chipcom 

Where in the midwest?

I'm picturing Minnesota "Boy howdy, Marcy, we got Brett Favre!"

or Arkansas "Boy howdy pa, ya mean ma is my sister too?"

nkfrench 

Balaclavas are awesome for cold days.

I bought some bar mitts for my road bike (neoprene covers for the bike handlebars over the brake/shifter) and they kept my fingers very warm with light gloves underneath on a 32-mile, 38F, 35mph wind hilly ride. The advantage is that with the light gloves you retain the dexterity for braking/shifting and adjusting zippers that you lose with heavier Am-Fib type gloves. The bar mitts are easily removed and don't take much room in the pannier for the (warmer) homebound commute.

Feet will get colder if your shoes are snug and toes can't wiggle. I have better luck wearing thin socks that leave more room in the shoes than with thick cushy socks.

I wear my summer gear down to about 53F including bike sandals with socks.

mike

I agree. I always feel colder in fall than I do in the dead of winter and it gets to around 0 F here for long periods of time. I feel colder at 50 F in Fall than I do at 10 F in winter. It takes your body time to adjust as the temps fall.

One simple piece of advice I can give you is to make sure that your clothes are loose and comfortable. Your base layer (long underwear) can be skin tight but over that, things should be loose.

Many people tend to put layer on top of layer and their clothes get bunched up and tight. If you do this, it is difficult to be warm and, of course, it is uncomfortable.

mike

This is interesting. I bought some bar-end hand covers in Japan a while back. They are MUCH warmer than gloves or mittens. In fact, unless I go bare-handed, they are almost too warm. I can go bare-handed with them even in temps below 10F.

Do you have a pic of what yours look like? Here is what I picked up in Japan:

no motor?

Northern Illinois. Born in Chicago, but grew up out in the cornfields about 60 miles west of there. Gomer Pile or Forest Gump come to mind for me. Think "Boy howdy, that's some mess you're in now" or "Boy howdy, that Chipcom is one homely looking girl, that face just doesn't go with the body"

lil brown bat

Although I commute in Boston, I live a loooong way out of town...put it this way, my town makes your average Podunk look like a major metropolis. So I get to say "boy howdy"

bmt074

How far out do you live? You need to get pretty far away from Boston to find a Podunk .

Sixty Fiver

I ride year round in temps as low as - 40C with a personal record of having ridden at -46 C.

My gear isn't anything high tech and I manage to stay warm and dry by following some basic rules.

Start with a light wicking layer, cover that with an insulating layer (wool rules), and then add a windproof layer... you can add and subtract layers as sometimes an extra layer of insulation is a good thing.

On my feet I wear base socks covered by 1 and sometimes two pairs of wool socks (depends on temps) and have some nice hikers with a -25C rating that also have felt packs which increase that...you want to make sure your feet are not constricted by your footwear as that reduces circulation.

I have found that a wool flip mitt with thinsulate with a base glove underneath is better than any high tech hand gear out there...the base glove is handy when you flip open the mitt and don;t wat to expose your fingers to the cold.

My winter helmet is a little larger so I can wear a toque underneath and have a face guard and ski goggle to protect my eyes from cold, wind, thrown up slush, and UV light.

I carry extra socks so I can switch them out between the am and pm commutes and run full fenders to keep me and my bike clean and dry.

I am lit up like the sun so drivers can see me...this is really important if you ride in the dark or in low visibility conditions.

Wool is still the best insulator out there... it releases heat when it gets damp and is by nature resistant to bacteria so does not smell as bad as polypro stuff.

exile

For me it is the wind that gets at me. Others are right about having to many layers. I have a Merino wool blend as a base layer with a hooded sweatshirt and a windbreaker on top. I have a regular pair of UnderArmour gloves with the fleece backing but thin part over the palm. I usually wear athletic pants and when needed a pair of Pearl Izumi leg warmers I can throw on underneath. This year I'll probably get some better gloves and look into something to cover my sneakers. I commuted about all of last year except for a total of 2 weeks with what I had. January and parts of February were the worst.

chipcom 

Well I'll be danged, I always figured you as a city girl. You hunt griz, pilgrim?

QuickityJacks

My default Arkansas catch phrase is "Oh God, get this horde of migrating tarantulas off of me before I burn myself and everyone else to the ground to stem their blight."

