How to keep the good times going?
 

Until now I have always been a fair-weather rider. This year I want to keep going as much as possible. Here in NE Ohio we will have an occasional nice day till early Nov and once in while a balmy day in winter. So what do you-all do to keep warm/dry and/or comfortable when the weather is not? I will have skiing to help with winter doldrums and I can go to gym to ride exercisers as well-but this biking thing feels so damn good!

Dressing for cycling and dressing for skiing are two completely different things. You'll need to forget everything you know about dressing for winter in order to dress for cycling in winter. Fortunately, there isn't a lot you have to do to cycle down to the mid-20s or so. Below that it can get challenging.

It helps if you think, not of keeping warm, but of managing heat and sweat. The idea is to remain cool enough that sweat does not become an issue. In that regard, cycling at 10°F is no different than cycling at 110°F.

You will build up heat as you ride. The trick is learning how to dissipate just enough. Dissipate too much, and you become cold. Duh. But dissipating not enough can be worse--much worse. Sweating through your layers is the first step towards hypothermia. Unless you're wearing wool (which I can't afford), your clothes rapidly lose all insulating properties when wet. The goal is to not let this happen.

The general principle becomes to underdress slightly, then use the heat generated by pedaling to keep warm. The standard advice is that when you step outside, you should feel a chill. If not, you're already dressed too warm.

Then, you should feel cool for the first two or three miles. If you warm up before that, you're dressed too warm.

Somewhere around three or four miles, I notice all traces of cold vanish. That's just about right for me. A few miles further on and I'll start unzipping and loosening to let a little bit of air through.

CAUTION: Since I'm underdressed, I always, always, always carry extra clothes in my trunk bag in case I flat or have some other emergency.

Notice the snow in the background of my avatar. It was 25°F and damp that day, and from all outward appearances, I'm wearing standard roadie kit. That's what I mean when I say there isn't a lot you have to do for temps down to the mid-20s.

Starting at the top, I wear a winter cycling skullcap. Some people prefer a balaclava (bank robber mask) to keep the wind off their neck. I use my neck to dissipate heat.

On top I wore a baselayer, armwarmers and a regular cycling jersey. My commuting alternative at the same temp is a long-sleeved wicking t-shirt under a mid-weight cycling jacket with the pit-zips open. I wear an Endura Gridlock cycling-specific jacket.

On the bottom, regular cycling shorts under wind-front mid-weight unpadded tights. I ride every day. It's cheaper to wear padded shorts since I don't have to buy seven pairs of padded tights, and it's easier since I only need to wash tights once a week. That's why I use unpadded tights over regular shorts. Plus it's another layer to keep the boys warm.

Somewhere in the 20s, I switch to windproof insulated tights. An alternative is to add kneewarmers under mid-weight tights. When adding layers, I've found it's important to buy tights and kneewarmers that have an articulated knee. This helps maintain freedom of motion in the knees, and eliminates binding across the front, and bunching in the back.

I've found wind-front tights to be essential. Plain tights only seem to filter the breeze as it passes through them. IMHO, bib-tights are a must for comfort. Two sets of elastic waistbands makes it uncomfortable for me. I don't mind regular shorts, but I can only wear bib tights.

I also use wind-front gloves. Cannondale makes nice ones--their Slice glove. Around the mid-20s is where I change to double-gloving. I wear regular summer-weight long-finger gloves inside a larger pair of wind-front gloves.

On the feet, there are two things to consider about your regular summer cycling shoes. First, they're designed to keep your feet cool. You have to work against their design to keep your feet warm.

Second, you probably have a nice, snug fit. This eliminates the possibility of wearing extra or thicker socks. It's the extra air space that keeps your feet warm. Compress that out, and you get cold feet. Plus, extra socks inside tight shoes compresses the blood vessels that supply heat to your feet. Double whammy.

I advise a second pair of cycling shoes for winter. I went full boat and own a set of Lake MXZ-302s. They're clipless winter boots purpose-designed for cycling well below freezing. They keep my tootsies toasty well into the single digits, before adding extra socks. They're actually too warm to wear above freezing.

