Commuting - How to Dress for your Winter Commute

Came across this really cool video on how to dress for your morning commute to work in the winter time.

Letsgorideabike.com

cheers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i7vcboSje0&feature=related

Women don't seem to sweat as much as guys do. Or at least as I do :D I need a complete change of clothes.

Adam

Women don't seem to sweat as much as guys do. Or at least as I do :D I need a complete change of clothes.

Adam

Yeah, I can't figure it out...how girls like this one don't arrive to work all drenched in sweat...or all those danes, who bike daily in the regular clothes and are not soaked by the end of it.

Maybe the upright position of these bikes makes it easier? I dunno

Yeah, I can't figure it out...how girls like this one don't arrive to work all drenched in sweat...or all those danes, who bike daily in the regular clothes and are not soaked by the end of it.

Maybe the upright position of these bikes makes it easier? I dunno

It's all about the slower pace, only a crazed maniac would race around the bike path at 30+km/h... Denmark is also quite flat. In general, cycling is less work(Far far more efficient) than walking and people aren't sweating up a storm walking around! :thumb:

.. oh yes, and those upright bicycles are harder to pedal(due to slack seat angles) and usually quite heavy!

Yeah, I can't figure it out...how girls like this one don't arrive to work all drenched in sweat...or all those danes, who bike daily in the regular clothes and are not soaked by the end of it.

Maybe the upright position of these bikes makes it easier? I dunno

We catch our breathe by stopping and waiting for a green light when it's red. ;) :D

just kidding.....you knew that, right?

It's all about the slower pace, only a crazed maniac would race around the bike path at 30+km/h... Denmark is also quite flat. In general, cycling is less work(Far far more efficient) than walking and people aren't sweating up a storm walking around! :thumb:

.. oh yes, and those upright bicycles are harder to pedal(due to slack seat angles) and usually quite heavy!

Okay...two things.

1. Is 30km/hr to fast then? Would a pace of 15km/hr make a difference in not creating sweat? Truth is, I usually try to keep a 28-30km/hr pace.

I'll try to slow it down tomorrow and see how that is. My problem with slowing down is that the time to get to work increases, which means I need to get up even earlier.

2. As for the heavy bikes and the upright position, would that not make the rider work even harder, in order to move the steel beast?

Just some thoughts.

Anyhow, all my clothes and bags for tomorrows first winter ride of the season are ready :)

Okay...two things.

1. Is 30km/hr to fast then? Would a pace of 15km/hr make a difference in not creating sweat? Truth is, I usually try to keep a 28-30km/hr pace.

I'll try to slow it down tomorrow and see how that is. My problem with slowing down is that the time to get to work increases, which means I need to get up even earlier.

2. As for the heavy bikes and the upright position, would that not make the rider work even harder, in order to move the steel beast?

Just some thoughts.

Anyhow, all my clothes and bags for tomorrows first winter ride of the season are ready :)

RE: your first question, 30km/h is fairly quick for the winter, it's really a fine balance between moving fast enough to stay warm and not going beyond that, over-heating and overloading your layers/jacket's ability to let sweaty vapour escape.

Yes, upright positions are far less aerodynamic and this increases drag a lot. The weight isn't so bad once moving but, getting going from a stop can be more exercise.

I find that considerable slowing of pace produces surprisingly little overall delay in my commuting times. There are days when I hammer it, and days when I barely turn the pedals... and it really doesn't seem to make a huge amount of difference (traffic lights even things out a lot, it seems). Try slowing down and see how much longer the trip takes. If you tend to sweat profusely when keeping a faster pace, then the delay may even be offset by the fact that you don't need to spend time taking baths and changing clothes at the destination. Of course, you also lose most of the fitness benefits this way, so if one of the reasons you cycle is to keep in shape, then slowing down might not be the best thing to do.

"Of course, you also lose most of the fitness benefits this way, so if one of the reasons you cycle is to keep in shape, then slowing down might not be the best thing to do."

I'm not so sure about this. Just being out there in the cold increases fittness vs the gym.
And calories burned are te same based on distance regardless of speed, only the cool down times vary.
IMHO,
bill

Excellent advice in that video. And she's terribly cute.

Excellent advice in that video. And she's terribly cute.

I think she is gorgeous myself. Its always a pleasure to see girls out biking

Actually, she is gorgeous, charming, and sexy. I hesitated to say it, but there, now I did. And the fact that she rides a bike, in the winter, no less, multiplies it all by 100.

"Of course, you also lose most of the fitness benefits this way, so if one of the reasons you cycle is to keep in shape, then slowing down might not be the best thing to do."

