Winter Cycling - cold limit

I commute year round from north of boston to brighton. Do you all have a lower cold limit on bike commuting? I have done down to 10 F. It was -6 this morning and had to drive for work issues. I'm 18 miles one way.

I commute year round from north of boston to brighton. Do you all have a lower cold limit on bike commuting? I have done down to 10 F. It was -6 this morning and had to drive for work issues. I'm 18 miles one way.

I rode in this morning from Newton Upper Falls to Lexington-- 17miles the way I go, which is through Weston and Lincoln. It was seriously crisp out, but I was not too cold... just the toes a little bit. I don't have a cold limit currently b/c I don't have a car. But, if it was like -40F I'd probably stay home.

What I can't get my head around this winter is all the @#$% snow we've been getting. Now they're predicting another storm Wednesday. WTF.

^I agree about all this snow.

I think I might have hit my cold limit today. It was -11F average, but that's not including whatever the windchill was. I dressed pretty well for my 19 mile commute. The only things that were cold were feet and sometimes fingers. I hope this is the coldest weather I ever ride in.

I say this now, but that can always change though.

I have not found my limit yet. It was -6F this past Friday morning and the wind was blowing pretty good. The bike was sluggish, but no other problems I don't have to deal with when the temp is 10 or 20 degrees warmer.

..
I think I might have hit my cold limit today. It was -11F average, but that's not including whatever the windchill was. I dressed pretty well for my 19 mile commute. The only things that were cold were feet and sometimes fingers. I hope this is the coldest weather I ever ride in.

I say this now, but that can always change though.

Today was apprently the first single digit day in metro Boston in two years, and I was looking forward to testing some modifications I had made since then. I was going to post about my 14 mile commute from Kenmore Square to Norwood, starting out at minus 1 degree F, but why bother now? :rolleyes:

I did call into the WRKO morning talk show in response to the topic "Is it cold enough for you?". Afterwards I sent this E-mail to the hosts:


Hi guys,

Thanks for taking my call, your warm greeting when I got on the air, and not scathing me with your witty comments about riding my bike 14 miles this morning. I did hear the subsequent caller who labeled me a "freak" and told me to "get a Prius." Believe me, I'm not an environmentalist wacko. My reply to him is: "It's the Adventure, Stupid."

Sincerely,

Jim from Boston
Your Number One Fan among Boston's Bicycle Commuters

The coldest I've ridden in so far has been 1F. I'm glad a keep a pair of glove liners in my back pack because it was 20F when I left.

This morning I set a new record for me for cold weather riding. It was -22F when I got out of work this morning. The ride home was Awesome. Jim from Boston is right --- "It's the Adventure, Stupid."

After working the graveyard shift this past weekend the temperature during my early morning ride home was -24 degrees Celsius (-11 F). It was so cold that a patch of fog inside my ski goggles froze and I had to pull over to scrape it so I could see.

This morning I set a new record for me for cold weather riding. It was -22F when I got out of work this morning. The ride home was Awesome. Jim from Boston is right --- "It's the Adventure, Stupid."

I hope you realize that is a paraphrase of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign slogan, "It's the Economy, Stupid.". It's not my style to call cagers "stupid." :innocent:

Today was the coldest day here in NJ with below zero temps in the morning and I used my best winter gear and my Surly Pugsley with 29r 2.35 schwalbe big apple tires on 29r Snowcat wheels.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/jogiba/Album%20number%202/IMGP1167.jpg

I find -10 F to be pretty cold. That is as cold as I have ridden. When it was -20 F last week I bummed a ride from my wife. Thing is, if she was not able to drive me, I would have ridden.

For me things change when the temperature gets cold enough to kill me. The extra precautions start to outweigh the fun. I mark that temp somewhere below -10.

One thing that hasn't been commented on is the OP's commute. It's 18 miles one way...

I don't know if I'd ride 18 miles one way in the summer. I don't want to commit the time to that. Unless it's a nice path with right of way that's well over an hour for me. In winter it could easily take me 2 hours (or more)...

I once declared 0F to be my limit. It was uncomfortable, but since then I have acquired much better gear. So now I only know I'd try it colder. We rarely get anything in the minus range, so it might be awhile before I find out.

