TransitBiker

I need my new brake pads put on before i go for first ride in the new year..... which is a shame... dipped into the teens overnight & would have been a fun trip to the store and back.

- Andy

Doohickie

I got my first ride of the year in this afternoon.... that's pretty much what the conditions were. I did 10 miles and..... that was enough, thank you.

InfiniteMiles

Might be common knowledge, but I find if I have a layer to block the wind and then dress so that I feel old before riding, I'll heat up to the perfect level. When I bundle up to much I just sweat, then freeze when I take a layer or two off. Also having a scarf to warm the air before taking deep breaths makes the ride way more comfortable.

no motor?

The windblocking material in the front and the breathable material in the back is a great combination. The Foxwear jacket I have that's made like that is amazingly warm, yet it keeps me from getting too warm after I warm up.

hardboiled718

I love the winter commute too. Feels good to get to work already warmed up after some exercise while most other people are just rolling out of bed and complaining about the cold.

Jim from Boston

For my coldest rides, below about 20ºF down to about 0º, I wear an inner layer of stretchy (?Lycra) midweight tights and an outer layer of heavyweight tights. Between them I wear a pair of predominantly cotton surgical scrub pants (available at a work-clothing store), as a wind break. The scrub pants are not stretchy, but baggy to allow freedom of movement. Heavy weight bib tights are another alternative I have not tried.

I was recently chatting with a year-round runner, and we discovered we both use different weight tights, in various combinations according to the temperature.

905

We don't do fahrenheit in the UK, and no concessions are made for expats who resist change. Therefore I seldom know what temperature it is. All I really care about is ice or no ice. Although I'm on board with this

and this

and like to think I don't scare easy, fact is, when it comes to ice, I scare easy. But I embrace the cold. Unfortunately my toes never got the memo, as they freeze a little too easily.

I actually wear very little cycling gear. Stiff-soled shoes, and a gore-tex rain jacket if necessary, but everything else has been sourced outside of bike shops. When the temp dips I don a lightweight fleece over a regular old T-shirt, or if the wind is especially cutting, the gore-tex. Have surprised myself by wearing shorts this winter, but that's not so brave as it's not been so terribly cold yet (I think).

Jim from Boston

Did you know that “scrubs” is really an acronym for that type of loose fitting outerwear that Operating Room personnel wear? “Surgical Clothing Reveals Unusual Body Shapes (or Sizes)”; or “Surgical Clothing Reveals Unusual Bulges.”

intransit1217

Who is riding what tires for what conditions this winter? Saturday's coffee shop ride is coming and the weather looks like it will be 20s. The roads will have leftover snow and Ice that came in today but will linger due to a plummet over the next four days.

Considering a pair of studded tires. I might be able to swing a hundred to outfit the dual sport. But 500 dollar dillingers for he moose? not this year.

Bizman

Nokian Hakkapeliita studded tires here. About $100 each from Peter White Cycles and well worth it! They work great in ice and snow. Like I tell people, "I can't walk in my driveway but I can ride my bike no problem"!

TrekNerd

Cold commutes have made me stronger and not so timid to take the bike out. I am actually motivated during rainy and cold weather to get out and bike commute. It's a healthy addiction.

TransitBiker

I had to make a grocery run monday, and i exerted myself thoroughly breathing in cold air. Burned my whole respiratory system pretty good. I was fighting a cold & it seems to have found a small foothold. I have a thing tomorrow, but i can't really cancel so i'm planning to wear a mask of some sort both to keep others safe if i do have a cold & to protect me from the frigid air. I think i need to invest in one of those air mixer masks, because i cannot do this again. Hope this is a lesson to you others out there that also ride whatever the temperature/weather so it doesn't happen to you.

- Andy