Cool/cold weather riding
 

Does anyone else find that cooler temperatures tend to discourage you from riding?

I have arthritis in my hands and shoulders and it only takes a very few minutes (below 65 degrees) before I have to get off the bike and get inside. This is even wearing a couple of warm layers.

I'm going to keep on riding whenever the temperature is above 65 and it's not pouring rain, but I suspect my major rides will be after the first of the year and probably closer to March.

SFC-Cool weather, meaning less than 50(f) certainly chills me out when it comes to riding. Of course, the cold signals the end of the riding season when I'm feeling leg weary and riding more for the miles than the joy of riding, so that certainly factors in as well. I have ridden year round with a low of -7(f) ride although that was just to say I did it.:) Riding the trainer bores me to tears no matter what I do to try and mitagate that boredom and I won't do it. So winter activities include r-ball. walking, some light weightlifitng and running the snowblower. Gosh I can hardly wait!:(

The primary cycling season here in the Midwest is May-Sept. Although my joints also prefer the warmth of summer... my heart, lungs, and waistline needs year-around exercise. I've tried other winter work-out activities.... but they haven't produced the same passion for doing them as does cycling.

So... this year I got a mountain bike. The big, fat, knobby tires seem to add enough resistance to give me a workout... at a slower speed. Going slower in the cold has some advantages when dealing with cold wind. So... I found that I can bundle up pretty well... ride harder (yet slower) and for only 20-25 minutes at a time. I am acclimating better to the cold while I get enough exercise to keep in shape. And... its FUN.

A cold front passed through today, the temps went from 70° this morning to 55° when I rode, with 12 mph North winds. I added fleece tights, winter socks, switched to a LS jersey and full length finger gloves with a PI PRO Light wind breaker on top. Nice 15 mile ride to end a frustrating day of unsuccessfully bidding a construction job. This is the good riding weather we love.

Bill

My coldest was 7 degrees F. I was out for about 1 1/2 hours. When I came back my eyebrows were iced over and hanging in my eyes. My wife almost fell out of her chair laughing. That was quite a while ago though. I think I am still good to upper 20s maybe lower 30s. I don't do so well when it's 90!

Bill

For me, the lower temp isn't so much of a hindrance (fine to ride when temp is below zero), real challenge is lack of light. Not retired - yet, so I commute to work as often as possible; however not as much light for before or after work rides

If we quit riding at 50F, we'd miss have the season here in Minnesota. I'll ride down into the 20's but I tend to stop when the ground freezes since I ride at night. When the urge strikes me I put the studded tires on and ride whenever. Generally, when it's in colder than freezing, I'm skiing anyhow.

There are more here much tougher than I. One night I was driving home from a work in a blizzard and stuck in city traffic. Some intrepid cyclist kept catching and passing me at the lights despite 8" of snow on the ground.

J.

Sorry Bill, had to chuckle when I read your post. I realize that those are cool temperatures for your neck of the woods. For some of us in the GWN it sounds like pretty good cycling weather. Personally I'm a fair weather rider - waiting for the next trip to AZ for some riding in the sunshine.

I prefer warmer weather. 90s or low hundreds are ok by me. I commute 30+ mi roundtrip. I have arthritis of the spine too. Now tomorrow my commute Wil be 31F in the morning and 45F in the dark coming home. Dressing appropriately makes a world of difference.

I thought about the relativity of our weather here and what others have to ride in up in northern latitudes, too. I expected some hazing about that aspect, it may come yet, I'll duck and cover. It is fantastic weather for riding to me, I used to love the fall and winter when I was able to run a lot, felt so good to get out in the cool air. Ran one Christmas Eve from our house to my in-laws place, it was 25°F when I left and as I wished people a Merry Christmas as I ran by they looked at me as if I was nuts, NVTS, nuts.

Bill

It's just envy pure and simple on the part of some of us, Bill!
I find I'm becoming less tolerant of the cold as the years pass, but generally I'm ok down to about -10c, provided there's no snow/ice on the ground/roads; once that sets in I'm done until spring melt.
Still, round here that typically gives me a cycling season from sometime late Feb > mid-March through to November (often extends well into December).
Some go year-round here; not me. Now, if I ever manage to work my way back to Victoria (B.C.), different story!