I once declared 0F to be my limit. It was uncomfortable, but since then I have acquired much better gear. So now I only know I'd try it colder. We rarely get anything in the minus range, so it might be awhile before I find out.

for those interested in learning to be able to ride in colder temps than they currently do, I would suggest keeping a log of your rides. Jot down the exact clothing you used, the temp, the effort you put forth and what worked and didn't work. You will see patterns develop and learn some unexpected thing like bringing a cotton towel to dry your sweat off in mid-ride when necessary. consider chemical hand warmers. When it gets under 0F I often have a chem warmer in each pogie. that allows me to have thinner gloves on while in the pogies so i can actually use my hands when needed, then return the hands to the warm pogie interior when I no longer need it.

I have a clothing log. I learned that trick here on Bikeforums. That and learning what folks in Canada and Alaska do. My lowest was -14. And I feel confident that I could go lower if I had to. Spending the money on good, quality gear helps too. You'll actually save in the end.

This is my frigid temperatures Outfit
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4388425424_82efd164cd.jpg

For me, it's time (or distance) and temp. I rarely see below 0F temps in central Indiana, so I generally commute 13 miles each way year round. Winds shift in the winter, so my commute can be worse in the winter, with a small number of days seeing a ferocious headwind that saps my legs. As mentioned earlier, a clothing chart is the trick, plus being able to convert what you wore in the morning when it's colder to something comfortable for the ride home at night.

I'm so slow, it can take me 65-75 minutes in the winter due to the general winter slow-down plus the studs drag, so I'm not sure I'd maintain my comfort if my ride was 3 hours instead of 1, but I've only worked out the clothing chart for my commute distance and haven't ever taken a half day tour in low temps. If my ride was 15 minutes, I think I wouldn't have a lower limit because you could put on so many layers that the cold would never penetrate and you wouldn't have to worry about the steady state heat transfer once all the fabric was saturated with perspiration and a conductive path was established. If my ride was 8 hours, I'd have to work into it over a seasonal change to be sure I had the right gear to wear. The trick for me is to find a way for the perspiration to evaporate on your shielded surfaces so that you don't chill the exposed surfaces.

For me, it's time (or distance) and temp.

This is so true. As you say what works for 15 minutes vs 8 hours is pretty different.

My commute is 30 minutes, and I would wear about the same clothing for that when it's -15F as I would for a 3 hour ride when it's 15F degrees.

I find that I can start out warm and then later the sweating will kick in and I will cool down, but eventually as you say it will reach steady state, where I'm neither drenched in sweat nor freezing.

After working the graveyard shift this past weekend the temperature during my early morning ride home was -24 degrees Celsius (-11 F). It was so cold that a patch of fog inside my ski goggles froze and I had to pull over to scrape it so I could see.

I was out riding around that same night I think, my beard was nicely iced up, despite having a scarf over my face. I don't plan on stopping to ride when it's cold, I don't see it going below -20c again this year, and if it does I have enough layers for it.

I may set a new record this coming Wednesday. Forecasted low is -18F. My previous coldest ride is around -10F to -15F. I'm actually looking forward to it.

For an idea of what is possible, check out this video. A self-supported tour across Alaska, with a stretch of days with a high of -20F and lows near -50F. If he can ride all day in that, and sleep in a tent. I can certainly ride an hour to work.

http://vimeo.com/18575749



Paul

I was out riding around that same night I think, my beard was nicely iced up, despite having a scarf over my face. I don't plan on stopping to ride when it's cold, I don't see it going below -20c again this year, and if it does I have enough layers for it.
According to The Weather Network, it's supposed to be -17°C (0°F) tomorrow morning, -23°C (-9°F) with the windchill. I'm leaving for work at 6 am, and I got my balaclava and ski goggles laid out. Brr!

Edit: It's a balmy -21°C (-6°F) without the windchill right now, and I'm leaving in a few minutes. Spring is starting to sound good. Oh, and we're supposed to be getting another 30 cm (1 foot) of snow by Wednesday, too!

Last I rode in friday of last week. 12 F to start the day. No issues to speak of. Beer coozies over the water bottle prevent frozen gatorade. The engine was slow but steady.