Seriously, ever tried to cross a highway in Arkansas during tarantula migration season? I will never cycle there. I'd just scream across the entire state.

chipcom 

boy howdy'd that for ya

QuickityJacks

I appreciate it.

mike

Come on, man, fess up. The only way you are staying warm at -40C (which equals -40F) is if you are staying home by the fire.. in bed. We have those temps here once in awhile and it was not the time to be outside bicycling in.

Honestly, I think the grease in the bearings is as hard as dried bathroom caulk at minus 40 degrees. Ironically, we fire up our cars and drive them and they have the same grease in those wheel bearings too. That said, many cars won't start if they have been left outside for very long at -40. The oil in the engine turns to glue. You have to keep your battery heated too or it won't even blink when you turn the ignition.

I am pretty tough to the cold, but even with felt lined swampers and all dressed up with ski goggles and balaklava, temps below about minus 15F is really punishing. Add some wind to that and you are talking dangerous temperatures.

When it gets that cold, the thing that always tortures me is the space right above my eyebrows between my goggles and the hat that I can never seem to cover. OOOOOOOHHHH GOD, that hurts. It isn't just cold, it is painful.

DataJunkie

My 2 cents.
Get a merino wool long sleeve jersey. Preferably with a beer company logo on it
They are wonderful in keeping your temps regulated for a somewhat wide range in temps.

Sixty Fiver

I wish.

Normal winter temps are usually a blissful -20C to -25C but we do get some evil cold snaps and as I don't drive and need to get around, I ride.

I have also worked out doors at -40 C and at those times I wished I was on my bike as I would be warmer.

The only thing that has kept me off my bike in the winter was a back injury.

I go past a few outside temperature signs on my route and when it gets that cold (am hoping it doesn't) I'll stop and snap a picture (if the camera does not freeze) and you can send me a bottle of single malt scotch.



My other winter tip: synthetic grease will keep a bike running smoothly at hellishly cold temperatures.

There are winter riders and then there are WINTER riders.

dognamedbanjo

I just ordered one yesterday! No beer logo... but I'm excited to get it nonetheless. Seems this will be a good addition to the wardrobe. But boy (boy howdy?) this stuff isn't cheap!

DataJunkie

Very true. I own all of one pair.
A fat tire winter jersey.
Smartwool makes good wool jerseys as well. Plus, a few other manufacturers.

lil brown bat

Just about as far as it's possible to go and still be in Massachusetts.

lil brown bat

I don't hunt anything -- takes too much time. I count on the neighbor dogs to keep the black bears out of the yard.

tjspiel

Being on the cool side for the first mile or two is probably where you want to be, - unless you commute is only 2 miles ;-)

One tip that's been pretty valuable for me that I got in either this forum or the winter forum is that if you want warm fingers, make sure your wrists are warm. It may not make a lot of sense but it helps. Apparently your body will reduce circulation to your fingers if your wrists get too cold.

Another tip that might be helpful to those chronically cold when outdoors is to not dress overly warm when indoors.

chipcom 

...and another obscure (and incorrect) movie quote crashes and burns.
Poor Will Geer will never be remembered for anything but Grandpa Walton.

Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Can you skin Griz?
Jeremiah Johnson: I can skin' em as fast as you can catch' em.
[Bear Claw runs giggling through the cabin with a huge grizzly bear close behind and jumps out the back window]
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Skin that one, pilgrim, and I'll getcha another!

DataJunkie

Or live on top of a hill like me. I dress warmer for the descent and remove a layer at the bottom.
Descending at 25 to 35 mph in 10F temps leads to massive shivering using the standard "make sure you are slightly cold before you leave method".

Kevin666

Based on my experience cycling, skiing and winter camping, as well as some things I've read, don't bet on having warm feet all of the time, no matter what you wear. Sometimes your feet will be cold, and sometimes your hands will too, no matter what all of the Yukon Corneliuses say.

As for the rest of the body, I think it's generally true that you'll be warm so long as you follow the general rules, such as layering, using wool or synthetics to insulate, having a windproof shell on the outside, etc...so long as you keep pedaling.

No high-tech, state-of-the-art, turbo-charged, fancy-named, over-priced specialty clothing necessary. Save your money so you can piss it away on bells and whistles for your bike.