool-cold conditions.

So ... build snow forts and have snowball fights with your kids, go tobogganing, skiing, snowshoeing, skating, go for long walks ......

Have some fun out there in the cold every day ... and you'll find that cycling in the cold gets a bit easier too. :)

The same goes for your indoor environment. A while back, I turned my winter thermostat to 66F in the day and 62F overnight. At first, we were a little chilly -- had to get out the sweaters -- but nowadays we seem used to it. I actually find the temperature at work stifling...

For outdoor cycling, you adjust as the weather gets colder... as long as you don't have a hiatus of more than a day or two.

I work in a refrigerator. That should do the trick.

thats some good advice. maybe b4 my 4am commute to work, i will spend a few minutes outside b4 i hop on my bike and head out.

Wear a ski mask when it is really really cold so the headwind would not make your face uncomfortable and frozen while you are riding your bike.

Wear a ski mask when it is really really cold so the headwind would not make your face uncomfortable and frozen while you are riding your bike.

Actually ... if you've spent quite a bit of time outside so that you're used to it, you can ride with exposed skin, even in fairly chilly conditions, and be fine. I wear a balaclava, but it does not go up over my nose, and rarely goes over my mouth. Even in bitterly cold conditions my nose and cheeks are exposed.

The same goes for your indoor environment. A while back, I turned my winter thermostat to 66F in the day and 62F overnight. At first, we were a little chilly -- had to get out the sweaters -- but nowadays we seem used to it.
I agree. I keep the thermostat set at 50 F and it hasn't been cold enough for
the furnace to come on so far here in Calgary. Most of the time it is at least a
few degrees warmer than that and it really feels comfortable. The only downside
so far is that keyboard speed slows down and errors speed up. It is unpleasant
to see a neighbor's furnace exhaust from his house about 12 hours a day. It is so
easy to avoid the waste.


Actually ... if you've spent quite a bit of time outside so that you're used to it, you can ride with exposed skin, even in fairly chilly conditions, and be fine. I wear a balaclava, but it does not go up over my nose, and rarely goes over my mouth. Even in bitterly cold conditions my nose and cheeks are exposed.

I also don't wear anything over my face riding in the winter. I don't need it and
don't want the moisture that comes with that arrangement.

One additional detail. It is the thyroid that controls the body's temperature and
when it is low, feeling cold at normal room temp is probably the most common
symptom. If anyone has this problem, do mention it to your doctor. This condition
does not produce really obvious symptoms and is very frequently undiagnosed.

My thermostat is set at 54. Really not that cold. But then, I wear a hat and thick socks all day. And I cheat by using a space heater at my computer because its only when I am sitting that I have a problem with the temp.

I really do think that one gets used to the cold.

jim

I'll agree. I have spent a few evenings in the past week, when it gets down to around 35 and below, outside. Usually I am on my bike, but I have spent time out cleaning my bike, working on my project bike, walking, running, etc. and I am feeling a little more comfortable when it is a cold commute.

I like dermatone for my face. Some people like warm skin. Vaseline works too when it's really really cold out, like -30 degrees F or C.

My thermostat is set at 54. Really not that cold. But then, I wear a hat and thick socks all day. And I cheat by using a space heater at my computer because its only when I am sitting that I have a problem with the temp.

What an enthusiastic guy! I was sharing a house with a few other people when I
decided to start turning down the thermostat just a tiny bit compared to that,
and I had to say "Stop whining!" about every 10 minutes. I really don't like space
heaters though. CNN had the stats in the states for them one time and they start
29,000 fires a year, resulting in 300 deaths. Fortunately not too high a death rate,
but it it's mine, it's 100% of my lives.

At least around my (rented) house, someone does something stupid every day, and
that would include me. The problem with the space heaters is that stupid can have
pretty drastic consequences. I think using a heating pad under a sweater at a desk
would be a lot safer and of course they only burn about 75 watts on high, but just
about all of that reaches your body. Not so with a 1500 watt space heater.

I also really don't like candles. The accident and burn down rate for them has to be
pretty high too. I do know a woman who burned down a (rented) house with one. I
don't believe people realize the risk when they load up on them at Xmas.

I usually do not need a balaclava but do use a bit of vaseline on my cheeks and nose before a ride on a real cold/windy day...20ish F...
We also used Icy Hot, Tiger Balm, etc. on our legs, etc. prior to a ride. It worked well BUT remember to put it on after you put your shorts on...if you put your shorts on after applying such things you will transfer some of the stuff to your twig and berries area for a real fun time lol.

I really don't like space
heaters though. CNN had the stats in the states for them one time and they start
29,000 fires a year, resulting in 300 deaths. Fortunately not too high a death rate,
but it it's mine, it's 100% of my lives.

At least around my (rented) house, someone does something stupid every day, and
that would include me. The problem with the space heaters is that stupid can have
pretty drastic consequences.

