fubar5

Winters just around the corner folks. I am already saving money for some arm warmers and leg warmers. I waould hate fo the winter to stop me.

JonR

Does it get that cold in South Carolina?

You might get by with a pair of wind-front tights and a light jacket, and some full-finger gloves. That did fine for me in KC, where it was often below freezing for weeks at a time. When it got really cold, I'd use Thinsulate-lined gloves. And when it was really REALLY cold, I'd put on my silk balaclava face mask and arrive at work covered with semi-frozen snot. But at least I was pretty comfortable.

fubar5

Its been record( for SC) cold here. I probably will get some full legged things and full fingered gloves and just wear a sweat shirt or something. The cold has never really bothered me.

JonR

I've had people tell me silk underwear (such as CampMor and other outdoor outfitters sell) is great against the cold. It's not real, real expensive, but I never have got around to trying it.

technogirl

I love the fall and winter time. I love the cold weather. It get's pretty chilly out here. Hmm, I think it was a record 65 degrees, last time. Okay, I'm just showin' off now.

The last time it was super cold, my stove, broke, so hopefully we won't have any of that foolishness going on this year.

Chris L

I'm with Technogirl on this one, I love winter too. Unfortutely our "winter" (I don't believe the Gold Coast has ever actually had one) is coming to a close, meaning that the magpie season is about to start up .

Chris

JonR

Get your titanium helmet ready!

mike

Jon, silk (long) underwear is fatastic! It will keep you comfortable in a wide range of temperatures. Wool and other fabrics can be too warm or too cold, but silk is really special in this regard. Plus, it feels great.

Like you said, it is not that expensive either.

If you ride in cold temps, try out a pair of silk long underpants. It is a joy.

I am not as enthusiastic about winter bicycling as some of you cats are. It often gets below -10 F here for long periods of time. Besides the cold, you are sharing the icy roads with speeding cars. The salt put on the roads to melt the ice eats up your bike.

If winter just meant cold weather, that would be OK.

JonR

I agree, those chemicals on the road are killers. I dread that part of winter.

Steele-Bike

I lived in South Carolina for 5 years and have now lived in Iowa 11 years. Let me tell you, it gets a wee bit colder here in Iowa. I suppose it is all relative, though. In SC, I used to freeze my butt off, even though it was only 40 degrees in the dead of winter.

Fubar, go ahead and get the gear. When I visited my folks in SC last winter it never got above 50 degrees...so this winter probably won't be any better. I would say the most important thing is to keep your head and ears warm. I have a thin earband that fits under my helmet that works quite well...and a pair of windbloc gloves is also very nice

Jean Beetham Smith 

Fubar, I found the hardest days to dress right for are the ones you will face most often, 30 to 40 degrees. You have to be really careful not to overdress so you start to sweat too much, especially if you are going to be riding for more than 30 minutes. At the same time you have to allow for rain & wind. I'm a big fan of wool, especially Merino wool. It really helps stabilize your temperature. I also learned to pull the sleeves of my jersey up to my elbow while leaving the sleeves of my windbreaker down at my wrist after i'd warmed up. That, and venting my jacket, let me adjust upper body temperature well. Generally speaking, because leg muscles are producing a lot of heat I just wear a pair of supplex pants between 35 and 50, but I do wear longer wool socks as it gets to the upper 30's. Again depending on wind & rain, I don't add tights until it is below 35. Much of my added prep time in the winter is spent in scanning every weather forecast. It is also worthwhile to know a few places you can hole up if you guess the weather too wrongly, and a cell phone is a good link to help. I seem to have a "hothead" because I only wore my balaclava on days below 10, I used a thin lycra ear band the rest of the winter. I rode clipless pedals all winter with no problems.

Chris L

Thing I've noticed about magpies, they almost never attack when you can see them. They always come in from behind when you're riding, and if you're walking somewhere, all you have to do is look at them and they'll back off. Of course, I might just be ugly enough for this to work for me , but you can't spend time looking back over your shoulder while you're out riding.

I'm thinking of painting a couple of "eyes" on the back of my helmet to see if that works this year. I don't want to be chased for 5km just to get a cut on my ear again if I can avoid it.

Chris

LittleBigMan

The cold is really fine, for me, as long as windchill is minimal. But from about 20 degrees F to about freezing, I'm fine. My main strategy is, "don't overdress." I usually need only a thick windbreaker, or a windbreaker and a sleeveless polar-fleece jacket underneath it (and gloves, of course.)

The windchill created by downhills, especially starting out, can bring tears to my eyes. But it's never as bad as people might believe (here in Atlanta).

I also am careful to carry dry stuff in case I have to walk, or change a tire. Stopping while sweaty (you will sweat when riding 14 miles up and down tall hills) can be interesting. First, you are amazed at how comfortable you feel, even though your breath looks like a Yellowstone bison's. Then, after a few minutes of standing, you begin to feel a slight chill, and notice that you are wetter than you realized. This is your last warning. Put on something dry, or you will be an unhappy camper.

LittleBigMan

fubar5

Dude!!!! Great!! I had totally forgotten about the ears. When I ride in cold weather it kills my ears, that is the only problem I have with cold.I get terrible ear aches when I don't keep them covered. I glad I made this thread.

MichaelW

And don't forget your feet.
Most cycle guides say avoid thick socks, but in winter, thats exactly what you need.
Avoid shoes made of nylon mesh, and if its really cold, remember that inside SPD style shoes is a metal plate connected to a metal bike. Its a great way of transferring heat from your feet.
Many Ice-bikers tend to use lightweight hiking boots with clips and straps or powergrips, or use some of the purpose-made winter cycling boots. If its wet as well as cold, you may want to think about using waterproof boots rather than letting the water in.

LittleBigMan

Reminds me of the defense mechanisms of some insects.

Say, Chris, you may have hit upon a popular new helmet design for scaring off motorists...

(Sorry, Fubar, I had to say that.)

Michael, I forgot about the feet! Seems that is consistently the
only thing that arrives cold to work!