A discussion came up at lunch today about my cold weather riding.

i did a small ride this morning. it was 19 degrees F. it was cold.. yes it was.

my co workers asked me how far i was planning on going into the winter.. and I said.. 20 below with a 50 below wind chill maybe.. ill see.. (I was being kinda smug)


The argument then came up. when does being hardcore and riding in the cold, become a stupid idea?

I personally want to get a picture of it being -20 and me heading out for a ride.. I mean that's brag rights?

When it starts to cause health problems. Of course, that will vary by person.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=487825&page=4


-20 is brisk ... but doable.

Just take the picture when it's warmer.
No one ever questions The Bragger.

I'm my case, the stupid comes before the hardcore.

If it's below 10 degrees when I plan to head out, if sunny, or below 15 when I plan to head out, if it's a little cloudy, I don't go out and ride.

Trainers exist for a reason. The trainer is a better alternative to black ice and being frozen.

I did a 5 hour ride in 14 degree weather two years ago and did myself way more harm than good. If it's below 25 I'm heading into the woods. Below 10 and I'm riding the rollers.

Hardcore becomes stupid when it becomes dangerous.

Hardcore becomes stupid when anything going wrong becomes a safety problem instead of an inconvenience. For example, fixing a flat if hands are too cold, pump is froze up, glue won't stick or whatever. Of if "walk of shame" back to the house with mechanical problem becomes death march in the wilderness.

Hardcore becomes stupid when minor errors in judgment become safety issues. You estimate how long it will take, what you need to wear, whether you'll need lights, etc. If you estimate wrong, do you get a chill? Or do you die?

Hardcore has clearly become completely stupid when you lose any fingers or toes to frostbite.

In each case, it's not just the weather that makes it hardcore or stupid, it's the degree of preparation and knowledge used in dealing with the weather.

nail on the head.

later.

I'm not to big on going out and riding in the cold for the fun of it or training anymore- just to commute to and from work.. its only 5K away so no matter how cold it is its only crude suffering for 10 minutes at best. Winter should be recovery time for all the madness you've endured since last spring and summer and fall. I'll probably start some cross training in december though.. maybe some jogging in the sever cold a few times a week, then I'll dig the trainer out in march too and throw that in the mix. Then come April its back outside.

When, like me, you contract a respiratory condition that nobody can properly diagnose and are forced to go see pulmonary specialists.

When it's below 40 degrees F at sea level here in Southern Cal. (but that doesn't happen during the day.)

If it was sensible, everyone would be doing it.

people are idiots...don't listen to them.

i bet they wouldn't think snow skiing in 5 degree weather would be stupid, but somehow riding at bike at 20 degree is??

+1

Did you ride to work today?



(I did!)

I'm not listening.

I'm done riding at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower and I use my treadmill and weights/pushups to get in a little cross training.

dipy911

Exactly. Bragging rights are fine if you do it without putting your health in danger so make sure you can handle that kind of cold, and of course have the right gear. This morning it was 29F when I left and when I got back my toes were really cold.

Ostensibly, you're a person, right?

Yeah, in Colorado, I'd been out at -5F before. It's cold, but if you dress for it, it's not bad at all. Fun in a lot of ways, but you're not going to be getting in any intervals or anything.

Why do you think we're comparing apples with oranges?

Cycling is exercise.
Cross-country skiing is exercise.

When you cycle in the cold you have to dress a certain way.
When you cross-country ski in the cold ... you dress in a very similar way to the way you dress when you cycle in the cold.

I really don't have anything to contribute. I am so glad you guys live there and not here overcrowding our already overcrowded beautiful and sunshiny and usually moderate climate paradise we call SoCal (how do you like that run on sentence?) I think it was low 60's this morning.

When I was in college and didn't have a car, I'd bike in just about any weather to get to class or work, including below zero. But I don't recommend it.

I'm persuaded by the argument made earlier that you might be OK until you flat, and then if your hands don't work, you're kinda screwed. It's a little different with skis.

Yeah, CA's perfect: