Here in SoCal the winter isn't really that cold but still it can get very chilly after 5pm. I always ride in shorts regardless. People ask me if I'm cold or think that I forgot pants. I change to shorts when I ride. I usually ride light too, so as not to restrict movement and besides, as mentioned earlier, it's not super cold to warrant layers of thick clothing. Though I've ridden home from work in which I was cold and wished I had more layers, and I wonder how some of you folks who actually live in real cold winters can do it. Living in SoCal for so long has made me a wuss to the cold.

On a somewhat related note, one time I went to Target on my bike and it looked like it was going to rain. In fact, I was expecting rain. After I had shopped I went outside to my bike and it it was drizzling. Nothing bad. I heard a woman whisper something to her bf/husband as I walked pass them that sounded like she felt bad for me to have to ride in the rain. I chuckled to myself. This ain't nothing. In fact, I like riding in the rain sometimes and I chose to ride that day knowing it might rain.

"Hey Buddy!.... yeah.. You on the Bike! So......When do you get your pants back?" :p

yes, its hard to explain this - like its hard to explain to a new cyclist that they will get stronger pretty quick and that hill wont be so bad in a couple of months.

I really found this to be true in the Summer. I have always hated hot weather, but last summer decided I was going to bike anyway and I found that the more I stayed out in it, the less the heat bothered me. I used to wonder how people survived back in the day before air conditioning, now I know. I still not giving up the AC though ;)

regarding heat and cold on the bike, i think cold is easier for me to handle than heat. but that said, i also think biking regularly creates a healthy circulation to the degree that it can actually keep one warmer in the winter by distributing heat around the body, while also helping dissipate excess heat in the summer by carrying heat away from the muscles to the skin.

went for a brisk morning ten mile loop,strange birds hang around the puget sound in the winter then hopped in the shower for a reverse sauna experience.

NOAA is predicting the possibility of snow in Sacramento tomorrow and Saturday. Happens about once every 30 years. Looking forward to it just for the reactions of my coworkers.

Love riding in the cold weather more than anything! Coldest days this year were -20°C -ish, never felt too cold.
It's nice getting to my destination not soaked in sweat, like in the summer!

Last Friday my carpool driver was sick so I bundled up with wool cap, neck gaiter (and mouth cover), Harley gloves, etc. and rode the morning commute in 21F weather. I have NEVER ridden in such cold weather! Going home I was treated to a balmy 30F.

Here in bicycle crazy Seattle I didn't see ANY other two-wheelers. So maybe I was the crazy one?! :)

Were you cold? I don't think it's crazy, unless you're underdressed.

I've done enough cold weather riding this winter that I get really hot inside, no matter what I'm wearing. Yesterday, I nearly broke out in a sweat at my chorus rehearsal. I was so hot, but no one else was. It's like I'm going through womenopause or something. ;)

I think I would have had a heatstroke wearing all those clothes with the temps that warm. The only time I get near that much clothes is when it's well below zero.

It was 44F this morning, which is pretty cold for around here, but not to me. When I got to work a coworker asked me if my pecker fell off.

It was about 44ºF today and raining moderately. I visited my accountant by bike, a little over a mile away. He was impressed, but I'm so used to it now. I wore wool dress trousers, and the tops of the thighs got very wet, but they dried while I wore them and never got uncomfortable.

37F this morning. That's about as cold as it ever gets here, but it was sunny and calm, so I was very comfy with a beanie, gloves, and sweater. Coworkers act like I was on the Shackleton expedition.

Our winter errands and recreational rides range from needing tights, fleece, windproof pants and jacket, skullcap, hat and balaclava, with two pair of gloves (-10 degrees F) to needing only tights or long pants and a long sleeve stretch T, skullcap, and light gloves (+30 degrees F). Of course, that's me, and the other 3 members of my family have varying needs. Sometimes they DO look like they are out for an Antarctic expedition and I'm like "What?!?"... People around here notice that we ride regardless of weather, but it doesn't seem to be a big deal, and we get frequent compliments and encouragement. Yay, Missoula!

The few moments of incredulity are best met by matter-of-factness, I find. People really do want to respect you , after all. they just need some help when you are doing something they consider a little nuts.

When I lived in Moline , Illinois ( 9 months of winter snow) I commuted 5 miles to work one way. The law in Illinois is that you must ride on the sidewalk, but since most people don't shovel their part of the sidewalk (as required by city ordinance) I was forced to ride on the street. In blizzards and blowing snow I rode to work every day. I got a lot of the "are you crazy" comments, but always laughed them off. The buses didn't run until 6 am and since I had to be at work by 5 am I had little choice but to bike it since I have epilepsy and cannot legally drive.
Often when arriving at work I and my bike would be covered in ice and frozen slush. I never had cold toes as I used a DIY trick to keep em toasty. I would put on my wool socks and then wrap plastic wrap or a wal-mart sized bag around my feet and then put my waterproof shoes on. The plastic effectively locked in my own body heat and prevented any cold from getting in, even if my feet became soaked.
I also wore a pvc rain suit from walmart that completely sealed out the cold air and moisture. I was on a budget and was always warm. A fleece facemask and ski goggles that fit over my glasses (vented anti fog) worked wonders and regular ski gloves for my hands, or a pair of surgical gloves under a pair of lightweight gloves. I may have been a little sweaty when I arrived at work, but I figure it's better than being frozen. To keep from sliding all over the road before the snow plows came through, I took my tubes out of my tires and screwed 1/8 inch self tapping sheet metal screws through the tires (creating a set of studded tires) and using tube protectors between the screws and the rubber tube.
I miss riding in the snow as I now live on the east coast less than a mile from the ocean.

Great story, MMacintosh. Welcome to bikeforums! Stick around a bit.

A lotta folks asked me that today and then told me I was crazy. This morning was -29C/-20F. At least it was sunny with no wind. Even got a bit sweaty - wicking base layers are terrific!

I have not a lot of tolerance for weather that gets too cold, but when my camelbak straw starts to freeze on the morning ride, that is a big indicator to me that maybe I should drive. It might be different if I have a shorter commute, but I need water for the distance I travel. Do water bottles freeze up as easily? I haven't really tried one because I avoid temps that cold usually.

I have a year round 14 mile commute in the Boston area, and I don't find a real need for a drink over that distance in the winter. I do carry a water bottle in the cage, specifically a bottle of Polar brand carbonated water, my usual drink. Once on a winter thread, a subscriber suggested that a criterion for a "cold" ride is one that the water bottle freezes solid. For my ride that happens at about 15 degrees F or less. I think that is a good standard because it is a function of both temperature and distance (time).

On my ride in this morning a motorist pulled over ahead of me, turned on his hazard lights, and waved me down. He asked me, in half-Spanish/half-English, if I wanted a ride. I politely declined. It was only 50F this morning!

I ride 11 miles one way, and don't bother with water unless the temps are > 90*F.

I overdress all the time. Today, I rode to a client about 9 miles away. He was really surprised to hear I rode my bike there. People around here just don't do that. It was a bit embarrassing when I took my jacket off, and my shirt was drenched. His eyes bugged out a bit. Maybe I should carry a sport jacket to wear to clients' offices. (I'm a computer consultant.) Take it out of the bag and put it over my sweaty shirt.

Anyway, I had a couple of nice rides. Here is my route back home: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://sha...10302-1701.kml