I rode today. It was very nice, but it never got warmer than about 29ºF. But it was sunny, only moderately windy. In the winter that's a great day. I ride all winter. Down to about 15ºF or so.

Depends on the purpose of the ride.
Commute: 5F is my low. It rarely gets colder than that in Denver.
Recreation or training: I tend to wimp out around freezing and move indoors to a trainer.
That is unless I start going insane from being inside and then there is no temp limit.

If it doesn't get that cold where you live why are you even wearing a balaclava in the first place?

If it's <20F I'm riding inside.

Stay off it. When you fall it leaves a mark. Trust me on this.

Neoprene booties are good but get some of those hand or foot warmers you shake to activate and stick them on top of your foot inside your shoe. It should provide some warmth for a few hours. I use them as well as the booties.

I'm a California wuss and even I'll ride in ~40 degrees. I'd probably ride lower than that, but hey, it's not an issue here!

^^ Last years TOC was pretty darned cold. Allowed a Canadian to win the stage in the cold rainy wind, as everyone else was developing hypothermia^^

Ride gently, seated, straight like pin, stay off the brakes and be ready to put a foot down to slide. The city streets generally didn't have too too much ice, but sometimes the bike path would have several meters of solid ice. There are messenger inspired/run ice races in both my cities as well. Montreal is home to the Coupe de Glace as well, racing on solid ice. Toronto has it's Ice race as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m--eLx0L4eU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BruRH...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st57sZVi19I

Winter Riding Video
http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/331882

Picture of a buddy's Ice tire
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1...achmentrg1.jpg

So far: -20f.

It's not whether it's too cold to ride, but why and how far.

This cold?

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...s/tauntaun.jpg

Commuting to work = no ice/snow on road and wearing whatever office attire it takes to keep warm, use rain gear as appropriate. Road bike rides - upper 20's. Fleeced tights, a lightish long sleeve jersey under a heavy jersey, lobster gloves, fleeced balaklava, snug wrap around sunglasses.

The cold doesn't stop me, only the snow and ice.

around 39, too afraid of ice and getting a flat

I don't really enjoy riding in temps below 35F, so I don't do it. The bike is on the trainer for winter.

Because my cheeks get pretty cold somewhere around 35F when I'm going 20 mph. I meant it doesn't get cold enough for me not to ride. It still gets down to the 30s for highs in winter.

below 30 is where I draw the line, specially that it's very windy around here.

And for the why part of the question. Because I suffer more behind the wheel in traffic than anything the elements can produce.

Below 50, I'll mtn bike.

So many of my friends will continue to ride their track/tarck bikes. They swear the skinny tires cut right down to the 'crete. Me, I'm a knobbies in the snow kinda guy.

Ah that makes sense then. I usually break out the balaclava when the high will be in the low 30's

Wow.

I agree with the last statement. I ride 14 miles to work, so there's a good reason to ride, but no farther when it's cold or raining. My lowest is -3 F. Besides the excercise, solving the problems of such riding is also an incentive, plus answering that perennial question, "Did you RIDE today?"

I think I will.

It never gets to cool here to ride. Last winter we only had frost on the ground
one morning. So bring on the cold weather, i work in the cold all year so i can
at least enjoy riding in it a few months a year too.

Very cold and sans ice.

Heh, I live south of I-10, so it never gets too cold to ride. But I will stay in if there is a possibility of ice. It's rare around here, so the cagers have not a clue how to drive it.

Last year I think my coldest day was 18F. Any colder than that my johnson freezes.