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Why did I bail last night?

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Why did I bail last night?

Old 11-28-16, 09:51 AM
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Why did I bail last night?

So, yesterday I departed on a sunny afternoon at 2pm for a 90 mile ride. I knew the temp would drop from mid 50's to the low 40's and brought the same clothing I wore on the 90 mile ride I did Saturday when it was between 35-42 degrees, so I figured I would be fine.

Saturday I left in the morning, about 10am. It was overcast and windy all day. There where times when I was cool. When I departed the halfway point it did take 15 minutes for me to get warmed up again, but than I was fine, cool, but never really cold.

Last night though, once the sun dropped, I got cold. My Garmin was reporting only 45 degrees, though. As I right this I am realizing a number of differences between the two rides:

Saturday: I was up and down little rolling hills all day long, going down it was COOL, going up I was nice and warm! When I got home my Merino Wool base layer was 100% soaked in sweat.

Sunday: I was on a bike path that was open and along a little river, so very flat and I was moving pretty fast, averaging 18 mph. My Merino Wool base layer was only 30% soaked, but it felt like it was 100%.

I am trying to figure out why I got so cold last night and didn't on Saturday. I was not fatigued Sunday at all, I was feeling very strong. I am wonder:

Was it the simple fact that I was on the flats and to get my heart pumping meant higher speeds, thus more wind to blow away the heat I was generating?

What effect, if any, would there be of riding next to the river? Would the river make the hair more humid and make the cold penetrate better?

While I didn't feel the lest bit fatigued from the Saturday ride (nor feel the lest bit fatigued today) could fatigue be playing a larger part in my bodies ability to stay warm?

I seek these answers because I refuse to summit to the winter months!

P.S. I DO know I can change clothing and have thoughts on that, too, but I am not seeking insight on that stuff. I am really wondering what could have been the cause, considering ALL the gear was the same. (Oh, one gear change, the hat I had on Sunday is a touch warmer than what I had on Saturday, otherwise they are the same)
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Old 11-28-16, 11:24 AM
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You don't mention all your clothing, but it sounds like a wind jacket might have kept you from getting too cold yesterday.
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Old 11-28-16, 12:15 PM
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When its cold but still above freezing I find humidity has a huge effect on comfort, and humidity rises quickly in the evening. When its humid you are always damp and never dry out.

Often when I ride in the winter I find the 0 °C days to be much more miserable than the -10 ones, since the air is usually much drier at -10 and lower.
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Old 11-28-16, 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted by gecho
When its cold but still above freezing I find humidity has a huge effect on comfort, and humidity rises quickly in the evening. When its humid you are always damp and never dry out.

Often when I ride in the winter I find the 0 °C days to be much more miserable than the -10 ones, since the air is usually much drier at -10 and lower.
That does fit, I felt very, very damp, but when I got inside, I wasn't very damp at all!

When it is cold, any idea of how much of an effect being close to water has an effect on the humility? I was riding on a bike trail that runs along a river and am looking at a long ride along the banks of one of the Great Lakes next month. I am guessing it does have an effect, but when it is cold there will be less evaporation, so I don't know.
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Old 11-28-16, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by pdlamb
You don't mention all your clothing, but it sounds like a wind jacket might have kept you from getting too cold yesterday.
Yes, I was and am very intentional about not going into detail on what I was wearing. The reason is because I am not asking how to dress warmer, I am trying to figure out why a warmer temp resulted in me feeling colder. I am trying to better understand the the effects of weather, roads, etc on how I feel. The goal being to better understand conditions so I can make the correct clothing decisions.

I know multiple things I could have changed in my clothing to stay warmer, after the fact. I need to learn how to better predict when I need to dress warmer!!!!
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Old 11-28-16, 03:59 PM
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Perceived temperature has several components in its calculation, including air temp, wind speed, humidity (well, vapor pressure which is linked to humidity), cloud cover/insolation - just google it if curious.