I'm not so sure about this. Just being out there in the cold increases fittness vs the gym.
And calories burned are te same based on distance regardless of speed, only the cool down times vary.
IMHO,
bill

According to my heart rate monitor at least, the amount of calories burned can vary considerably over the same distance. How hard you're working makes a big difference.

I like the cat. The advice is ok if you are riding casually....me, I try to push it and ride about 18-20MPH (30ish KPH) so I have to wear bike-specific clothes and change at work.

I rode in this morning, it was chilly/windy in the northeast usa!

Her choice of clothing doesn't present all that many compromises. She can't use foot retention. And she probably can't lean over in an aggressive position. But her choice of wool allows her to choose her effort level.

Excellent advice in that video. And she's terribly cute.

Yes, finally somebody said that :lol: She is.

And yeah, I can pace myself on longer rides but on my commute I pedal hard because it's also my only daily workout. I really don't care if I get there 10 minutes later or earlier, but I do want to burn some calories.

I'll try, as an experiment to ride slow and see how that affects my sweating ;)

A.

Actually, she is gorgeous, charming, and sexy.

Not my style :P

Good vid with decent explanation of not only what to wear, but why she chose it; giving viewers the basics for going out and picking their own good winter gear.

For me, it's all about staying warm while sopping wet. No way to avoid it in the persistent PNW winter rain on a 15 mile one-way ride; I need a shower and change of clothes when I get to work.

I get hot when she unzips.

sorry I couldn't resist.

It's all about the slower pace, only a crazed maniac would race around the bike path at 30+km/h... Denmark is also quite flat. In general, cycling is less work(Far far more efficient) than walking and people aren't sweating up a storm walking around!

True. Also keep in mind that the distances in Denmark (and other European countries) are shorter. Most commutes, I'd say, are under 4 miles.

I've tried riding as slow as I can before on my 11 mile commute as a recovery. I averaged about 20-21 kph(13mph) and still sweat enough to drench my clothes. But thats 11 miles. I'll try that for only 4 miles and see how that goes on my way home tonight.

I've tried riding as slow as I can before on my 11 mile commute as a recovery. I averaged about 20-21 kph(13mph) and still sweat enough to drench my clothes. But thats 11 miles. I'll try that for only 4 miles and see how that goes on my way home tonight.

In the summer, I'd ride my basket bike to the grocery store (3mi r/t, one small hill to crest in the middle) and not have any issue with sweating if I was just slow-rolling it. 10mph, on a totally upright 35 pound beach-cruiser-ish MTB balloon tire conversion, wearing shorts, sandals and a t-shirt. I don't think I'd fare so well in my work clothing; pressed trousers, starched long-sleeve shirts.

See http://letsgorideabike.com/. It's under how-tos, and the video is also in the blog if you wish to leave comments.

See http://letsgorideabike.com/. It's under how-tos, and the video is also in the blog if you wish to leave comments.

Neat, you can see pictures of her bike there too.

Adam

Actually, she is gorgeous, charming, and sexy. I hesitated to say it, but there, now I did. And the fact that she rides a bike, in the winter, no less, multiplies it all by 100.


Well.. that wouldn't have crossed my mind :)
But I did wonder if anyone would have stayed till the end of an 8 minute video if I was showing you how to dress for a commute. :)

Exactly. She's the perfect messenger!

I'm not so sure about this. Just being out there in the cold increases fittness vs the gym. Well, it might make you feel awake and refreshed, but unless you're truly out of shape, a leisurely ride does not do all that much for one's fitness level. That's one trouble with cycling being just too damn efficient. :)


And calories burned are te same based on distance regardless of speed, only the cool down times vary. Firstly, fitness isn't as simplistic as "calories burned". It's about things like endurance and strength. A relaxed spin won't do much for those. Secondly, you will burn more calories over the same distance if you work hard and move fast.

True, but there are tons of variables. Two summers ago, I got a job 1.5 miles from home. Driving took longer than cycling, and of course, cycling is more fun, so that's what I did every day. I GAINED five pounds on my hips and thighs and my waist didn't grow, so it was all muscle growth. I definitely got stronger from just a little bit of cycling.

I like the cat. The cats, my friend, the cats. They are indeed strategically placed to increase the viewers' attention span, for sure, especially if the viewer is not a straight male (if he is, I gather from the comments that no extra animals are necessary to hold his attention :)). Every time I was about ready to stop watching, a cat wandered by, or jumped on something, so I watched just a little bit more. :D