I had a space heater burst into flame at about 2 am one night when I was working on a research paper. I had been dozing off prior to that, but was wide awake for a couple hours after!! The space heater itself started the fire ... the flame ran along the power cord and ignited the pillow the cord was draped over. Fortunately I was able to put it out right away.

I've also had floor fans and ovens burst into flame.

I spend 3 hours straight in a pool teaching lessons. That should help.

Go outside. Spend lots of time outside ... in general, not just for your bicycle rides.

Our bodies acclimatise to temperatures. If you spend your whole day inside ... going from the house, to the garage, to the car, to an indoor job, to indoor malls, etc. etc., you'll never acclimatise to the cold or get your skin and lungs used to the cold. And you'll have a tougher time knowing what to wear in cool-cold conditions.

So ... build snow forts and have snowball fights with your kids, go tobogganing, skiing, snowshoeing, skating, go for long walks ......

Have some fun out there in the cold every day ... and you'll find that cycling in the cold gets a bit easier too. :)

I think about winter riding in the inverse. I commute nearly every day and that exposure to the cold acclimatizes me to winter, and is thus a benefit of winter cycling, and going out into the cold for any reason becomes easier. I would not go out into the cold to enjoy it though, but it is most enjoyable when cycling. In other words, winter cycling -> HTFU (Hardens the Flesh (and Spirit) Up ;-) instead of HTFU -> winter cycling.

I tell non-cycling skeptics of winter riding that it is easier to go out on the bike than to get into a cold car, but they don't agree.

^^^ +1

Properly dressed, I am far more comfortable on my bike in the cold than I am walking down the street. I hate the cold, but for some reason it seems totally reasonable on the bike.

I guess I've successfully made the mind shift to winter.

People keep telling me I look cold when I go into stores and such, I usually respond by telling them that I am sweating. I'm so much more comfortable then I used to be waiting 15-45 minutes in the freezing cold for warm buses. And as long as the strike lasts I don't even have to watch out for them on the road.

I had a space heater burst into flame at about 2 am one night when I was working on a research paper. I had been dozing off prior to that, but was wide awake for a couple hours after!! The space heater itself started the fire ... the flame ran along the power cord and ignited the pillow the cord was draped over. Fortunately I was able to put it out right away.

I've also had floor fans and ovens burst into flame.

Weren't you also scalded badly when you were younger? It seems like you have very bad luck with flames and hot liquids. Maybe that's one reason that you like the cold so much!

Weren't you also scalded badly when you were younger? It seems like you have very bad luck with flames and hot liquids. Maybe that's one reason that you like the cold so much!

I burnt my left foot to the bone by dropping a large pot of boiling water on it in 2001. November 1, 2001, as a matter of fact. It was months before I could bring myself to boil water again.


But the thing is, I tolerate cold, and I can get used to it. But I actually prefer heat ... like somewhere in between 25 and 30C.

But the thing is, I tolerate cold, and I can get used to it. But I actually prefer heat ... like somewhere in between 25 and 30C.

I like both heat and cold, but prefer the cold. Scientists say that the body can acclimate over time to heat, mostly by producing more blood and opening more capillaries close to the skin surface to act as a cooling radiator.

However, the body can't acclimate to the cold in the same physiological sense. Getting acclimated to cold is really more a psychological issue than a physical process. As you and I have discussed before, a lot of cold weather comfort is attitude.

A lot of it's just in your point of view. We lived in Colorado for 5 years. I got into snowshoeing and really enjoyed it. But I've talked to people down here in Texas that wouldn't even consider living there because it's too cold. Have a positive outlook on things, and you can have a good time in lots of different ways and places.

I have observed that my own head changes. Meaning as the cold weather comes on - my sinuses change and my nose linings get thicker. I still need a hat though.

In the dark, on super cold days, or just when its raining and/or snowing, I ride my trainer outside, under the back porch. I go out there even if it is below zero. Even then, after a few minutes of pedaling, I get so hot that I have to begin peeling off layers. It is a rare day when I do not end up wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of shorts (and I'm still sweating).

I like both heat and cold, but prefer the cold. Scientists say that the body can acclimate over time to heat, mostly by producing more blood and opening more capillaries close to the skin surface to act as a cooling radiator.

However, the body can't acclimate to the cold in the same physiological sense. Getting acclimated to cold is really more a psychological issue than a physical process. As you and I have discussed before, a lot of cold weather comfort is attitude.

Now that's just not true - your body is perfectly capable of adapting to the cold. See over time your cells constrict, your blood changes, and your skin sends a message to the brain - "Put some mother!@#!@$!@#$!#$!@ more clothes on you !@#!@#!@#!".

Then you put more clothes on and it doesn't feel as cold! ;-)

In the dark, on super cold days, or just when its raining and/or snowing, I ride my trainer outside, under the back porch. I go out there even if it is below zero. Even then, after a few minutes of pedaling, I get so hot that I have to begin peeling off layers. It is a rare day when I do not end up wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of shorts (and I'm still sweating).

Try taking that get-up out on the road.