JonRidesBikes

So fall and winter are right around the corner and I'm interested to know how everyone prepares for their colder rides/commutes.

This is the first time I'll be riding to school/work, 13 miles round trip. I live in North Florida so I know there will be at least a few weeks where it will stay in the 30s-40s.

mzeffex 

I ride all year. Except not so much in summer. I rather it be 10 degrees than 90.

Hocam

Cue coldest temp. ride pissing contest in 5... 4... 3..

Mostly I just want one of these to ride when the roads are snowed and iced over around here:

DataJunkie

Winter forum.

Anyhow, I wear more clothes. There are virtually limitless clothing combinations to achieve this.
Heavy tights. Light tights. Poly thermal underwear. Warmers. Various weights of gloves. Wool. Skull caps.

botto 

the horror.

silversx80

I live in central NC, "winter" is only about two weeks long and the roads are almost always clear. Of course, the snow on 20 Jan 2009 lasted about a week:



Other than that, I ride my bicycle and motorcycle all year are clear, dry roads.

therhodeo

This will be my first year but I'm excited about riding in the winter. Except the need to spend more money on winter riding clothes since I have nothing suitable right now.

therhodeo

No joke. A buddy of mine back in Kansas moved there from Florida in the middle of summer. He kept telling everyone that they actually have winter in FL and that Kansas can't be that bad. By January he was singing a different song.

coasting 

i just bought my first ever bib tights. i intend to not chicken out just because it gets a bit chilly.

therhodeo

What kind did you get?

ChltCat

That's the good thing about this area...it doesn't snow a lot snow we don't have to worry about riding in true winter conditions..just cold weather

coasting 

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=25517

i got a cheap addidas. got it in medium which seems no longer to be available.

MilitantPotato

I'll check in on this. My wife, my two kids, and myself ride year round. Neighbors think we're nuts, bike shop too. I think we saw two other cyclists last winter.

lil brown bat

I live in Massachusetts, so I suspect my September rides are about like your January rides. Oddly enough, I think the temps you're talking about can hold some hidden dangers -- at least I know I don't always take them as seriously as I should. For example, I'm somewhat susceptible to cold-induced earaches and probably ear infections too -- I'm good about wearing a hat when it's really cold, but I tend to be a little casual in the temp ranges you're talking about. It's not a good thing. I've got a sewing machine and I got a simple pattern for lycra or stretch-poly beanies, and now I just buy a couple yards of fabric every year and churn out a bunch of 'em, so when the temps start to dip I can just slip one of those on under the helmet. Likewise gloves: you really don't want to constantly expose your hands to cold temps, it's not good for them. I haven't found the One True Glove for this, but I'm looking.

grolby

Some people just don't get it. "We actually have winter in Florida." Yeah, okay buddy, you just keep telling yourself that. I've been living through Massachusetts winters for my entire life, and I certainly wouldn't want to experience a Kansan winter. BRRR!

MNBikeguy

I win..

Laggard

I rode to work last winter when it was -2 and my freehub froze up.

xiyangshen

This year will be my first ALL year commuting as we just sold the truck that I got to drive. Wife still has the minivan. Riding in Portland we don't get the serious midwest temps but a fair amount of drizzle and rain which I don't mind riding in at all. I still need to figure out the best way to deal with the 30s but there is a host of info around here from the midwest/easterners. I will probably use public trans for the 2 weeks that it actually snows here. Riding in snow is too scarey for me. Hats off to those that ride it.

EKW in DC

Until one of our friends from Edmonton, Calgary, or Winnipeg chimes in...

Of course I've been through -45C in Moscow, and after a certain point, it just doesn't matter that much. It's just f***ing cold and you're numb within a couple minutes anyway...

cdalefan

The key to riding in the winter is; don't stop in the fall.

If you ease your way into the colder temperatures and never stop riding the winter doenst seem that bad. On the other side of winter, you'll also be the first guy of the year in shorts.,

ItsJustMe

30-40 degrees? I guess I'd put on some light tights and a top compression layer and lose the half-finger gloves for some light full-finger gloves. In fact it's been 38*F on my ride in for the last few days, and that's what I've been wearing. I still sweat just a bit but it's pretty comfortable.

The coldest I've ridden is -25*F, on 2 days, and < -15*F for a handful of days in the last few years. The cold really doesn't bother me (I just layer up, switch to thinsulate lined hunting boots and gloves and a neoprene balaclava), what bothers me is when there's heavy, wet snow; studded tires are fine for ice but wallow around a lot if I get on streets with 8 inches of unplowed snow.

Mad Scientist

What I need for the weather varies significantly with the season. Going into fall and winter, when we hit 40ish, I'm feeling pretty cold and bundling up. Coming out of winter in the spring, 40ish seems downright balmy and I'm nearly back in shorts.

As it gets colder I layer in the following order.

- For normal warm weather, I wear shorts (mountain-style with cargo pockets) and a t-shirt (regular cotton, no jersey or tech fabric)
- Then I add a lightweight cycling jacket -- this is essentially windproof and waterproof (for some definition of each of those terms). I open or close the pit-zips as necessary.
- Next are light-weight full-finger gloves. My old windproof Novara gloves are falling apart, so I'm in the market for new ones. At this time I also add a skull-cap to keep the wind off my ears.
- After this, I switch from shorts to convertible pants (you know, with the lame zip-off legs) with a strap on the cuff to keep them out of the chain. Also around here I switch from lightweight cycling socks to heavier wool cycling socks.
- When it gets colder yet, I add neoprene shoe covers. Around this time, I switch from a short to a long-sleeve t-shirt -- still regular cotton. Also, I take off the skull cap and start wearing a balaclava instead. At this time I also switch from the full-finger gloves to Pearl Izumi lobster-claw looking gloves.

This suffices for most of the winter. If it starts getting silly cold, I start wearing less cycling-appropriate clothing.

- I add a scarf to keep my face from freezing. I start wearing additional thin liners in the lobster-claws.
- Next I add an old pair of jeans (under the convertible pants). I also add the skull-cap back so that I am wearing both it and the balaclava. And I start wearing two pairs of socks.
- Finally, I add a sweatshirt over the long sleeve t-shirt and under the windbreaker. I also add back the full finger gloves (now up to three layers on the fingers).

This sufficed for all of last winter, with the coldest commute around -10F. Ultimately for me, my core temperature is not something I worry about. My fingers, toes, and ears, on the other hand, require a fair amount of attention.

ItsJustMe

Oh man, I would KILL for a Pugsley some days. But really I only would need one probably 4 or 5 days a year. I could just drive on those days.... nah.

Praxis

Nope, lowest it gets here is down in the 30's for maybe a week total. So...you win.

CACycling

It typically doesn't get that cold here but we did have a couple of days last winter when it dropped below 40. I just switch from short sleeves to long sleeves and wear full-finger gloves. When it is really cold, I add a windbreaker and wear track pants instead of shorts.