You may be able to get by with a cheaper (read: less well ventilated) three-season shoe, a size or two larger to accommodate warmer socks, then booties to keep the wind and wet out. Think too about replacing the insoles with insulated ones so the cleats don't suck heat out from the bottom. Try Toasty Feet insulated insoles.

That's it in broad strokes. Everyone is different, so there are as many variations in winter cycling gear as there winter riders and the temperatures we ride in. Count on getting it wrong a few times before you figure out what works for you.

Oh, and some form of fenders are really nice. Even on the driest of winter days, there's always some snowmelt trickling across the street somewhere.

I'm lucky that two of my bikes were designed to take full fenders. Of the remaining two, one gets Crud Roadracer fenders (the Mk 2 version) and the other gets a quick-release rear fender. These ones by Bontrager have a quick release that mounts in place of the spacer washer between the brake caliper and the frame. Then the fender clips right on.

Thanks, tsl. I've been searching the Winter Cycling forum for tips as my first winter commuting approaches. Your single post contains the most helpful info, concisely summarized, of any that I've read. Plus, hailing from Rochester, you have instant cold-weather credibility.

Nothing else to say after TSL's exposition. /thread

Think extremities. Head-Hands-Feet.

I wear a base layer next to the skin that will wick away sweat better than any Cycling jersey- then put on a short sleeve jesey- a long sleeve if it is cold enough and if colder still then a lighweight fleece would replace the Long sleeve. Finally the top lcoat. Must be windproof and if wet- waterproof. But it also has to breath. Have a variety of top coats that will suit any condition from the Pertex that is completely wind proof but nothing else- right up to the goretex jacket that is waterproof. My favourite though is an old Jacket that the inner waterproof liner is falling apart but that one is also warm.

Legs and it will be the Knickers. Long bibs that cover the knees (And it is pronounced Ka-Nickers) Keep the knees warm and that is most of my problems solved down to 20F. Below that or if it is wet- Then I will wear Tights but they are not waterproof- they just keep the cold water from directly stinging the legs.

But the extremities. Head and I wear a ski mask. Gloves and feet and I wear Sealskinz waterproof socks and gloves in winter grade. Keep the hands and feet dry and out of the wind and they will stay warm. And extra protection for the feet are the Shoe covers that roadies use a lot. They do keep the wind out and most of the wet.

Don't mind winter riding but with all those clothes on-I feel like the Michelin man at times. It does take a bit of cycling energy away from me so I expect my winter average speed to drop a bit. But I would rather get on the bike and ride than sit in the garage on a trainer or down the Gym.

Edit-Just so you can realise that some of us do get out for "Fun" rides in the winter Attachment shows me earlier this year up on the hills. No shoe covers as they don't work well in mud or Snpw- but the tights and the "Old" warm jacket are there. And it was cold when I stopped. Riding and warm enough.

And we don't get snow very often in the S.E of England but this year we had a good covering for a month or so. Just hope the next lot comes in another 5 years time.

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Good advice posted already. I live South of Cleveland and ride most of the year. Adjustments are necessary but it's still riding. We have a group of guys who will do night time rides over the winter then meet afterwords at a local brewpub for dinner and re-hydration. My birthday is in Feb. and I've done birthday rides the past 5 year on my B-day. Depending on your fitness and riding interest there are clubs who ride throughout the year.

Good luck on keeping it going the whole year round. If all else fails there is always the trainer and rollers.

"Dressing for cycling and dressing for skiing are two completely different things. You'll need to forget everything you know about dressing for winter in order to dress for cycling in winter."

Huh? I've worn exactly the same clothes for XC skiing as I do for cycling (with the exception of padded shorts and helmet). For downhill skiing, the only real difference is that a shell with full-body, breathable, wind blocking material works better for riding the chairlift. And guys generally don't wear skinny tights downhill skiing - but girls do.

I've skied in widely varying conditions. Everything from -32F at Stowe, VT to spring skiing with 50 mph winds at Taos, NM. I skied a lot before I really started riding a lot, and the knowledge I gained from clothing selections for skiing has really helped with clothing selections for cycling. I've ridden my road bike in temps as low at 17F, and lower temps on my mtn. bike. I'd probably wear my ski helmet on my mtn. bike if it had a visor.

