covering your face in cold weather
 

I want to cover my face so that my nose and sinuses are protected. I need t have my mouth uncovered however. Any suggestions?

Cover your nose but not your mouth? Hm. Bandana tied around your nose?

I like my fleece-lined neck gaiter.

I use this for cold weather riding, when taking a drink it can be pulled down easily returned....

http://www.rei.com/product/725711

I used a ski mask rather like Milkman's, but had to enlarge the mouth holes for easier breathing. I also used ski gogg;es with clear or yellow lens. I didnt drink much when the water bottle was frozen.

I wear a half mask that covers just my nose/mouth/face and neck area. Kinda like the one milkman ( http://www.rei.com/product/725711 ) wears. i suppose you could just cut a hole in the mouth area? I mean its already got breathing holes....supppose one big hole won't ruin it. But if you want the mouth to be open only for drinking, you could easily just flip the mask up and put it back down.

Mouth open I'm thinking pullover ski mask. Good tool for stopping by the bank when you're short on cash too :)

Something like this might work for you?? I just have no idea who he is or where he got the mask. I saw him yesterday on a ride.

I really can't think of anything that would cover you nose and not your mouth rumrun6. I recently bought a fleece lined bandana that I like wearing better than my neoprene face mask I bought from a ski shop. I can leave it down around my neck or I can pull it up to cover my nose or my mouth without my glasses fogging up. It does make me feel like a bandit from the old west movies though.

Rumrunn6, do you need your mouth uncovered all the time? If so, I think it would help to explain why. If it's a breathing issue, there are very good balaclavas and masks with breathable material, even holes for doing so like the above examples show. If it's to take a drink or eat, once again balaclavas and similar articles are usually stretchy enough to conveniently pull down to expose the mouth.

I've seen face masks with both eye and mouth openings, but those are seen on criminals in movies and video games, and I'm guessing that it was a do-it-yourself job with scissors. :P

I use a balaclava; open face to just cover my forehead and chin, face left open, down to moderate temperatures (about 10*F min). Below 10 or so I switch to a face mask, down to about -10*F. Below -10*F, I switch to a neoprene face mask. I don't like to use the neoprene if I don't have to; it retains sweat and makes it a bit hard to breathe (and scares people) but I finally gave in and bought one last year after I got frost nip on my cheeks on one -20*F commute to work.

BTW, neoprene face masks are easily found on eBay or at motorcycle shops. The problem is that since most are made for motorcycles, they have these wimpy little sets of holes to breathe through; you'll suffocate if you have to do any actual work wearing one. I just took a pair of scissors to mine.

Here's the scary man after a ride last winter. The center of the mouth hole is not cut out because there's a seam there and I was afraid it'd unravel if I cut it. I may just try gluing it and trying to cut it anyway, even like that it's not quite enough room to breathe.

Oh, the blue thing is an additional layer, just basically a stretch poly tube. I wear it by itself from about 40 down to 25 or so. I think it was about -20*F that day.

http://www.hauntedfrog.com/gallery2/d/7829-1/mask.jpg

No offense, but that's a really goofy looking solution! :P Good for you, though. :thumb:

CornyBum - the open mouth is for breathing. today I used a cheap pullover ski mask - the old fashioned bank robber kind with holed for eyes and mouth only. I had to expand the eye and mouth holes however and cut the seams so they would open a bit more. it worked fine but it would be nice to have one with wider eye and mouth openings.

maybe one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=110465265888

Oh, no offense. It's not like there's anyone else on the road to see me. There aren't even any pedestrians to worry about at those temps. People bolt from their cars and run straight to whatever door they're headed for, hands in their pockets, heads down.

I would contend that there is no non-goofy-looking solution to cycling at -20*F and colder. If you have one, I'd like to see it.

I lived for 10 years in Michigan's UP - and one thing you learn there quickly is to worry more about losing extremities to frostbite than what you look like bundled up. I have spent time outside at -40* and I can tell you that at those temps, there's no fooling yourself about dressing properly, and not looking goofy counts for NOTHING.

It's nice to have the nose open too, because otherwise breath from your nose gets under the mask and instantly fogs your glasses. And you have to wear some glasses at extreme cold temps; even with glasses I've occasionally had to hold my eyelids closed alternately because I was afraid I was going to freeze my corneas or something. It's a weird feeling to blink your eyes and have them feel like they're about to freeze.

That's when I got the prescription capable goggles.

I generally cycle down to about 14 degrees or so. A fleece neck gaiter has been the best solution for me. Mine is North Face brand, bought at a thrift shop some time ago.

