Well include me in that wimp 'r us club. I rode a few times this year in the 40's but I got seek each time. Perhaps my previous pneumonia illness caused me to start coughing endlessly as I always get colds.....

I have cycled in temps down to -40C/F ... commutes to work, etc.

I have cycled a century (100 miles) where it started at -32C and warmed up to -25C.

And I've done more rides than I can count in temps below freezing. If you're going to ride year round in Canada, you're going to ride in temps below freezing.

However, since I moved to Australia, those below-freezing rides have kind of dwindled off a bit. :)

That's a wacko woman up there! :lol: Even though she's now Down Under... :)

With good kit, I've ridden down to 25 deg. Fahrenheit with no serious issues. But where I live, it warms to a more comfortable 45 in a few hours and I can dress much less restrictively. It really depends on which ride I'm trying to catch.

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Question doesn't compute. Its going to be 87 today. Just right... thank you SoCal!

I do not have a low temp cutoff. It has never been so cold that I say "F*** that, I'm not riding!"

...because invariably, long before it gets to some temperature where I probably would say "F*** that, I'm not riding!" there are other conditions that exceed my personal comfort threshold. I won't ride in freezing rain, I won't ride when there's snow/ice on the road, I won't ride when the wind is >25mph...and those conditions always seem to kick in long before the temps get down to single digits.

But when it does get down into single digits without any precipitation or wind or ice, that hardest part is making sure whatever I'm wearing breathes/vents...otherwise I wind up overheating.

I live in Southern California where it usually doesn't get as low as freezing, but I have taken my morning ride when it was 34 degrees. That is plenty cold enough for me.

It's all about the gear and conditions. It doesn't get that cold where I am. NorCal Sac, overnight low 30's. Still I have different Merino wool weight base layers, and can be plenty comfy warmth wise on a ride.
Now conditions are another story, it doesn't snow here, but we get a decent amount of rain. So people ride in different conditions, but here I look at temp, wind , and rain and then decide to go out. I would think that if it was colder somewhere, but clear and not that windy, as long as you have proper base layers, head to toe for warmth, you would probably be ok to go out.(you don't want to overheat either) Makes sense of course to have a flat tire repair kit, some basic tools and a charged cell phone, in case you need some assistance.

52 and commuting but fortunately it never goes much below freezing. My tips are
1) Layers especially gloves. I have some great very large Shimano over gloves that will go over fleece, 5mm of neoprene, and another pair of fleece gloves. Here they are, many times mended. I am not sure what I will do when they wear out.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/279/32...2f8484fe52.jpg
Big Glove by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/598/32...0830d12eaa.jpg
Mended Glove by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
2) Poagies or handlebar covers when even the above 4 layers are unbearable. I have only had do this once. I used some wetsuit arms (cut from a wetsuit) but there are many threads on poagies here.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7539/1...1beedfd4fc.jpg
Bar Sleeves by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
3) Shoe toe covers. I find that with some thick socks and something to block the vents, I do not need full shoe covers just toe covers
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/568/32...535d4197c9.jpg
Cycling Shoe Toe Covers by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr

4) Triangular scarves. Ordinary scarves and neck warms have as much bulk at the front as they do at the back which prevents me from putting my head back to see forward. So I have purchased and my wife has made scarves which are triangular, thus bigger and wind-breaking at the front and just attach with Velcro at the back. If can stop the wind getting into my jersey than that is half the battle.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihonbunka/23725889319
Ear mufflers are as much for reducing wind noise (I wear them even in summer) since my ears get bigger all the time
5) Cheap Chinese wind-proof jerseys

@ 70, I start riding at 48-49, hoping it will be above 50 when I'm done. Anything lower than 48, requires too much dressing. On the other end of the spectrum, I don't care how hot it gets. KB

Funny, older zombie thread resurrected on the same question. Same answer, you just keep riding, but dress accordingly and expect to be slower. I'm a commuter with a nominal 60 minute time one-way, see my time vs temp chart below plus the clothing chart.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...psw169j05e.png
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...ng_vs_Temp.jpg

brilliant! surprised to see sandals at such a low temp tho

Well, it's sandals plus extremely loose booties (hard to find, I'm using showers pass rain booties), and the sandals are critical in that you can adjust the fit to remain loose for the second pair of socks whereas with regular shoes it's too tight unless you just buy big ones (that's what I did with the boots, once I switch to those they are 3 sizes larger than my normal size, in order to make space for the socks to not compress). Sock compression is a big factor in cold feet as you don't get the full insulating effect of the air space. If it's a really windy day with temps in the low 20's, I may also put in the chemical pack with the sandals and booties.

ah gotcha. I got lucky last winter and got a pair of roomy walking shoes w a large toe box. they hit their stride this winter when I needed a shoe w room for sock liner, chem warmer, & oversock. was the ticket & then added rubber covers where needed. one ride I went full-on commando boot & that was surprising. happy trailz! :thumb:

36 degrees one California December. Rode to Malibu and 50 on the coast felt like a summer day. Had another 36 degree day in Solvang too.

Depends on wind speed. Generally 45 F is a starting point for me.

It's never been too cold to keep me off the bike in central IA. I commute all winter and a bit oddly I'm better about riding every day in the winter than I am in the summer probably because it becomes my principal form of exercise. The trick for me is hands and feet. Mine get cold and it took me a while to figure out how to keep my extremities warm. I just platform pedals and insulated boots and I have a pair of huge mountaineering overmittens for my hands (windproof and waterproof). Layering for chest and arms is not that hard IMHO; head and neck covering is not that hard. Glasses are tough; I may invest in a pair of ski goggles.

Last Fall I biked until snow forced me to relegate my bike for my car (not safe here to ride in the snow). Coldest temperature I rode in was 19F (-7C).

-26° is the coldest temp I've recorded on a ride, might have gotten colder.

I actually prefer 15-28F over 29-40F; a nice dry snow is infinitely better than a wet snow or really cold rain.

15° is about where I start needing to cover my mouth and nose in order to breathe, so that's not so fun, but doable.

Went out with two friends a couple months ago when it was 17 degrees F, and we stopped for a break and get a drink. They both had frozen water in their bottles and were having trouble. They looked at me as I was chugging water. "Hey, why isn't your water frozen?" my response... "It's cold outside boys, I stuffed mine in my shirt." :)


The three of us took several below freezing rides this winter, and had to turn back twice in one day. First my 63 year old buddy forgot his warm gloves, and at 20 degrees and strong winds, he started losing feeling in his hands, so we turned around. When we got home and he left, my other buddy and I took back off with 30 mph winds, and snow... Then as my friend's bike started handling funny, we found he had 4 broken spokes on his rear wheel. We took that as a premonition that we should turn back.

60 deg.

13 F at night is my record. Now that I've retired and moved south, I'm hoping those conditions will remain strictly a memory.

Low 50s F but I have been caught out there on the trail in the mid 40s...too friggin cold!

How cold will you drive?
Go outside?