GravelMN

When the grease in the bottom bracket becomes solid.

tsl

^^ This ^^

The coldest it's gotten here in the past several years--and the coldest I've ridden in--is -7F, about -20C.

Of course for me, cycling is transportation, not recreation, so I have less choice in the matter. OTOH I live and work on a bus line, so I suppose I have more choice than I give myself credit for.

Rick@OCRR

Looking back on my commutes this last winter, the lowest temp I show is 37 Deg.F. For non-commute rides I've seen 32 Deg.F a couple of times, so I guess that's currently my limit.

But . . . I live on SoCal now. Back when I lived in St. Louis I remember riding to work at -6 Deg.F so that will serve as my absolute limit, though I was a bit younger then too.

Rick / OCRR

qcpmsame 

Ridden down to 32°F here, not very often that it happens. I managed a ride the next day, after the Polar vortex ice storm, last winter, too. Roads were closed, and that was enforced, the day of the storm, due to icing. The wind chills have made for some near 0 rides last year, no problems with this, for me

Another +1 for having the correct kit for the weather. It is money well spent, and it doesn't have to be expensive, if you shop carefully. Of course the Rapha and Assos catalogs are always there for the well heeled cyclist out there. A nice wind jacket that can be folded up and slipped in a jersey pocket can really make a difference, we have winds here after the fronts that drop the WC a lot, I'm glad I don't love where many of you reside, though.

Bill

Dan Burkhart 

I'll ride in temps down to -18c (0f),but the last two winters, I rode very little. The winter of 2012/2013, my dad took ill early in the winter, and most of my free time was spent at his bedside until he passed in January. I wasn't able to work up the ambition to install the studded tires after that, so it was off to the gym.
Last winter was unusually cold with many days below -18, so again, it was the gym for me.
I will optimistically install my studded tires soon on my all season bike in anticipation (hope) of a better winter.

doctor j

14 F for me on January 23 of this year on an after-work night ride. We get some ice and snow but not enough for me to justify studded tires. As long as the roads are dry, I'll give it a shot.

smalltalk

So when does it get too cold for me to ride? Almost never! Okay I live in Southern California, and sometime it does get too cold for my tastes.

And just like Rick OCCR, I used to live in the St. Louis, MO area, but not in decades. So I do know about normal weather. But my record cold riding temperature is probably 25° F, but typically 35° F. But that was at least 30 years ago, when I was a young man.

Year round cycling weather keeps me here, though I'd like to find a less stressful place to live...

mox

Around -15°C (5°F) was my limit last year. My hands were the limiting factor until I got some good lobster mitts and pogies. Now they aren't a factor, and my face determines my limit. I've purchased new protection for it and hopefully will be able to get down to at least -20°C this year.

And yes, if you're going to ride in winter weather, get some studs.

rydabent

I prefer temps above 65, and will continue to ride up to 100 or so. The main reason for not riding when colder, is the fact I hate anything on my legs when I ride. If I cant ride in shorts and be comfortable, I dont ride.

BobbyG

Used to be 15F. Since turning 45 years old eight years ago, it's been 23F and no snow or ice on the streets. Last winter, out of frustration during a rideless week I did a 17F and felt chillblaines and frost-bitey all day. I also rode one day when my reconnoiter in the car the previous evening showed a little too much snow and ice on some of my rout. I took a chance and took a tumble. Was not hurt luckily.

Wanderer

Temperature isn't the decider for me, in the Chicago area. Snow and ice on the ground is what hangs it up for me.

MRT2

Same thing 100 miles north in Milwaukee. That said, last season, I took my bike out with snow was still on the ground.

OldsCOOL

You mean, like this??

Biker395 

^ Gotta say ... riding in weather like that makes about as much sense to me as this does:



But then again, I've never lived anywhere that cold long enough to get the fever.

fietsbob

Recreationally? or for transportation? having moved into a few blocks from town center (6 to the post office) 40 the rest of town.

and 1~5 miles from the Grocery Shopping centers , they moved to where they could have sprawling Parking Lots.


And Having a studded tire bike ready for the Ice , & a few with mudguards and dynohub-lights for the wet and dark

+ the relatively small temperature swings thanks to the Pacific Ocean nearby. I'm Good 365 .

NOS88

I ride all year long here in the Philadelphia area. When it get's into single digits, I don't always want to , but do.

Biker395 

Strangely enough ... If I lived in a snowy climate, I'm pretty sure I'd be outfitting an MTB with studs, chains or whatnot, and myself with lobster claw gloves and all the other accoutrements of cold weather riding for my daily commute. But I'd probably strap on the skis on weekends. Why? No idea.

nuke_diver

I'm in NorCal too so ditto on the rain. If the temps are below 50 but above 40 I'll still ride but I need a jacket. I don't have all the fancy cycling gear and only ride in shorts so below that it's a bit too cold. I also have no need to prove how tough I am. I rode in cold and snow when I was a kid (before moving here)but I had no other option then..now I do.

But days like that are pretty rare around here. I missed 1 day last year because of temperature and 1 day because of rain. I sincerely hope to miss a lot more days this winter due to rain...we need it desperately

MidwestKid

The older I get, the less I like the cold. These days probably around the mid 50's F is about as cold as I'll go out. I could invest in colder weather clothing and go out when it's colder, but once I get cold a lot of the fun is gone and seems to take a longer time to warm back up.

Wilbur Bud

Haven't really experienced a lower temp limit, but riding more as a commuter and less as a recreational rider. Temps here have historically been as low as 0F for a few days of the year but are not the norm. My nominal commute time is an hour, but end of February with 0F and a strong headwind has pushed that to 75 minutes a time or two compared to maybe 52 minutes on a hot afternoon in August when I happen to hit all the lights with a slight tailwind.

Things that do tend to stop my from the daily commute are 1) winds more than about 25mph as they can change my position in the road quite drastically, 2) severe lightening and hail storms, and 3) snow deep enough I can't maneuver, which is the most-often experienced limitation due to light weight on the front wheel of the recumbent.

Sixty Fiver

The coldest temperature I have ever ridden in was - 46C / -52 F and this was the base temperature with no wind chill.

It was not as hard as one would think although the tranny on my bike did start to get a little skippy... I use synthetic lubes on my winter bikes to allow them to run smoothly at -40 temperatures.

berner

Coastal R. I. and S.E. Massachusetts is warm enough to ride most days throughout the winter months. The trick seems to be in finding the right combination of layers to be comfortable in as wide a range of temps as possible. This can be tricky because wind chill will vary quite a bit depending on whether that wind is in your face or at your back. Then too, some modern fabrics are very warm but breathable. For example, I have a pair of ski pants made of Schoeller 400 fabric which can be worn in my car on the way to the slopes but completely warm in windy weather and 0 degrees F. Now that is quite a range and I have seen in bike shops jackets of a similar fabric. In any case, the winter clothing I have from skiing, hiking and backpacking is still serviceable so I use that.

I have a rack in the back with a trunk bag to take removed layers as temps warm through the day or to carry extra layers just in case weather changes. It seems to me, a key tactic is to be versatile so there is no excuse not to ride.

B. Carfree

We could sell you some, but we're going to want some major compensation. Actually, when we get an El Nino Oregon tends to go dry while NorCal gets soaked. As is often said, "Maybe next year..."

Hypno Toad

I'm not quite old enough - but I'll say that I ride to -20F in Minneapolis area. Limiting factors are more about road conditions with snow and ice. Cold doesn't really bother me. I think 40F with rain is much colder (more uncomfortable) than -5F.

rtool

In the lower 20'sF as long as the snow is less than 4 inches.