This year I haven't been as intrepid about riding in the chill. I have done it in 38ºF(wind chill, 35º) once this year so far, but that will increase in frequency soon. Last year I did a ride at 0430 when the temp was down to 27ºF I believe. The year prior to that I did a ride when it was 23ºF(windchill, 14º)--that was a frosty ride. This year I'm going to have to determine soon whether cycling shoes, shoe covers, wool socks and toe warmers are going to cut it. If not, I'll be looking at winter specific cycling shoes.



LOL, good ol' Mel Brooks.

Our club always rides on New years day, (been as cold as -30 wind chill) But other than that, I don't ride in cold weather. If its below 50 I don't enjoy it.

Temperature doesn't impact me much, it's just a function of what to wear. Lightning, Hail, Typhoon, Winds over 25 mph - those bother me and may keep me off the bike. Indianapolis temp range is nominally 0-100F plus humidity effect at the top end and wind chill at the bottom end.

Refrigerated lab tests have shown the optimum cycling temperature to be 55°. Luckily for me, it's 55° a lot in the PNW. People do notice and say, "Wow, perfect riding today!" No dehydration problems. ;) I don't ride below freezing, because here below freezing almost always means ice. I'll ride down to about 36° and raining or spitting snow. I've ridden when it's colder and raining, but that's not so much fun. Two things make it possible: appropriate clothing and appropriate effort. IOW you gotta ride hard to stay warm. I'm usually sweating a little, no matter the temperature or rain, that's how warm I dress. However because of this preference I never wear waterproof on my torso, head, or legs.

Agreed ! I have to get a bit psyched up to ride when it gets chilly. It's -10F and I'm going to wait till this afternoon when hopefully it will warm up to 0F. Luckily my wife is at a meeting this AM so I have to wait for her anyway.

cool in Alabama is a fair day in MN..

Here, low in summer is high in winter , just the incoming winter squalls blow a lot of rain ashore ,

But those Low pressure ,storm waves Pass,

OP, have you tried any type of embrocation? Ben-gay type stuff?

Everybody talks about the weather; nobody does anything about it.

My wife and I try to go car free around town. That means we ride almost every day regardless of the weather for shopping, gym, pool, post office, etc. However, we are a little more selective on our longer rides and try to subscribe to the guideline: if it is cold we can ride, if it is wet we can ride, if it is cold and wet we usually don't.

We chose to to push our own guidelines earlier this spring. I got a new touring bike I wanted to try before we took it on a multi-month trip. We were just going to go out for a long weekend. The first day it was a beautiful 74F, but the last day heading home it dropped down into the low 40's with heavy rain and high winds. We only had less than 60 miles to get home so we decided to go for it. I've been colder, and I have been wetter; but I can't remember being colder and wetter at the same time as I was that day. I wasn't sure I was going to keep the bike; so I had not install fenders on it, which just exacerbated the situation. The point is to check Accuweather to find the best time to ride, the warmest and driest part of the day. Even on some pretty wet days we can find a 2 hour window and squeeze in a ride.

On a tour in British Columbia this year we encountered temperatures ranging from 28F to 108F. We were well equipped, but we still had a couple of uncomfortable days, especially when camping.

Everyone is different, but having clothing to match the temperature really helps.

I don't do many road ride per se in the cold weather but I still do lots of riding. For example, I ride to the gym, which is only a mile, but during the holiday season from mid November till Christmas, I deliver Salvation Army bell ringers to their stores. The Salvation Army place is around 6 miles from my house and I bike commute most days. Very bad weather of course drives me to my car but since much of the commute is on a MUP and sidewalks/bikewalks, I am able to ride more often than not.

My point is that if we have a reason to ride, or a destination, it's easier to do than our usual road rides.

:lol:

I'm another winter slacker. I'll have my arm warmers and long johns on about March or so trying to tone up this holiday season midriff donut.

Gosh, 65 degrees??! I'm in shorts and a T-Shirt at that temp!

It was about 38F last night cruising around town for a couple of hours. Just a winter coat and a sock cap on, jeans and flannel shirt on under the jacket. Around here we ride well down into the single digits.

Bill, my son moved to Boca Raton this spring. Recently he started sending me text messages about how it "was cold this morning - in the upper 60's". He only seems to send them when he knows the temperatures outside of Philadelphia are below freezing. I'm thinking he got his "mean streak" from his mother's side of the family.

To the OP: Have you thought about heated handlebar grips? They wouldn't do anything for the shoulders unless the warmth helped you relax your shoulders. I saw some cool ones at the Philly Bike Expo last Sunday, but don't remember the name.