I haven't hit my limit yet, but I live in New York where we don't get too many sub-zero days. I have ridden down to -6 alright. you just gotta dress right!

I leave at least a half hour earlier in the morning. In case I want to turn back and upgrade my outfit.
(or wuss out). Only carry a spare set of gloves and a spare clava.

The shorter the distance the lower the limit, and in a city it's easier.

If you need to slog 18miles through BFN(suburbia counts because there are so few places to stop) one way the limit may reise!

I once did a 60-ish mile trip in 10 degree weather from Terre Haute to Camby (just south of Indianapolis), an experience I'd rather not repeat. It was difficult to get in as much calories as my body felt like it wanted to stay warm, as it was hard to eat anything in such freezing weather, and caloric beverages were hard to intake because they froze so quickly. I wore SPDs and my feet were pretty cold, my hands were cold despite wearing gloves with liners.

Kudos to all of you who regularly commute in weather that's much colder than I dealt with.

I'm thankful that I didn't have to change a flat during the trip.

Congrats Jose! There are winter rides I won't forget. For me winter riding is accepting the fact
of where I live. Did 16 milers for 10 years. I'm doing 12 now. Even though there is an intersection
every five minutes, winter cycling can have some great moments compared to the frustration
of driving in traffic with rat racers.

This was an interesting read for me. My 5 mile each way commute will end at the end of the month and I will be facing an 18 mile each way commute. I have good gear and have commuted the five miles down to -20F. 18 miles will be a different story. At five miles the extemities - toes and fingers are starting to sting. I also struggle with eye protection, but can live with a wind block rather than a wind seal I would need for an 18 mile trip. With snow/ice and studs this will be an 80-90 minute commute. My current set up for -20F would be at most good for 0F. I would also expect wind chill to be a bigger factor in this longer commute. I ride more upright (mountain or hybrid style) for balance on ice/snow and will need to consider drop bars for this longer commute.

According to The Weather Network, it's supposed to be -17°C (0°F) tomorrow morning, -23°C (-9°F) with the windchill. I'm leaving for work at 6 am, and I got my balaclava and ski goggles laid out. Brr!

Edit: It's a balmy -21°C (-6°F) without the windchill right now, and I'm leaving in a few minutes. Spring is starting to sound good. Oh, and we're supposed to be getting another 30 cm (1 foot) of snow by Wednesday, too!

Oh yeah I wish I'd worn long johns that morning! I stayed home today with a sprained wrist but hopefully tomorrow's ride will prove fun... gonna try out my front drum brake for the first time.

Oh yeah I wish I'd worn long johns that morning! I stayed home today with a sprained wrist but hopefully tomorrow's ride will prove fun... gonna try out my front drum brake for the first time.

Drum brake? Just ditch it into the snow bank if you're even going over 10km/h i'd be amazed..

It was -22F this morning in Pueblo, Colorado...I was prepared with plenty of layers and it didn't seem bad at all.

http://www.alternativecommutepueblo.com/

I rode in -28F weather in Wisconsin in college for a commute to class back a few years ago. As long as you have all your skin blocked from the wind, it's really not that bad though...you'll expend enough energy riding that you don't get that cold. I still think I'm less likely to get cold biking for 6 minutes than walking 25 minutes when it's super-cold out. I also for some reason have MORE motivation to ride as it gets super cold; I think I just enjoy all the crazy looks and comments you get.

Lessons learned:

Running shoes with mesh in the toes don't work at those temperatures.

A "gel" bike seat quickly turns into an ice cold rock below zero.

My biggest problem has been the snow, but it's only gotten down into the single digits a couple of days here. I've only got about 2 miles - even though it feels like more with stoplights and traffic - on my commute so it's no big deal. I'd definitely have to change my layering choices if I was going as far as some of you guys.

8F at the start today with a brisk headwind. 1hr 40 min. for the 18 miles. Loved the seirus neoprene face mask/ goggle combination. Slushy gatorade not so good.

-18F this morning for my commute. I have no idea what the windchill was. That sets the low temp bar for me so far. I really need to get goggles. My eyelashes freeze together too readily at these temps.