Sorry, should have specified. I was thinking downhill where the clothing is designed to keep you warm while sitting around doing nothing for a half-hour on the chairlift.

Keep in mind too what I said in the conclusion:I'm a roadie, and I like to ride hard. Since I make more heat, I need to wear less. If you're more a smell the roses... er... snowflakes? kinda guy, you'll be making less heat and will need to wear more.

Somewhat. The Winter Forum guys from Manitoba (Manitscolda) and Alberta are the ones with real cred.

Tsl pretty much covers it all. The only thing I can add is: Having tried every combo of shoe, sock, and over bootie that I could find, and still having to head home early because of frozen toes, I now just use the chemical toe warmers. Some people don't like them because they make their feet sweat, but that has never been an issue with me.

Bookmarked for future reference. Nice write-up, tsl.

I don't ride in as much cold weather as tsl does, but I do ride in a lot of rain in the winter. A couple of things that I would add about riding in the rain:

- Fenders, fenders, fenders. Makes a big difference. Even if you're just going out on wet roads, and it isn't actually raining, they make a big difference. If your bike won't take full regular fenders, get race blades.

- Dressing for rain can be even trickier than dressing for cold, because there is warm rain, cold rain, and *really* cold rain (just over freezing). It's easy to over-heat if you're bundling up to stay dry, so don't over do the warmth. I guess the only general thing I can say is that learning to dress in layers is critical -- in 50 degree rain I just throw a rain jacket over regular riding clothes, as the temperature goes down I add layers under my rain jacket.

My best bits of cold-weather gear are:

- Showers Pass Elite 2.0 jacket.
- Glove liners....wearing glove liners under thin full-finger gloves seems to work better for me than having one super-thick pair of gloves on. Warmer, and easier to ride my bike.
- I second what TSL said about having dedicated winter riding boots -- makes a big difference to me.

Finally, make sure you stay lit up when riding in the winter. Between the drizzle, gray skies, early sundowns, just make it a practice to keep a blinkie going on the back of the bike in the winter, at all times.

I switch to speed skating or rollers in the basement

wow, I hope there won't be a test later..a lot to remember. Some ski/running clothing will cross over as same problems occur..staying warm and not sweating too much. I am a freeze-baby most of the time so I tend to over-dress and peal off layers or unzip. And the blinkie sounds like a necessity as sometimes it seems like bedtime by 4:00 pm. It sure is dark enough. And fenders...on my list. I think I have room and hardware. Just have to figure it out as I go. It's getting chilly already for the morning rides. I know Rochester is a real winter place-my daughter went to RIT.

Question, wise winterizers. My running jackets have hoods. Do hoods play any role in winter cycling, like keeping rain from going down your back, or are they just a nuisance? I wear glasses, too, and have basically been blinded the few times I rode in the rain.

oh yea, the pesky glasses..I wear those too! When I run I usually wear a baseball hat under the ear warmers...keeps glasses clear..dunno about riding tho. Anyone?

When it's raining, I wear a baseball cap under my helmet. The bill of the cap does a pretty good job keeping the rain off my glasses.

As for hoods....my Showers Pass jacket has a very nice removable hood. I use it only when:
- It's raining *really* hard
- It's very cold (say, under 30 degrees, which is cold for me).

The hood traps a lot of heat -- so it will really warm you up on a cold day. That makes it too warm a lot of the time. The Showers Pass Hood is particularly nice because it attaches with velcro; it's very easy to take off during a ride (you have to stop and remove your helmet, first).

This is great information. I've got a set of wind-front tights. They do the job, but as you mentioned, they bind the knees in the front. What brands of articulated-knee tights and leg warmers have you tried that work well?

In addition to what's been said, I am a BIG fan of studded tires. Nokian Mount and Grounds, to be exact. They work great on ice and shallow snow. 30-40 miles on dry pavement is no problem, either.

And individual tolerance to cold varies widely. A friend of mine uses electric shoe heaters (developed for ski boots) at temps I just wear toe covers.

I find knickers to be great, as are knee warmers. But I think leg warmers are silly (I bought a pair on sale before I came to this realization tho).

