Temps on the East coast seem to have returned to more seasonal. I figure the answer will (would) be different for different biking demographics; what does the over 50 crowd feel is the lower tempature limit to riding on the road?? I'm currently looking at about 40F for my limit, but if I'm comfortable with my winter kit and how I can adjust while riding, I may look at lowering the threshold.

On dry roads on sunny, calm days, I haven't found a lower limit. I was out at -20F actual temperature once last winter and have ridden at below zero F many times. Once the roads have iced up, I do switch to a winter bike that is a flatbar hybrid with winter tires, fenders, and Bar Mitts. Bad roads, heavy snow, and wind will stop me before the temperature will.

In my 30s I'd ride down to 0F in snow. In my 40s I'd ride down to 23F in the dry. Now in my 50s, I've pushed back down to 12F and am shooting for 10F. ANd I've just purchased my first set of studded snow tires, so we'll see how that goes.

If the cold were just that... lower temps, but its the wind (part nature, part riding) that I find kills cold weather riding. Yesterday we fought a NW wind of probably 10 to 15mph; serious morale killer . Will take some time, and seasoning to become tough enough to ride down to the temps some here are doing. My hat is off to you!!

We Minnesotans are a hardy bunch. I ride until I have to worry about ice on the road then I switch over to a fatbike. I'm planning to ride this year no matter the conditions. I'll probably think twice if it's below 0F. Pogies, studded tires and Foxwear winter riding pants.

J.

Below 30°F is my limit (though I will still go out, if my ride-deprivation-syndrome get's bad enough). Till that point, I just add more layers on top of previous layers. The main points I want to keep warm at all costs are my neck, my hands, and my nose & ears.

My upper extremities will freeze while my core and legs get too warm, so I prefer lots of zippers for chest heat regulation while riding..

For my neck, I've got an old acrylic scarf that I found in a closet. It also covers my nose when it's cold enough, which gives me the added warmth of my own breath to my face. I find that my neck is my most important heat-loss area, and if I can keep it warm, the rest of my body can endure. (edit note: An interesting point is, when you come in from the cold, wrapping a toasty-warm towel around your neck will warm you right up in almost no time flat.)

My hands tend to be cold naturally, so in cold weather riding, it's easy for them to become nonfunctionally cold in temperatures below 50°F, just from my ride-induced wind-chill effect. So thinsulated gloves are a must for me, for times when other riders will still be comfortably bare-handed. I need a new set, since my current gloves smell like rotting rat corpses brewing in a bad batch of beer for a month... The smell sticks to my hands after I take the gloves off, and not even major washing can remove the horrid stench from my hands!

For the rest, I just add more layers, such as thermal undies, for colder weather. For freezing and below, if the roads aren't dry, I'm too afraid of hitting icy patches to be comfy riding.

I'll pretty much always ride when it is 40F or above and not raining or very windy. I'll occasionally ride when it is down to about 30F. Below that I will very rarely ride if it is a special event and I'll usually keep it short. I could easily push those limits downward by buying more appropriate winter riding gear, but for the few opportunities I would have to use it where I live, it has never made sense to spend the $ or take up the storage space in the house.

I'll do club rides over 40F every chance I get, and the occasional club ride down to zero. When I lived close enough to work for bicycle commuting, I rode in all weather. Occasionally -10F plus wind chill. Miles at those temps are very limited, though.

Most folks around here in west central Florida stay in if the temps are 50F or lower.
When I lived in Atlanta I didn't ride if it was below 30F. I did ride to work once when the temp was 18F. Once!!

Cool weather riding

In response to this concurrent similar Fifty-Plus thread, ” winter cycling plans”, I posted,

I guess the differences between the threads is that this one emphasizes limits, and the other one possibilities.

It's not so much temperature as much as road conditions that determine whether I'll ride. As long as the roads are clear, I'm willing to ride, although since I have a problem with Reynaud's Syndrome I have to be careful how long I stay out in really cold conditions. But I have ridden in 0°F conditions for an hour or so with glove and shoe warmers.

I do long road rides down (depending on ground conditions) to about 20 f. The coldest ride I can remember was 15 F.
Below that I hope for snow and ice for my studded tire snow bike. Hopefully I can ride off road with the studs.

I am not giving up riding time because it gets cold, and I am further north than Ron is, so please don't have me knocked off, we do have some cold here, believe it or not. I invested in the kit to let me be comfortable in to the 30s, the winds do pull it lower, but once I start, I find it hard to punt and lose a ride. Good tights, layering, an Underarmor balaclava and compression tops, as well as some good winter socks do the trick.

Best thing I snagged last year are my Cannondale 3 season gloves/mittens, if I can keep my feet and fingers warm, I can make it. I spent too many years on job sites, regardless the weather, we didn't stop for cold, so, I am enjoying riding year round, thankfully.

Bill

45 to 50 is about it for me. I can ride lower, but I don't enjoy it. For some reason the cold just sinks right into me when cycling, unless I bundle up to the point where it gets ridiculous. Would be one thing to do a 10 to 15 mile ride, but if you're shooting for 30 to 40 miles, it kinda sucks. Besides, when you're that cold you're not training, you're surviving. Funny, I can snowshoe at -20 or below and be comfortable. I guess its the wind-chill that gets me.

The coldest it's gotten here in the ten years since I resumed cycling was -4F.

I rode to work that day.

Rode home that night too.

I'm good with an air temp of about -5F, windchill of about -15 to -20F. Below that I may reconsider and head for the gym instead.

I'll ride in temps down to freezing. With the right clothes I might go out in colder weather, but not anything like some of the northerners on the forum. I've always lived in warm places and am kind of a cold weather wuss. On the plus side, it doesn't usually stay below freezing for more than a few days at a time.

I've ridden in temps close to 0 but can't say that I really enjoyed doing so. I think this year that 40 will be my cut off point. I've been pretty crunchy most of the year anyway, so I believe it's time to to take a break. I'll switch over to some light weightlifting (nothing heavier than a doughnut and a cup of coffee) and do a bit more walking and weight for spring.

I made it down th 6F (or maybe it was 7) last winter. That was cold -- my previous best was 14F. That was about as cold as it got here for about five years.

I think El Nino is supposed to bring us a warmer, wetter winter. So maybe I won't have to match 6F. Or maybe "they" will be wrong, and I'll get to see if my new waterproof/windproof tights work any better.

However, all bets are off if it's snowy or icy on the roads. Like most people, I'm an above average driver. But I'd rather have 3,500 pounds on my side when the idiots start playing bumper cars with real cars.

Out here you can count on unseen ice patches if it's frozen overnight on the hilltops and it's not above 40 yet. If it hasn't frozen, I'll ride down to about 34° on the hilltops. If it's raining, I won't ride below 40° anymore. Injuries will really spoil your season, not to mention your life.

Temps are only part of my equation. Sunny and dry in our dry climate here be a lot different than windy and overcast in a humid type place. Also, for me, the bike matters 'cause of speed differences.