-28C (-18F) and a light wind for yestday morning's hour long commute. I've done two other commutes at similar temperatures, one of them with much more wind. If I had bothered to put the batteries in my electric socks I would have been perfectly dressed yesterday. Those socks are the heaviest wool socks I have, so sometimes I use them without the batteries.

It had warmed to -18C for the ride home so I stopped for a photo. The nice thing about not using a shell as an outer layer is that water vapor can escape instead of being trapped. Though it does form a light snow on my army surplus wool sweater.

http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae176/gECHO/th_IMG_0939b.jpg (http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae176/gECHO/IMG_0939b.jpg)

With the windchill last Sat it was at -40 (C AND F , which is bizarre ) I managed to do about 15 km that day. IT doesn't get much colder, I figured if I could avoid frostbite then i'd be able to put up with most anything

I usually try not to do my 6 miles bike commute if it's below 0F in the morning. Luckily that doesn't happen often.... at least not in recent years.

My asthma reacts to the cold somewhat.. although I suspect it's more the crappy car exhaust fumes than the cold.

Shorter rides are OK though. I've been trying half-bus/ half-ride commutes when it's really cold or the roads are really crappy.

Third day in a row more than double digit below zero (-18F today). Five mile commute is fine but wouldn't want much longer. The good news is there is no slush to deal with at these temps.

Thankfully now I live in boise Id where winter is pretty mild, a few years ago when I was living in Laramie wyoming I went on a weekend bike camping trip in the early Feb. There were a few days of -25f and below. We climbed as far up elk mountain as we could and my thermometer would not work:) the lcd screen froze completely. Im not really sure what the wind chill was, and in case you have never been to the southeast part of wyoming im pretty sure there is at least 20mph winds year round:)

-28C (-18F) and a light wind for yestday morning's hour long commute. I've done two other commutes at similar temperatures, one of them with much more wind. If I had bothered to put the batteries in my electric socks I would have been perfectly dressed yesterday. Those socks are the heaviest wool socks I have, so sometimes I use them without the batteries.

It had warmed to -18C for the ride home so I stopped for a photo. The nice thing about not using a shell as an outer layer is that water vapor can escape instead of being trapped. Though it does form a light snow on my army surplus wool sweater.

http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae176/gECHO/th_IMG_0939b.jpg (http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae176/gECHO/IMG_0939b.jpg)

Is that a spray painting face mask that you wearing ? How is it working out in the cold ?

Yes its a painting respirator that I got at Canadian Tire without the cartridges installed (this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MB4MUY/). Its great for really cold weather or high headwinds. It also heats and moistens the air which makes the lungs happy on cold dry days. I usually put it on around -15C, sometimes less depending on the wind. It dribbles water out the front exhaust port, but since I ride a touring bike it doesn't land on me.

I use a neck gaiter with a hole in the front so I can have all the skin on my face covered. Once everything is on I can do my whole ride without needing to make any adjustments other than raising the goggles when slowing or stopping. Before getting the mask I tried several balaclavas and ended having to continuously adjust them throughout my ride, which got annoying fast.

Groovy idea with that face mask... I just tossed a few old welding respirators that would have done well for that job. I've just been wrapping my lower head with a scarf if the windchill was high or it was colder than -15 (I commute home at 11pm so it's always colder)... it always develops a nice crust of snow though.

I've done the same with a half mask respirator, you have to be sure to remove the cartridges so that there is no drag on the intake (so that you don't induce any respiratory distress). I've also put an exhaust tube on mine to make sure the exhalation is spread out and lower down, since I'm on a recumbent and already laying on my back and don't want the exhaust to blow back in my face. I prefer the type with a silicone seal instead of latex, because it seems a little more compliant. Although I don't often put it on until about 10F or below. I think it's not really necessary, but it does help with the windchill on mouth and nose and keeps the teeth warmer for the hour commute.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o85/WilburBudDark/misc/Half_mask_side.jpghttp://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o85/WilburBudDark/misc/Half_mask_front.jpg

Warning: In the event of a sudden drop in commuting temperature, masks will descend from the overhead compartments of the paint aisle. Calmly place this mask over your own face first and then on the faces of the other commuters. Take deep slow breathes.