Regular cycling shoes with vent holes in the soles can be warmed up a lot by taping over the holes, or putting in some aftermarket insoles with no holes.

You lose lots of heat thru your head, so if you keep your head warm, your core (and fingers and toes) will stay warmer. I have several cycling caps, a beanie, and three different balaclavas in different weights. I don't use a helmet cover because I like to keep my head dry as well as warm.

When you ride in the winter, the sun is much lower during the day. That's one reason I like cycling hats - the visor can be turned up most times, and turned down when needed to block the sun.

If your ears are cold, turtle fur headbands work the best (for me). They keep your ears warm without blocking out much noise. I have a really expensive Goretex headband that I never wear because it blocks out the sound of approaching traffic and other important aural signals (like "I gotta stop to pee.").

I probably have 8 pair of long finger gloves, every thing from Pearl Izumi lobsters to light glove liners that I wear under regular fingerless gloves. I'm still looking for the perfect winter glove.

Toe covers rock. I put them on in the Fall, and leave them on all Winter. When it gets cold enough, I add shoe covers.

Shoe covers with velcro on the back work way better than the more expensive kind with zippers. The zippers always fail.

Shoe covers keep your shoes clean. It's easy to wash shoe covers. Shoes, not so much.

"Gore" brand tights don't fit most men. Maybe they fit women. Maybe.

If you're old and slow, wool clothing works great. If you're old and fast, wool clothing is just wet and heavy. Carry a cat or a small dog with you if you want the same effect.

As others have noted, bright clothing and blinkies really help in low light conditions. Never wear black/dark clothing - at any time of the year.

Sorry you live in NE Ohio. I lived the first 40 years of my life there. Winters really do suck. I ride all winter in NJ, and rarely miss a weekend most years.

And the coldest thing about NE Ohio this time of year is the Browns. My wife and I are still big fans. A horrible loss today. No warmth there... :(

I got nothing. I didn't get back into cycling much till I moved to where bad weather would only last a day or two. Even with the Summer heat I can get in 40 to 60 miles a day almost twelve months a year. When I have visited family in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming in the winter I don't even take my bike. Like I said if someone is talking snow, hail, ice or even wind driven rain, I got not nothing. :D

Come on down, the weather is fine.

I enjoy both warm rain and the subsequent evaporative cooling. In the depths of winter I throw on a light jacket and sometimes wimp out with an old pair of tights. If it rains in the winter I'm too busy celebrating with neighbors for riding to be an issue and snow is found at the end of a three or four thousand foot climb.

My admiration for cold weather riders does not translate into any desire to leave southern Arizona and join them. Following the kind of good advice provided above allowed me to survive cold weather rides but with zero enjoyment.

I don't have comprehensive knowledge, of course. I can only report on what I've tried, and that's limited by what's available in the LBSs where I shop.

I've liked tights by Sugoi and Endura. My favorite insulated tights are Endura's Thermolite Biblongs. There' durable as hell. I got two years of daily riding out of my first pair. If you ride only occasionally, they should last for years. I also came across some Trek kneewarmers I really like. They actually come in sizes instead of one-size-fits-nobody. Shopping this season, I find Endura makes kneewarmers in sizes too.

It's interesting to see the different ways by which they accomplish the articulated knee. I haven't seen much difference between those that sew a larger panel in the front over those who sew a smaller panel in the rear. Either way there's a little bulge in the front for the kneecap to fit. It's nice when wearing one layer and makes a world of difference when wearing two.

I still remember my second winter, when I was using cycling-specific stuff for the first time and didn't yet know the things I shared above. I had regular tights--not wind-front, so I had to wear a baselayer beneath them, plus kneewarmers when it got cold. I could barely pedal. My third winter was when I learned about wind-front stuff, insulated tights and articulated knees. Boy, what a difference that's made since.

ok, folks from certain states-(no snow) you know who you are- should not post here :). I lived in Tucson for a few years and biking and commuting was awesome. Fun rides on weekends and commuting to school during the week. I even commuted day before first kid was born. Oh well, Ohio has is own rewards..the OSU Buckeyes live here! as for the Browns-well, we love the Browns anyway...