tsl

It's been a fine winter for cycling here on the North Coast.

We've had a day or two of real winter here and there, but it was only the 18-24" last Tuesday that kept me off the streets.

Last month was my highest-mileage January in ten years. This month, well, I'm currently at 133% of my monthly goal, with six days left in the month.

What's really weird is that I have only 170 miles on the studded-tire commuter. The three-seasons commuter with road tires has 235 miles on it, and even the Litespeed has 155.

I shared this over in the Commuting forum. Maybe it's worth sharing here. I was asked to do an interview on winter cycling for a cycling etailer, Loose Screws. While the piece focuses on commuting, the main takeaway is how I deal with the challenges of winter cycling.

Bruce Wilbur on Winter Commuting

oddjob2

If the wind isn't blowing too strongly, below 32 with the sun or warmer with or without the sun, and no ice, I say why not?

I will be 60 in about four months. I probably road my bikes more in 2015 than in any other year in recent history. Last August I started power lifting while visiting in Florida and have been at it steady 3 days a week. The community fitness center is just about 2 miles away. Since winter has been mild, I have ridden my bike more often than driving to the fitness center. I'm pretty sure I have been on my bike at least 2 or more times a week for that commute, in addition to 1-2 leisure rides elsewhere. No distance records for sure, but at least it keeps the blood flowing.

Mostly been on MTB or hybrid, but this month have broken out the Cannondale R800.

DiabloScott

COOL!

I get to ride all winter except for occasional days of heavy rain - if visibility is good and I don't feel unsafe, I go.

BlazingPedals

I'm pretty much laid off from biking from December through March. And November/April are not exactly high-mileage months, either. This year has been an exception, I've done three rides this month and several in January, too. That's like my normal end-of-april total.

BluesDawg

Georgia winters are pretty mild and this year has been milder than normal. I ride less in the colder months, but I ride some every week. I do more mountain biking and gravel riding in the winter, both because there tends to be less wind and because the effort is more intense so I get a decent workout in less time out in the cold.

I don't really have the right clothing or gear for rides below 40F. I believe that if I lived where there was serious winter and snow, I'd be out having a ball on a fatbike, wearing what it took took keep me warm.

StephenH

We lived up in Fort Collins, CO, for several years. I spent a lot of time hiking in a county park near there. The back trails were mostly used by mountain cyclists. It seemed to me that once the first snow hit, they all put their bikes up for the winter, and you didn't seem them out again until spring, no matter how pretty a day it was in between.

BUT, since moving down here, I do read of road cyclists up in that area that ride year round. It's just not very many of them, so you may not be aware of them if you don't see them online.
Here in north Texas, it may get cold in the winter, but it's not prolonged periods of sub-freezing, and if snow and ice are rarely an issue, so you can ride year round pretty handily if you care to.

Kindaslow

Yes

Zinger

Nope.

I used to do some dumbbell work in the winter but no riding. No trainer riding either.

kevindsingleton 

Riding a bicycle in -5F temps is the definition of "hard core cyclist"!

qcpmsame 

A mild winter here in the SE, so far, as far as temperatures, but the severe weather has been much worse. Second bout of tornadoes hit our area last night, lots of damage to the east of where we live. The cold stuff doesn't hit us nearly as hard as some others get, but I ride in temps down to the high 30s, wind chills take it down further. I read the various posts here, over the years, from folks like Bruce(tsl) and some of the others that ride year round up where its truly winter. I adapted my cold weather gear, from the things that they use/wear, to suit our slightly warmer winter climate. Layers, layers, layers, its like real estate and location, a good base layer, wicking materials and some merino wool when necessary, and I am good to go. A balaclava or skull cap, some mitten/full fingered gloves and shoe covers can all be added and subtracted, as needed.

With the temperatures that many of our northern members endure, and still ride, I can certainly adapt the things that work there to my climate, and keep up my riding year round.

Bill

OldsCOOL

Pensacola got whacked. I visited the revival there back in '97. Enjoyed that trip very much.

rck

This is pretty much how it is for me. I figure the layoff gives my legs a chance to recharge.

rydabent

You can add me to the fair/warm weather riders. I pretty much dont ride if it is below 60 degrees. I like to ride in shorts, and hate anything on my legs when I ride. At 60 I will ride wearing sweat shirt. In normal cycling weather, my riding uniform is wicking t-shirts and rugby shorts. Actually that is my summer attire.

Since I ride bents, I dont have to buy a high priced kit to protect me from my seat.

Jumpski

No.....

I nordic ski (skate ski), and truly enjoy the winter months.

rydabent

Riding all bundled up like the Michelin man simply is not fun.

PedalingWalrus

Good luck with that this winter. :-)

OldsCOOL

It is when you want to be pedalling outside and be a beast hill climber right out of the gate first thing.

Jumpski

Yes, this winter season has been challenging at best. The last couple of years have been a winter paradise, so this winter was definitely a disappointment- oh well. I'm certainly looking forward to the cycling season .

PedalingWalrus

for sure. I found snow every weekend but it was a hard battle and involved quite a bit of driving. This weekend is Fat Biking in the Flagstaff region. :-) (I'm also from Maine)

CrankyOne

Once it snows my road bike gets hung up for the winter. Even plowed the roads are just too dangerous.

I still ride though. My Workcycles City Bike is my first choice for transportation. For places I can get to completely on protected separated bikeways I'll often ride. That said I'm good for about 1 mile in any weather, 2 miles when it's about 15f, maybe 3 or 4 miles when around 25f, and unlimited above freezing.

Old coach

I don't ride in the winter. It's not just the cold, but it's also the late sunrises and early sunsets. I leave for work at 7am (just getting light) and get home at 5:30-6pm (dark). It's much easier and safer to go to a gym in the winter in northern Illinois.

jbrow1

I stopped riding in the winter. It wasn't fun, I didn't want to invest in the boots/gloves that would make it more manageable, and again it wasn't fun. I can run in the same weather much more comfortably with much less clothes. I also feel I get more of workout in less time running. I also swim laps a lot in the winter too. Gotta keep it somewhat fun or it's not worth doing IMO. I have buddies that have all the stuff and nice fatbikes that will go ride ORV trails for 3-5 hours in below freezing temps all winter long. Kudos to them, but it's not on my bucket list

qcpmsame 

There is plenty of reasonably priced winter kit that doesn't make anyone look like his description. But, that wouldn't be fun to mention would it.

OldsCOOL

Certainly not!!

If you really, really want to ride outside there are so many ways to make it work.

Moe Zhoost

I have to get to work so I ride in any weather unless 1) ice is unavoidable or 2) winds over 25 mph. I have figured out how to dress for the temperature so that is not a real issue; however I will wimp out and opt for the short route when it's low teens or below.

For recreational rides, I would say that high thirties and sunny is my lower limit. There is an advantage of the lower temps because there are fewer riders/runners/pedestrians on the routes I prefer.