Saw a tough roadie in -14C temps going fast and downhills
 

Yup. Mad respects to that rider. I was already sapped of my heat while outside with the -14C with the windchill. Tonight is going to be -23C.

I saw the guy riding full speed while I was going the other direction because the mechanic forgot to put the oil stick back into the car. :eek::mad::( After I left the car dealership thought I'd go to www.bikedepot.com the store down the road but found out they're closed today because of some emergency or something. They had a sign posted on thier store window that any bike sub-$1000 CDN, helmet, lights, bell, and horn if I recall correctly you don't pay tax is what the sign said. That is a good step to help encourage more riders. I didn't have my camera on me else I'd take a photo. Of all the times. -.-; When I always have the camera with me sometimes I don't always need it but I still use it anyways but the times I don't carry it that's the time when something comes up. -.-;

Anyways, I left the www.bikedepot.com store and headed back the same way I came and saw the roadie after many blocks. He was riding full speed from what I could tell and about to take a (I guess) 45 degree hill. The hill is steep I know that. I was behind some cars as in front were slowing down and tryng to pass the rider. I saw the rider attack the downhill flying down full speed. As I was driving down the hill. The roadie was wearing what looks like thin clothes but I'm sure insulated (it's gotta be) with no flapping of fabric. Man that guys pretty hardcore in those temps with his induced double windchill.

What can I say...

I was in a hurry.

:D

Not as cold around here, but one day last winter it dipped down into the high 20's. Decided it was too cold for me to ride, and on the way to work I saw something I very rarely see around here. Another cyclist. Felt like a complete wuss the entire rest of the day.

That was the last day that happened.

I have really been impressed with the increased number of cyclists on the roads this winter and oour roads are not pretty my any measure.

I am down at the bike co-op and we actually had a fairly busy day with a number of people coming in to tune up their rides.

Yikes! It started at -12C (10F) on my century today. I sure as heck wasn't that fast.

It was -16 / 3 F on my ride home tonight and I was the only cyclist I saw on the roads.

With the windchill it was -24C / -11 F.

It was -20C on the ride home tonight... not all that unusual in the winter.

It was reported on BBC news that Winnipeg experienced -38C/-36.4F. Sugest only ride with the wind.

Tonight will be my coldest commute as well. 12F with -3F wind chill. Can't wait. Last night was colder but no reason to go out.

Yeah, I feel your pain. I was cycling yesterday morning around 7AM with a low of 41 deg F. I had to stop in the middle of my ride and buy cheap gloves at a walgreens.

Luckily it quickly warmed up to the mid-60s so I wasn't in too much trouble. Kept riding, took off my jacket and rolled up my full-sleeve jersey sleeves.

:D

I pussed out one day last week due to cold and illness. Mid-day on a run to the post office, it was 6 degF with an ungodly windchill (something like taking it down to -10 or so), I saw a hardcore roadie in full kit. On caveat, however: It appeared as though he had on a motorcycle helmet or even a snowboard helmet and goggles. Hardcore.

You can do that?? Wow. I thought there were rules of nature or something that prevented that.

Dang, the coldest I've commuted in was with a 3 degree windchill, and I can assure you I wasn't attacking anything! :D

Looks like old man winter is finally here and he ain't leaving any time soon.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/com...n_temp_obs.jpg

That's about normal for Toronto at this time of year. I missed my ride to the train station due to an unexpected front flat and was in a hurry so got the wife to give me a quick lift, but tomorrow with new innertube I'm off to the train station with -15C temps. I'm layered right, mostly thin insulated winter bike clothes and with body heat generated on the ride it's way more fun than the car. When I get to work i'll be awake and happy. Love nice dry cold over chilly wet stuff..

Always a few who will go out no matter what kind of conditions. On Sundays I have to ride my bike and was 10° or so with a negative wind chill. I thought riding faster would make me warmer, but the extra breeze created only made my hands and face freeze a lot faster so I had to slow it down again. Its nice not being the only one out there.

-15C this morning with a -25C windchill. I hit about 35km/h this morning, so the windchill for me was even higher. Brrrrr, was it ever cold!

Oh, regarding the no tax thing, that is a new law that went into effect this year in Ontario. There is no PST on bikes prices below $1000, and on safety accessories.

I was surprised to see other cyclists on the paths today. Commute was 8F plus some wind chill, and I saw two other fools besides me out there.

For what it's worth, when it gets that cold you probably have so many layers on that wind chill doesn't affect anything. I could only feel wind on the small section around my eyes exposed by the balaclava. And thanks to the ice, my bike wasn't often generating much wind chill of its own, though I went as fast as I could on the few ice-free areas I found.

I also discovered today that oven mitts very work well as a second glove.

Where was that, Zero_Enigma? I was out on Friday (did 75k infact) and Saturday morning/night... Saturday nights ride was pretty darn cold and I had forgotten extra socks to my peril: -23C with no windproofing and one pair of socks makes for an uncomfortable final 10 mins.

A few nights back my commute was -12 F with a fairly good wind chill and I was toasty warm. I had to pull the scarf off my face because I was getting too warm. As long as the roads aren't icy I do my usual 15 mph pace.

Ain't nothing like internal combustion to keep you toasty :D

I made a trip out yesterday... 8F(-13 Celsius, not counting the windchill!) and snowing/icy... only to get to the place and find out it was closed! (I forgot it was a federal holiday!)

Ah, well... add another 20 or so miles to my yearly mileage.

Yeah... I was sweating! Haven't ridden at below zero yet this year, but did 25 miles last year at -5F! (two trips at 12.5 miles each on two different days when it was -5)

Jeff,

Can you get me a link on the specific items that are no PST on? My searching skills are not the best and yes there is a hint of laziness here but in all honesty it's more I seem to search and not always get the info I seek online. My LBS here said they heard of the new law but said they may not be participating. If I have some legal document from a goverment website I can walk in and drop them a copy then pick up some stuff cheaper.

The Yonge St. & Cummer Ave stretch. If you've been around here before you know of the steep hills around here. Excellent for training on the climbs IF you've got fresh legs and the energy. Gagh...just eyeballing it I'd say the hill there is ~45 degrees.

Yeah I don't go that far north usually, definitely not me ;) The only 'hill' I usually get to in my normal daily travels would be the slope up King going east past Sudbury, and the slope up to Bloor from King level (I've been taking Spadina recently) - nothing major, but I still feel them.