I note that on a lot of posts to this thread, for example the one quoted, many do not give the distances ridden. My personal best is 14 miles starting at 8 degrees F and ending at -9. I chart my progress on a cold day in particular at what mile I start to notice my feet being cold, usually about 8 to 10, then when they are really cold. That is is the situation at my arrival (I wear thin and thick woolen socks, leather cycling shoes and heavy duty neoprene boots.) Numbness would be the next level. ("Danger, Will Robinson" ;-)

I rode in the snow for the first time this Winter. There was a proper covering and all. the predicted high is freezing, so it will stick around too. The only problem was when I tried to turn a corner on slippery ground and came off at 4mph, thnakfully no damage done. Temperature wise it was merely a trifle for you folk- a balmy 28 degrees.
By the way, I wore shorts for the 1.5 mile ride. Could someone, pretty PLEASE with sugar on top, tell me off. I am a little bored, and need some entertaining comments.

I've ridden a few times at -40C windchill this season, but never for more than a few miles. I just don't need to travel any farther, and I don't cycle for leisure when it's below -20C or so.

my one way distamce is only 5.5km... so daily 11km... not a huge amount...

by the time i get to work i'm usually pretty warm... and just starting to sweat... i probably overdress... with 2 poly-shirts, leather biker jacket on the coldest days (bike shell when above -20c)... i also have a high viz vest i wear over top that is fleece lined.. it is a great windbreaker and VERY bright!! you can see me coming for miles... on my legs i wear bike winter tights (with long undewear under -20c)... i have these handlebar "mitts" (or pogies?) that are made for quads and snowmachines... my hands never get cold... my feet have 2 socks and runners... they stay pretty warm...

anyways.... keep biking and live longer!!

jB

Coldest so far was -15F with a -35 or -40 windchill.

Would have done the -22F morning a week or two ago, but am not in shape this winter- Yet...

LOL....it's the ski home that's tricky!

I've ridden in +4F this winter (commute)..my coldest yet. The WC was -25 or so. I got to get goggles and a better system for keeping my feet warm. That's what's holding me back right now. For me it's an evolutionary process....I'm encouraged by all of you really cold weather bikers!

BTW my commute is abt 13.5 miles each way.

;^)

Goggles are a must for frigid temps. As far as feet go. I'm still experimenting with that problem. Look up Vapor barrier liner for your feet. I'm using bread bags in between the socks right now. Seems to work in the mild temps we're having now. Low 20's.
Recently I've found these.
https://www.rbhdesigns.com/product/34...lated-sock.htm
Maybe I'll try them next year. I'll wait for more reviews on them
Where I'm at we mostly deal with single digits and a few days/weeks below 0f. So I'm looking at better boots now.

"No boot, no matter what the manufacturer's claims, is waterproof when it comes to the varying conditions in the Adirondacks. Frozen boots = frozen feet. Therefore for overnight backpacking sections, removable boot liners are mandatory, no exceptions. Removable liners allow boots to be field dried at best and kept from freezing solid at worst. Also, do not confuse a removable midsole for a removable liner.
VBL sock liners (see below for details) are strongly recommended for all sections and are required for over night backpacking sections. They can be difficult to find. In a pinch, a pair of bread loaf bags (2-per foot, per day) will work. Many of us with years of experience have come to realize that even the best of VBLs eventually delaminate and leak so many of us use both the VBL and the bread bags, or two bread bags together. They are worn between your inner and outer socks. They work. Trust us. "
Ref. https://winterschool.org/faqs.html#8

My cycling range is 0F to 100F (at high humidity). I've ridden beyond both ends and enjoyed neither. I realize equipment could lower my lower end, but where I live, all but a few days a year are in this range.

Anyone who has traveled (or watched tv?) should realize that weather that's considered normal in one region would paralyze another region.

cold hasn't stopped me yet. Been down to -20F , -35 wind chill. Since I wear a wind breaker does WC count?? But only went 6.5 miles

-6 degrees F, on my 5 mile commute this winter. As a matter of stubborn temperament, having decided to ride through the winter there just won't be any days too cold.