Bu bottom line - damp, even misty/foggy weather is definitely "bone-chilling" IMHO - so yes, that probably had a lot to do with it.
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Old 11-29-16, 12:32 PM
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^^^ this. Dew point can be a big factor.
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Old 12-02-16, 08:56 AM
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use a base layer that transmits water to a fleece thermal layer that accepts the moisture & then evaporates it away under a waterproof but vented cycling jacket

Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-04-16 at 07:02 PM.
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Old 12-02-16, 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
use a base layer that transmit water to a fleece thermal layer that accepts the moisture & then evaporates it away under a waterproof but vented cycling jacket
I almost always include a fleece hoodie as one of my layers in winter cycling ... love the option of putting up the hood if I need it. I have found the type of fleece makes a big difference. I find that the old-fashioned, cotton/poly blend hoodies trap too much moisture and make for a cold ride in the end by getting damp from sweat - and it can be amazing how much you can sweat even in very cold weather with exertion.

My advice on fleece is to make sure it too has moisture-wicking technology.
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Old 12-02-16, 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by DaveQ24
My advice on fleece is to make sure it too has moisture-wicking technology.
interesting - I should check the 2 shirts I have. got a blue & a black. been using them for years. they work so well I should check the brand & whatever else the label has

re: hoods - I've been temped to pop a hood up this fall. been checking out a bunch of unpaved rail-trails where hi-vis isn't needed like on the road (except for hunting season) anyway been bringing & wearing an old hooded grey sweatshirt over my cycling stuff & been more than a cpl days I was tempted to pop the hood up over my helmet, but haven't tried that yet

speaking of hoods, this item has been on my wish list for a long time. it's made specifically for cycling. so maybe it doesn't interfere with peripheral vision, or at least would be ok on trails just not on roads in traffic. I assume it goes UNDER the helmet

Showers Pass Men's Rain Hood


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004673EQU...I2FQG2ZY7XB5V2
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Old 12-02-16, 03:42 PM
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I just know I have some fleece hoodies that are fine for the gym, where it's warm, but just don't work outside in cold because they hold moisture. As a rule, they tend to be the more basic ones that are the $15-$25 range -but it all depends, some of my cheap Russell ones are actually really good for wicking sweat.

Yeah, that looks cool. For $25 worth a shot. I have a couple of Showers Pass jackets that I've been really happy with.
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Old 12-02-16, 06:57 PM
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got ready for tomorrow. my fleece layer is a Columbia. approx 10 yrs old. no fabric listed. think it's 100% synthetic. I even remember wearing it without a base layer. tomorrow should be interesting overnite it'll dip into the 30s. by ride time hopefully in the 40s. wind chill may make it feel like 20s-30s all day. planning on sock liners & hiking socks from REI. probably start w toe warmers cuz I plan to be out for more than 2 hours. also got a cheap pullover orange hoodie sweatshirt tonite from Walmart so I don't get shot. they didn't have any orange zip-ups. tough to vent a pullover, gotta layer wisely. think I'll bring an extra layer just in case. I'd wear my cycling wind breaker but don't want to look urban in the woods

Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-04-16 at 07:05 PM.
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Old 12-02-16, 07:18 PM
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A lot of variables. One extra coffee can make you feel warmer for a long time. Something like Tylenol will reduce the cold feeling too.
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Old 12-03-16, 05:34 PM
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I think the rollers probably helped you out on your Saturday ride.

I find that the extra heat generated from going up outweighs the heat lost going down, so long as I have a jacket that adequately blocks the wind.

In addition to the humidity, other variables might include too much/too little caffeine, the temperature of whatever you're drinking on the ride, and even what you ate...
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Old 12-04-16, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by DaveQ24
I almost always include a fleece hoodie as one of my layers in winter cycling ... love the option of putting up the hood if I need it
hey I tried the hood under my helmet. worked pretty good. just pull the sides back a smidge & you still have all your peripheral vision. good source of warmth, but yeah gotta drop the hood once your temp rises. then I used as headband. wound up w a short sleeved base, long sleeved fleece shirt & the thin hoodie. worked for 3 hours out in 40 degrees

Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-04-16 at 07:08 PM.
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Old 12-05-16, 08:52 AM
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Great, glad you liked it!
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