I draw the line at 0 degrees F, w/o windchill. I think that corresponds to an average temp of -10 degrees with windchill.

My record is -25 degree windchill. I don't desire to repeat that anytime soon. That sucks!!!!

Ya gotta have the right gear to handle this. Lotsa of technical clothing is necessary.

My 0 degree riding clothes consist of:
1. Castelli long-sleeve jacket, one long-sleeve poly thermal, and two t-shirts beneath this.
2. Fleece-lined heavy warmers and bib shorts, followed by a pair of heavyweight tights. Additional protection is necessary for sensitive regions if tights don't have a windproof panel!!!!!
3. Sidi dominator shoes, thick wool socks, and Amfib shoe covers.
4. Ice-climbing gloves, with long cuff to cover wrist (preferably goretex)
5. Two Pace balaclavas. One wool/fleece hat.

With this, I can handle rides up to 2.5 hours without getting uncomfortably cold. An issue is making sure to go fast enough to stay warm, ie heat generation. If I put toe warmers in, I can last up to 5 hours.

Cheers!

PS Studded tires are really great when it is super icy~

Exactly!

I did know that, hence the winky eye. :)

I figured you must have known ... we've both been around a while. :)

Was out for a hour and a bit in the -25C-ish windchill, going out was a slog, coming home was awesome!
One big toe got cold.

I'm thickening my skin. 14F today - new record low temp for me. Inching closer to 0 every year.

I've been saying this for years:
"Anatomy of the roadie brain: 3 parts ego, 2 parts humility, 1 part self-loathing."

I have also said, and this is on our club T-shirts: "For Fitness, For Sport, For Fun... FOR LIFE - Fred's Ride".
You can ride for many reasons, but fun had better be in the mix somewhere or you won't last long.

In my opinion, riding in extremely cold weather is fun simply due to the looks I get from people in their cars! Not to mention the awe, admiration, and quite possibly... fear, that I get from my non-riding friends/family/co-workers. They think I'm nuts and I let them.

As for the debate about whether cold weather riding, or any riding, is fun or not... If you are here, on this forum, reading this post, I can only assume it is voluntarily. Anything done voluntarily should be fun. If you are here, on this forum, and are not having fun, then you need more help than a bike forum, and riding in general, can provide.

If you here, on this forum, reading this post, and it is involuntarily... blink twice and we'll send help.

When I did the bulk of my winter cycling, I was commuting to work pretty much year round. In the summer the commute took me about 20 minutes. In the winter it took me about 30 minutes. But if I were to take the bus, the bus took about 40 minutes, and cost me nearly $2 each way.

I wasn't cycling in the cold particularly for fun ... although it wasn't unpleasant ... I was cycling in the cold because it was the most cost effective and efficient way of getting to work.

The weekend rides, however, were for fun. :)

OK, this is going to sound goofy, but besides being fun like sledding down a big hill, I also like winter riding because there's a little scariness to it. But in a good way, like a roller coaster, not in a bad way like riding over a freeway cloverleaf.

You get far away from home and you don't know what conditions you're going to find. There aren't the usual pedstrians. Will you get a flat? Will you fall? Will overheat or get chilled? Will your gears stop working or your brakes ice up?

With cell phones, it's not life-threatening, but it's still exhilarating! You get the same satisfaction as you get at the end of the last portage of a trip through the boundary waters. You planned well and had survival skills and you lived!

Not at all. I rode in this morning at 14 degrees and it was fine. I bundled up more than usual and it was too much, I got very hot. I just read this today, good read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/he...on&oref=slogin

Look at this chart. It will tell you of the dangers. 0F and lightwind and you don't even have much of a risk for frostbite at all.

http://www.weather.gov/os/windchill/.../windchill.gif
http://www.math.montana.edu/~nmp/mat.../windchill.gif

I wear my same year round shimano shoes with neoprene full booties and sometimes get cold feet after a couple of hours in sub freezing weather. I was given a pair of Sidi battery powered insoles; never would buy them myself but, gosh they work!

I ride a diamond frame now but used to commute comfortably behind the windshield of my Goldrush recumbent in winter weather.