Having just a 5 mile ride makes it easier, as I can dress too warm or not warm enough and still be fine. About the only difference I note when it gets below 0 is that I have to slow down to keep the wind-chill under control.

That is a question for the folks up in Alaska and Canada. Nothing should stop you from riding. You'll hear it again and again. "Its all in the gear".

Right now there is no limit at all. I have ridden in "-30 degree celcius" this year, and did not freeze thanks to the layers. I really don't focus on the weather as much as knowing that I need to get to where I need to go, so weather is not a problem for me most of the time, except when it is snowing.

Once it goes below 0*F I start to question it. I have gone colder when I am feeling brave, but much lower and I start to have some problems. My hands won't stay warm below 30* no matter what gloves I am wearing. Anything below 15* and they will be numb in less than 5 minutes, so they are always my limiter. It's funny cause I can get away with a baselayer, thin shell, jeans and wool socks and still be toasty. No coat, goggles or any of that. I really think I might need those heated gloves.

I've been out riding in -35 C (without wind chill) when I lived in Winnipeg. Now I'm in an area that has never gone below -30 and since I've lived here, -25 is the coldest we've recorded. Cycling's easy at those temperatures.

Glynis27... you need to get some pogies... or, as i call them, handlebar mitss.... i got my pogies off of ebay.. they are by quadboss and are made for quads and sno machines...

here is a link to camo ones.... mine are black
https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/QUADB...Q5fAccessories

well worth the expense... my hands never get cold and i bike at an average of -25c most of the winter... in fact, i used to wear big gloves and downscaled because my hands were too hot... i guess you could use them in rain too!

jB

Right now, I can handle down to about 20F, or maybe a degree or two, or three lower. I really wanted to buy better gear this winter to handle even colder temps, and I did buy some gear, but not everything worked out the way that I planned.

I have seen others post about these here. They are really warmer than a pair of ski gloves? Do they hold the heat in or mostly just keep the wind off? I might need to give them a shot next year. If I could keep my hands warm, I could see still being able to ride in -30F pretty easily. Thankfully it almost never gets that cold here.

OT, but that reminds me of the first -- and last -- time I tried cycling in a blizzard. It was the early 1990's in Brighton, MA (just west of Boston), the snow was falling fast, big dense wet flakes so thick you could barely see more than a few feet in front of your face, about 12" had already fallen and I decide I have to go visit my friend who lives two miles away. So I put on all my best winter blizzard gear (nothing cycling-specific) and then hop on my mountain bike, figuring it will be faster than trying to walk. Which it was.

Except, for some reason, every car driver that passed me on the roads was compelled to roll down their window and yell "Get off the road, you idiot!" or "You are crazy!" I wasn't riding erratically, I was riding reasonably close to the curb, not impeding traffic... I was just bicycling in a blizzard.

You appear to be lacking nerves in your legs! I need long underwear under 35F and a wind-resistant outer layer under 20ish in addition to my jeans. I also seem to need a wind-resistant top outer layer under 45ish, and I add more layers depending on the first digit of the temperature.

I can do 5F but it's unpleasant -- my hands and especially toes get cold, and the wind bites any skin I have exposed (I don't yet have a balaclava -- been using a scarf, works well enough for most of my purposes). Any colder than that and I just plain don't have the gear for it.

Ha, my body just does really well keeping itself warm. As long as I keep most of the wind off, my body is fine. This is of course assuming I am riding. If I get a flat and need to repair it, I'm not sure how I will do.

for me, when it's in the teens due to windchill no amount of layering makes it comfortable.

you wear your normal gloves under the pogies... i used to wear big leather mitts; now i wear a thinner glove under the pogies... they essentially block the wind and they hold the heat in too... they are fleece lined...

jB

For good winter gear. Look at sporthill.com, Showers Pass, and a good insulated boot.

I think someone pointed this out earlier. You get used to the cold. What seemed frigid in December seems relatively toasty in February. You need to get out every day. Cover everything except your eyes and nose. Then... full speed ahead.

The coldest I rode in was about 5 degrees. My back and knees really start to hurt from being out riding in the weather for too long.