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I've been comtemplating this a lot during my commutes the last few weeks: What I hate most about a cold winter commute(or ride).
On my way home from work I start off with a 5 mile 1300 foot climb, no that's not what I hate. When it's really cold, say below 10F, what I really hate, no not the cars, is to get a mile up the road to discover that I have a tailwind that almost exactly matches my ground speed. Which means that I am totally overdressed, my goggles or glasses are going to fog and then freeze and that I am going to have to immediately stop and redress or do the same at the top of the climb before the first descent.
A close second is to find that the plow trucks didn't come out for the first 4 hours of the snowstorm and so I have to ride in the car/truck travelled portion of the roadway forcing them onto the unplowed snow.
A close third is to find that 3 days after the storm the road still isn't totally plowed.
Nah, the wind, yeh it's the wind, hate it. :)
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I'm not too fond of the darkness. I don't like deep crusty snow that's impossible to pedal through. Other than that, i don't mind the winter.
Overheating! That, and the PAIN.
There I am, all dressed for a chilly day, and off I go into the cold. I'm fine for quite a while, till I hit a hill or headwind, or something, and as I'm climbing or pushing, I'm warming up, and warming up, and starting to sweat ... and I know that I'm going to be wet, and possibly borderline hypothermic, for the rest of the ride.
And as for the pain - it's my hands! That first 15 minutes of a ride, or first 15 minutes after stopping for a break, is SO INCREDIBLY PAINFUL!! Once I get past that, then I'm OK.
(I'm not overly impressed with my bottle freezing solid, and my exercise-induced asthma, which gets much worse in the cold, either)
For me I hate it, just HATE it when I get to the donut shop and they are closed. That's when I look for a laundromat and hang around by the dryer. I love a winter ride though when the little bakery in Veneta is open with the wood stove blazing and the cinnamon buns are ready...yummm.
Pulling up to a stop sign and having one of town highway sanders pull up beside you. That stuff hurts when it hits you. :eek:
I'd have to say the worst part is having to wear layers. I'd rather throw on a jersey and some shorts and hit the road. In the winter mornings, it takes me longer than the females in my house to get ready :eek:
Changing temperatures and over heating.
Starting my errands in the moring it is about 20F. A few hours later as I return it is the 30s and I am sweating.
The thing I hate most?
Just getting out of bed. Everything else I can deal with. The hardest part is getting up! I can deal with sweat, I can deal with cold, snow below -10 C is a close second, but convincing myself to get out of bed is definitely the worst part!
Overheating. Definitely overheating.
--J
I enjoy the challenge of the cold, and the bewildered looks when ppl find out I rode @ -20C.
But @ the same time, I find the time and clothing necessary to get going is a bit annoying. That, and those studded tires. They make moving much slower and harder. Switching to slicks again will feel like freedom.
This is my first commuting winter though, and I haven't been riding as much as I'd like. Perhaps my views will change as I aquire better equipment.
Cold feet. Many of the equipment suggestions I've found only help some. They just get cold easily.
For me, it's the intense desire to kill every living thing that I see. And fire tank rounds into every car and truck that goes by. And flatten anything that stands. But maybe that's the seasonal affective disorder talking.
getting my butt and my bike out the door, plus the first 10 minutes of the ride.
Having to wear tights and a LS jersey. And full-fingered gloves. And maybe an underlayer. Sux.
getting dressed to go out, get redressed for working. Forgetting to bring something to work. Locking up the bike, taking everything off bike ... lights, sack, panniers. sometimes I get so frustrated.
Winter!!! where do I start...BLACK ICE, don't like it, not one bit.
Oh yeah...waiting for a late train all sweaty in sub zero temps
oh yeah that light on my helmet.....and so it goes
Still better than the car, traffic, etc...
North wind for my part of the world.
Cold feet. Many of the equipment suggestions I've found only help some. They just get cold easily.
Yep, same for me. I can deal with the rest. Gloomy weather comes in a close second.
And as for the pain - it's my hands! That first 15 minutes of a ride, or first 15 minutes after stopping for a break, is SO INCREDIBLY PAINFUL!! Once I get past that, then I'm OK.
Hand pain? That's new to me. If it's from the cold then you need better gloves. If it's just from biking then I trust you've seen a doc about it.
The thing I hate most?
Just getting out of bed. Everything else I can deal with. The hardest part is getting up! I can deal with sweat, I can deal with cold, snow below -10 C is a close second, but convincing myself to get out of bed is definitely the worst part!
I used to be just like that, then I changed my schedule a bit. Now after I get up I have a coffee and relax and read the paper. THEN I hop on my bike. What a HUGE difference that makes on those COLD mornings. Of course I get to work later, but oh well.
I'd have to say the worst part is having to wear layers. I'd rather throw on a jersey and some shorts and hit the road. In the winter mornings, it takes me longer than the females in my house to get ready :eek:
Ditto. Hate the prep. Love the ride.
I hate winter. I think the part i despise the most is the patch of slush or ice. Today it was warm, but it snowed last night though. It was 40 or so today so the snow was melting, i am riding along and decide to go a bit faster, so i stand and accelerate and i must have went over a patch of slush which was everywhere becuase i felt my backtire slide very much to the right, i fought to keep control. GOod thing i didnt fall becuase that would have been on road going 20mph clipped in. The joys of riding winter
and my hands get cold after a while, i dont like that
The prep is tedious to be sure, but I really hate it when my eyes tear up in the cold wind. I'll have to invest in a pair of those fit-over goggles; I keep forgetting about them once the weather warms.
Yah. Overheating. And pedestrian-tracked snow. Too bumpy!
riding against the friggin wind :( feels like im going nowhere, and getting colder :(
Yeah. Riding into the wind during the winter is the worst. The air is more dense during the winter, so the wind just drains the delta V right out of you.
The only part I hate is dressing up... and then you move around so clunky when you get off the bike.
I'm with Ranger on this one. I consider it a royal pain to prep for riding in the cold. Second would be cold feet or toes. The rest of me stays nice and warm. Third would be overheating.
I dislike riding in the crusty plowed over snow, cold feet and hands, and having to
dodge the debris from crashed cars on the side of the road. The mid-winter darkness
around here gets a little old as well.
gloves and a runny nose. either my hands are sweaty or or cold or the gloves are wet inside from sweating that morning. runny nose is a pain too and watering eyes going down hills.
Overheating. Definitely overheating.
--J
Yeah, I have not yet mastered overheating...without stopping to dress, and undress. Usually there's no good place to stop either.
this works for me but I don't know if it would work for others. a coolmax or other poly type undershirt (longsleeve) and a medium or heavy weight cotton tee shirt (long sleeve over that works from about 50 degrees down to about 32 or so degrees for me. at 50 it may just be a bit warm and at 32 if any wind my arms start getting pretty cold. then I wear my rain coat over the top.
plus it is dirt cheap to buy 6 sets for my daily commute. I get the undershirts on clearence around 5 to 6 each and the tee's cost me 7 as I wanted bright yellow and orange ones.
the fogged goggles are the worst for me, and the feet when they finally freeze up.. but the goggles I think I have the final solution for. I ordered a pair of Smith Turbo CAM goggles, the CAM stands for constant air movement(active vs passive). These babies have a little microelectonic fan that sucks the air out, bringing in a constant supply of fresh air. Has two speeds, and I'm hoping hi will be enough to keep up with the heavy fog created by cycling. My hope is that I may even be able to wear them for intervals etc without fogging.. no more fogging everytime you have to stop... not cheap, but it's worth it if it works..
even when it's bad tho, it still beats the indoor hampster wheels..
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