64-year -old bicycle commuter in near sub zero weather. I good idea?
#26
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I'm in the low 50's. I've been out in weather down to the low 20's or mid teens, and it was just fine.
Snowboard helmets help keep the noggin warm.
I have ridden on ice and snow in the past, but it wasn't fun, at least when there was traffic around. I found a snow covered road with zero traffic, zero ruts, a couple of years ago, and it was a blast... even crashing. However, I think most of my riding will be on wet or dry pavement now. If you're lucky, that really cold weather will come with dry pavement.
Snowboard helmets help keep the noggin warm.
I have ridden on ice and snow in the past, but it wasn't fun, at least when there was traffic around. I found a snow covered road with zero traffic, zero ruts, a couple of years ago, and it was a blast... even crashing. However, I think most of my riding will be on wet or dry pavement now. If you're lucky, that really cold weather will come with dry pavement.
#27
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64 here also, rode today. Temp topped out at -12 F with the wind chill hovering in the upper -20s to mid-30 range. Layers are important, cover your face and wear a mask - make sure you have eye protection. Careful to make sure your toes, knees and fingertips are well covered. Hydrate well, start with hot water in your water bottle.
#28
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I'm 76 and now I ride when the temps are in the twenties, and in the past I've ridden in temps down to 15°f. I don't like to ride too much in the winter because drivers don't know how to drive on ice and snow.
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I use split finger (lobster claw) mittens and insert hand warmer packets to keep my hands warm.
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63 and fitness riding down to single digits F. Learned the hard way that studded tires are a good idea in Iowa winters. When the coefficient of friction suddenly approaches 0, gravitational acceleration's omnipresence is instantly asserted. Though good studded tires are painfully expensive, buying them is less painful than banged-up body parts, and less expensive than medical deductibles.
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I no longer ride when it's near freezing. #1, I hate being cold now that I'm older, and no matter how well you dress, some part of you is going to get cold. #2, when I was younger, I was riding with temps near freezing, but not quite there. Snowbanks along the road were melting a bit in the sunlight. Came around a downhill corner where the road was now in the shade, and the melting snowbank water had re-frozen across the road. As Big Wally stated, "When the coefficient of friction suddenly approaches 0, gravitational acceleration's omnipresence is instantly asserted."
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I'll be 64 in a few days and retired at age 63 in February last year. I bike commuted year-round for the last 10 years of my working career. Coldest commutes for me were in the mid-teens and that usually happened 1-2 times a winter, but I commuted numerous times every year when temperatures were in the 20s and 30s. I can't really speak to riding in temps below 10 F because it rarely ever gets that cold around here, and when it does I'll put off riding until later in the day or another day.
My commute was about an hour each way, 32 miles total. Riding for an hour in temps ranging from 15-30 F was no big deal for me since I have good cold-weather gear. The biggest problems for me were water bottles freezing and encounters with black ice following precipitation events (or water leaks). Fortunately I never had to fix a flat in very cold temperatures but that would always be a potential issue. I didn't have any problems staying warm enough for riding that long. I didn't ride if there was snow, sleet, freezing rain or ice on roads. I don't have any wheels with studded tires and it's not worth investing in them with the little bit of snow and ice we get in most winters.
My commute was about an hour each way, 32 miles total. Riding for an hour in temps ranging from 15-30 F was no big deal for me since I have good cold-weather gear. The biggest problems for me were water bottles freezing and encounters with black ice following precipitation events (or water leaks). Fortunately I never had to fix a flat in very cold temperatures but that would always be a potential issue. I didn't have any problems staying warm enough for riding that long. I didn't ride if there was snow, sleet, freezing rain or ice on roads. I don't have any wheels with studded tires and it's not worth investing in them with the little bit of snow and ice we get in most winters.
#34
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I'm much more afraid of riding when the temps go up and down around 32 (that's 0 in Centigrade, wherever that is). Even the nicest shoulder, bike lane, or bike path can have a sheet of ice you don't see until your helmet is banging against it. Studs only do so much -- they aren't magic. It's 26 miles each way to work for me so I have to disclose that I AM a fair weather commuter but I do like to ride all year round. If I could get there primarily on bike paths or lanes I'd have no problem commuting under 10 miles in virtually any conditions. If I had to ride in the dark with traffic and any kind of weather that would distract drivers... I'd have to think long and hard about that.
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I'm feeling very lucky at 57 years old, rain most of the time, not too much snow and tempetures around 46 f degrees. Very lucky.
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I'm in the low 50's. I've been out in weather down to the low 20's or mid teens, and it was just fine.
Snowboard helmets help keep the noggin warm.
I have ridden on ice and snow in the past, but it wasn't fun, at least when there was traffic around. I found a snow covered road with zero traffic, zero ruts, a couple of years ago, and it was a blast... even crashing. However, I think most of my riding will be on wet or dry pavement now. If you're lucky, that really cold weather will come with dry pavement.
Snowboard helmets help keep the noggin warm.
I have ridden on ice and snow in the past, but it wasn't fun, at least when there was traffic around. I found a snow covered road with zero traffic, zero ruts, a couple of years ago, and it was a blast... even crashing. However, I think most of my riding will be on wet or dry pavement now. If you're lucky, that really cold weather will come with dry pavement.
Ben