It opens wider at the neck, and has an elastic drawstring thingy around the top, which easily fits over or under the nose.

There is plenty of room for my pointy irish chin and my big mouth. The roominess moderates the condensation factor, and the plain fleece breathes well enough so that it does not reduce my O2 intake.

At 32 degrees, it goes around my neck, a little colder, it sits up on my chin, and moves up as it gets colder, without needing adjustment to the elastic.

Is it really enjoyable to ride your bike at these extreme cold temperatures? That would definitely take all of the fun out of it for me.

Do you enjoy all the effort it takes? Is a bike your only transportation option on such cold days?

If it were as cold as some of you are describing - below freezing, even below 0! - I'd definitely take the bus/train, but then I suppose not everyone has access to those options.

It's all relative and depends on what you're used to. Below freezing is not a big deal from a temp standpoint. In fact, when it's below freezing I don't have to worry about getting rained on ;)

Below 0 for me requires another level of winter dress beyond what I do for anything from 0 to 20. The biggest issue I contend with and haven't come up with a complete answer for yet is fogging and icing goggles. Dealing with the cold is just a matter of dressing right. As I tell my coworkers, I'm probably sweating by the time their cars get warm enough for them to stop shivering.

Is it fun? Well, I don't know but driving or taking public transport means a difference set of inconveniences. Waiting at a train station when it's 20 below isn't so great either. Walking 1/2 mile from the parking lot to the office sucks and so does scraping windshields.

I cover my nose with one of those, ear warmer, things that skiers use.
It's about 2 inches wide and with the elistic it stays in place.
It keep the nose warm,and my glasses/ski googles don't fog up
Have been using it the last two years.

I love winter riding, once dressed properly for it. I've ridden down to -40C, I don't even want to image how cold some temps were when factoring in wind chill combined with my speed. We're supposed to get a possible 10cm of snow very soon ans I'm excited to see how my new tires work in the crap. Yeeehaw . I can be at work changing in the time it takes to wait for the streetcar sometimes, standing in the cold waiting sucks far more than riding ever will for me. As well public transit, for me, is a giant petri dish of potential infection with all the windows closed, people coughing and hacking all crammed in like sardines at rush hour.... and I'm supposed to pay for this "service"?

I like the ninja look of a black balaclava.

Yes, it's still fun. Moreso, in fact.

There are no buses or trains here. Bike or car. I could drive the car, no problems, I just prefer to ride. Extreme cold + snow = extra fun.

I do wish I could afford a Surly Pugsley though. That's be VERY NICE on these days.

great fun! ever go cross country skiing? it's kinda like that but a little more exciting, especially at night, in rain with traffic! Ya Hoo!

OK, I wrote a post before and it disappeared or was corrupt so I deleted it.

Anyway, I said: if it's not too cold for skiing it's not too cold for biking :D

Yes, it's fun. Not everyone can do this or understand but I live near public transportation and I only opt for the subway if it's very cold AND pouring hard at the same time. There is something perversely enjoyable about having your water bottle frozen solid half way through your commute and people at work thinking you're crazy LOL :D And, ever since I started riding in cold weather I no longer get sick in Winters. I don't ride to save money, because I actually spend more on my gear, I'm not really trying to save the environment (even though that's a part of it), I'm not completely anti-car (I own one, for weekend gateways) but it's just fun and immensely satisfying, plus it's my main if not the only workout.

Adam

I have one of these. I am so unaccustomed to the cold , my nose runs constantly.. With or without this bit of gear.. This bit of gear made snot rockets difficult..

Its just me.. No wonder in LA they pick up cyclists as potential bank robbers.

eye wear is an issue for sure. with my regular balaclava I can use my glasses, but not with the ski mask. so I have to decide what is more important to protect - my sinuses or my eyes. I tried on some ski goggles at home before I left but didn't comit to them, and left them home

A few oddities in this post. First, how can it be very cold AND pouring rain? "Very cold", IMO, doesn't start until you get into the single digits F. I've never seen it rain when it was very cold.

I actually have ridden a bike down to -25*F, and when I was cross country skiing, it really wasn't worth going out if it was less than about -10*F. Even then, you had to kick waxes that were kind of hard to get sometimes.

I've used one these for the past several winters:
http://www.maxit-inc.com/

They work really well and I get about a year and a half out of one until they stretch out.

http://www.hauntedfrog.com/gallery2/d/7829-1/mask.jpg[/QUOTE]

I think I saw that photo in the post office the other day......