Since this year winter in Beijing is very dry, I could keep on riding all these months, but there is constantly one problem - how to fight cold on descents from the mountains? It was around 0 C today, and I went up to the peak of one of the mountains - 26 km of constant ascent, from the starting altitude of 60m up to the 1140 m, and that part was fine. But, on my way back, I thought I would die of cold, and didn't know what to do. Slowing down just made my suffering longer, and going faster made the cold even more unbearable. I shivered so badly that I was afraid of losing control over the bike. Is there any trick how to make this part of ride less painful? Thanks for any suggestions.

Zo

Stuff a newspaper under your shirt - it makes an excellent insulator - I've done it myself. It's an old trick from European professionals, and works like a charm - cheap too! Just discard when done.

Layer up underneath a stuffable shell (like Pearl Izumi's). Take it off on the climbs. Put it back on for the descents. That's what the pros do. That's what I do.

It works very nicely. Good luck.

Newspaper does the trick. There was a thread on why the pros stuff newspaper under their jersey a few weeks back. I am glad someone asked as my buddy thought it was for reading material when Jan went to the bathroom.

Yep. The chest is the most exposed area and takes all the wind (and your face, but your heart's in your chest). A buddy I rode with this weekend did this and was comfortable. Granted, it was only 50 deg., but still.

I used a comptetely wind-proof gore-tex jacket that I got cheap from Runner's World or Roadrunner Sports. It's not baggy, and doesn't breathe at all, so when it warmed up I had to take it off.

I know it might not look cool but if I'm doing a ride like that , I wear a large Camelback and stuff it with clothes for the descent, especially a good jacket. Covering your head helps, too. I don't know where you would get newspaper on the top of a mountain, unless the fans gave it to you, or you brought it up yourself. A friend once used paper towels from a cafe. Once on a supported ride with freezing rain they gave out trash bags. We called it the Garbage Bag Century. Hypothermia sucks.

I've got a windbreaker that I can stuff in my middle back pocket on my jersey. I still have to stop to put it on but it really helps. Climbing up the mt. I'm plenty warm without it.

Does anyone else ride with a balaclava over their mouth so they don't freeze their lungs in the winter? That's the worst part of riding in the cold for me, besides numb feet. I've even tried pulling my headband down over my mouth once. Looked like some terrorist on my bike but at least I could breathe.

What newspaper do you guys recommend? The Wall Street Journal? The London Times? L'Equipe?

Somebody call Eddy Merckx and tell him they're still using this 'newspaper under the wool jersey' advice. He'll get a kick out of that. While you're at it let's tell this dude to use toe clips and by all means, to get rid of that stupid carbon fiber bike for a nice lugged steel frame.

Has onyone ever heard of GoLite ? I have one of their non-cycling specific wind jackets that I take with me up the climbs here in San Diego. It literally stuffs into the size of a small apple and blocks 99% of the wind. Unfortunately because I bought it as a layer for mountain climbing it is a bit to loose and flaps like a flag in a hurricane on the descents. Anyway,,bottom line is these things stuff so small you can put them in rear pocket and not even notice they are there, and if you buy the right size for biking, the flap will go away.. a bit pricy but really amazing stuff.

Looks like many are using newspaper but I use the small plastic shopping
bags from the market. Stuffs easily into a jersey pocket.

Thanks everybody for your replies! I will try the trick with the newspapers, but I think I'll end up buying a wind jacket. Yes, my face freezes too, but that's not the major problem, and my fingers get miserable despite the gloves, but this I can endure. I do wear the Pearl Izumi shirt, and two more layers on top of it, and Santini Breeze Xtreme, but the problem is that it all gets wet of sweat during the climbing, and then .... brrr!

Thanks again!

Zo

On a big descent it may be worth changing into a dry jersey, windproof and possibly some warm wool or fleece midlayer. You need to carry spare clothing on cold hilly rides so you probably need some small luggage container under your saddle.

Sometimes, you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

What also works is the material Fedex envelopes are made of. It's very light, and impervious to wind and water--especially wind. I cut one of their larger ones on three sides, trimmed it, and it functions perfectly as a windblock. And it folds to almost nothing. It won't insulate like newspaer, but it's better against wind.

