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What is your coldest commute?

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What is your coldest commute?

Old 01-11-16, 06:10 PM
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What is your coldest commute?

What is your all time coldest commute. My truck wouldn't start this morning, so it was 3 degrees for my ride to work. My rear derailleur was froze, so I had three gears to chose from. All the same, I felt very exhilarated when I got to work this morning.
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Old 01-11-16, 06:35 PM
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Old 01-11-16, 07:13 PM
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5 degrees F or so.

I usually avoid riding my hour long commute in single digits or below. Teens are doable as long as the wind cooperates.
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Old 01-11-16, 07:49 PM
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Last year probably around -10 F, don't remember. Today was -6 F when I left the house.

I went to grad school in South Bend, and remember one winter, maybe it was 1989-90, when it got into the -20's.

Under the coldest conditions, I wear my cold weather ski gear, including ski helmet and goggles, and then some insulated boots. I probably look pretty comical, but it gets me to my destination.
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Old 01-11-16, 07:54 PM
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Coldest ever was 4° in January of 2014. That was a cold month for Atlanta. I'd like to do 0° one time just to know that I did it, but those are very few and far between in these parts.
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Old 01-11-16, 09:15 PM
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Originally Posted by wphamilton
Coldest ever was 4° in January of 2014. That was a cold month for Atlanta. I'd like to do 0° one time just to know that I did it, but those are very few and far between in these parts.
I'm 3 east of you. I would be happy to never see 0° ...have had a few mornings in the mid 20s and that's cold enough for me
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Old 01-11-16, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by JAG410
yeehaw
Incidentally, don't worry about that hurricane.
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Old 01-11-16, 09:37 PM
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Pretty lucky that New York City area doesn't go below single digits:

5 Fahrenheit/-15 Celsius by 1nterceptor, on Flickr
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Old 01-11-16, 09:41 PM
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I've commuted in negative temps lots of times. -22 or -23 °F was the coldest. Don't remember which it was.

After yesterday I can confidently state that none of that compares to the pain of spending 3 hours in -6 degree weather watching a football game only to have the kicker miss a damn chip shot to knock your team out of the playoffs.



Actually the first 59 minutes and 36 seconds were very enjoyable. Commuting in that kind of weather taught me how to dress. Though standing still is a much different endeavor than riding.

Last edited by tjspiel; 01-11-16 at 09:46 PM.
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Old 01-11-16, 10:06 PM
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2015 for me (Feb) on my 12.5 mile one way commute about 3:00 am -6 F windchill -25 F.
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Old 01-11-16, 10:25 PM
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About 15 F for me. It rarely gets much colder in this part of NC.
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Old 01-11-16, 10:30 PM
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-8 for me. I would have preferred to drive, but I couldn't get the doors open.
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Old 01-12-16, 02:50 AM
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Lake Ontario is a huge heat sink. It keeps us warmer than areas further from the lake.

The lowest it's gotten here since I started cycling is also my coldest commute: -4F, -20C.

I did have to wear two pairs of socks inside my Lake winter cycling boots that day...
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Old 01-12-16, 06:41 AM
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14 degrees for me here in MA, 40 minute commute, I feel like a wimp seeing some of the numbers you guys ride in.
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Old 01-12-16, 07:15 AM
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Biking? Recent years? 28°F.

Back in H.S. walking to school it was 14°F one morning.
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Old 01-12-16, 07:30 AM
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On Jan 5, 2015 it was -13 F with a 8-10 mph headwind for a windchill of -30F (11 miles took about a hour). I stopped to open some vents and put away my frozen glasses and took this frosty face selfie. My big challenge that day was drying all of my gear for the ride home - I got very sweaty on the morning ride.



Now I work from a home office, so I just go out for fun in the sub-zero weather. Sunday, people on Facebook called me crazy for biking 25 miles in -10F weather... Later that day, TCF stadium was full of people sitting on their butts watching the Vikings lose. Who's crazy???
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Old 01-12-16, 10:10 AM
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My coldest was -14F, don't remember what the wind chill was but significantly lower than that.

Generally below zero and my wife gets really nervous, so I wind up driving. Today it was -6F with windchills well below -20F. She suggested I drive, but for some reason wasn't insistent on it so I rode my bike. Was fine, although today I only had to go about 4 miles to the client's location.
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Old 01-12-16, 10:15 AM
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I rode in -30F a few times two years ago. We generally get a week or two of -30F - -40F every year here in Bozeman. Yesterday is was 0F when I rode in. Today it's a balmy 20F (it actually FEELS warm.)

I think last year it hit -25F or so. I didn't notice because of the mild winter. I basically got to work and said "Dang, that was much colder than I had expected, I wonder what the temperature is?... Oh, that's why."

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Old 01-12-16, 10:42 AM
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Here in San Diego, it only occasionally drops below freezing. This morning was in the mid-30s, so that would make it a contender for coldest ever commute for me. And I was not prepared, I was only wearing my regular winter outfit of basketball shorts, tech tee, quarterzip pullover, and regular-weight work gloves (and ratty old sneakers and nothing-special socks). If I knew how cold it really was out there, I would have added a long-sleeve cotton midlayer, ski gloves, and a headband for my ears.
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Old 01-12-16, 11:30 AM
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My coldest was -6 Deg. F back when I lived in St.Louis but since I've moved out to Southern California (20 years ago) 37 is the lowest.

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Old 01-12-16, 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
Here in San Diego, it only occasionally drops below freezing. This morning was in the mid-30s, so that would make it a contender for coldest ever commute for me. And I was not prepared, I was only wearing my regular winter outfit of basketball shorts, tech tee, quarterzip pullover, and regular-weight work gloves (and ratty old sneakers and nothing-special socks). If I knew how cold it really was out there, I would have added a long-sleeve cotton midlayer, ski gloves, and a headband for my ears.
HA! The next time it hits mid-30s in Minneapolis, you'll see shorts and T-shirts! I kid you not, the first above freezing day with sun (sunshine is very important), you'll see everything from "Nanook of the North" to "full-on summer" gear. Always good for some entertainment.

Reference:

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Old 01-12-16, 12:46 PM
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-15 last week, but coldest ever was -22 December 2014.
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Old 01-12-16, 01:40 PM
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Mine pails in comparison to some of you all. Last year the coldest commute for me was right at 32 degrees and that was in the early AM before the sun rose. This year so far, my coldest commute was 37 degrees.
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Old 01-12-16, 02:16 PM
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whats in that Pail ? you probably wanted Pales ..

I live by the Pacific Ocean * when a Kid in the Wine country they got out the smudge pots ..

(the vineyards more valued, by their owners, than the air pollution, of everyone's atmosphere)
at 32F

* the icicles by the roadside began a few miles inland, my last trip to PDX
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Old 01-12-16, 02:41 PM
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Last year I rode at -20F (-42F windchill). I was getting dressed as fast as I could so the temp wouldn't go to -19 before I got out the door!
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