Critical difference between 15 and 25 degrees F?
Good evening!
So I just registered in order to seek (hopefully) quick opinions or warings about riding the way I do these last months, best if any can relate what they've experienced.
Is there a critical (reasonably life-threatening, if that's possible to judge) difference between 15 and 25 degrees, as I am thinking of doing tomorrow morning at the colder what I did this morning when warmer?
- I rode in bike shorts (always with underwear in winter, sure still crazy but I've done it down to 24 without feeling cold overall.
- My upper body counts to me infinitely more, so at 25 wore thermal compression layer with thermal under shirt (both long-sleeved) and two non-thermal compression shirts on the inside, finally on outside a tight jersey for the pockets. As with uncovered legs, this part did not feel cold also.
- I wore just a headband to cover my ears under a helmet. This worked.
- The only tricky part was my hands. I have not yet got the hardshell or under-40 temp. gloves, so I wore my 40-60 range gloves over a fleece set that I bought just yesterday. Curiously to me, my fingertip starter to feel really cold about midway through my 30-minute ride to work, but then warmed up in about the last 5 minutes where they did not feel cold upon arriving. When I ask about a critical difference between the temperatures of 15 and 25, I am wondering how badly my fingers might hurt, even if they could go numb.
The ride is 8 1/2 miles and this morning I averaged my usual speed of 17-18 miles per hour. I reckon that a fast(er) speed will help with body warmth or cold-feeling, as well as a relatively short distance. (I commute the same on every dry day, but haven't ridden yet when the temperature fell below 24.) I have also noticed that when I do this morning ride to work after drinking hot coffee, 25 seems to feel about the same as 35 after work, when I haven't had coffee or other hot intake for several hours.
Thoughts, anecdotes, warnings? I already know it probably looks foolish riding in bike shorts under 40 degrees, let alone 20. Could something bad happen with my breathing, perhaps?
Last edited by amichael79; 12-31-14 at 12:29 AM.