That material is Tyvek, basically a moisture barrier commonly used in home construction. You can get them in huge rolls from Home Depot. You can find cycling jackets made from this material as well.

^^ DuPont tyvek. that stuff is awesome, but loud as a mother in wind - some outdoor companies make clothing and shelters out of it. I use a very lightweight windproof vest. It's windproof in the front and mesh in the back. works well.

I always carry a pearl izumi balaclava. one of my most closely guarded pieces of gear.

zorana - for long descents on a regular basis, you can't beat a good wind vest or jacket like you're going to get. They usually 'stuff down' into a small volume & will fit into a pocket for your climb. Plus, when you're riding elevations like you are, it's nice to have when the weather suddenly changes.

The rule of thumb is 3 degrees F difference per 1,000 ft. of elevation, so it'd be ~ 11 degrees F. colder at 1140m than at the base. When you factor in the windchill created by your road speed + any mountain wind + any precipitation and you can go hypothermic very quickly.

But if you get in a jam, newspaper will work very well. I like the weather pages myself.

Just get a wind jacket? I have just a plain, very thin jacket that keeps most of my body warm with good air protection.
The only problem I ever have, when descending below freezing temperature, is my feet getting cold. Perhaps mountain bike shoes don't block the air well.

The Sunday NY Times has 10 or 11 sections and would probably keep you warm descending from Mt. Mckinley.

Actually, dude, the pros still do exactly that. I heard Frankie Andreu speak last year. He said that on the climbs during the Tour, Lance would grab pictures and newspapers that fans waved at him as he climbed. The fans thought he would was going to sign them and return them. What Lance did was stuff them under his jersey to stay warm and then toss them at the bottom.
Andreu said it is dangerous to wave anything near a pro because they are liable to take it and use it for insulation.
He said Jan lost one tour because he was so cold at the bottom of Alp D'Huez that he could barely move. Seems Jan thought it wasn't manly to stuff newspaper up a jersey and he refused to wear a jacket.
A lot of the pros don't like to wear jackets because they overheat sometimes and a domestique isn't always available to take care of it. And no, they don't want to throw them off in the Peleton. Think of the crash that would cause.

I realize the pros do this. But that doesn't make it more sensible than a stuffable Pearl Izumi.

You want to know what actually WORKS? I'm telling you from many years of experience. I think one other post mentioned this as well. One reason the pros don't do it is because they don't want to climb an out of category climb with a wind breaker in their back pockets - and the fans handing out newspapers are right there when the coaches with the wind breakers may not be. I've also seen team coaches handing out wind shells at the summit of big climbs.

Somehow I think the wind breaker works MUCH better than the newspaper. But that's me. The cool retro grouch factor of stuffing a newspaper under your jersey is of course incalculable.

Galibier and Les Deux Alps in 1998. Pantani, after attacking on the Galibier, stopped at the top just to put his jacket on. Then, even though he weighs probably 20lbs less than Ullrich, gained minutes on the descent of that climb. Ullrich indeed couldn't take the cold rain that day... lost more time on the final climb. Pantani won the stage, stole the overall lead, and the Tour. Ullrich finished 25th on the stage and lost 9 minutes! Dramatic day at the TDF

yessir!

Get a stuffable vest, works wonders! Newspaper is great too. I was did a touristy group ride in NYC where the temperature dropped far below what I expected. A copy of the Brooklyn Paper newspaper saved me from taking the subway home.

Well, first of all, it is impossible to actually freeze your lungs by breathing in normal cold air. Your body warms it to 98.6 as soon as it goes down your throat. I hate to have anything over my mouth when I ride or run. It just gets wet from the moisture in my breath.

Trying taking an insulated bottle with something warm in it to drink. I have riden with a guy who carries hot tea with him. I wouldn't do it, but hey, why not.

As for your feet, that is far more dangerous than your breathing in cold air. The trouble with frost bite is you don't feel it coming on. By the time you realize it, it is too late. I have have severely frost biten feet. Not fun. You should be wearing two pairs of socks - one light weight (NOT COTTON, it's a terrible insulator) and then something heavy, such as wool. Then your cycling shoes and then neoprene booties. That should do it.