Winter Riding

[knewcleardaze]

How far into the fall and winter do you guys ride?

I've found that I can get away with summer gear at 60 degrees and up. Below 60 Fahrenheit, I need my long trousers and long sleeved jersey.

 

[James Huang]

As long as the roads are clear, I'll generally ride year-round save for maybe a few weeks around the holidays that I take off. Good quality clothing makes ALL the difference.

 

[scribe]

The clothing was never the problem. It is always my feet!

 

[Murray]

I ride year-round here in Montreal.

In the fall (like now) down to about 2 C (36 F) I just ride with a light sweater and a windbreaker with long-finger MTB gloves.

Once it goes below freezing I switch to a Race Face waterproof-breathable shell with fleece underneath and insulated gloves.

Since this is The Great White North, we do get down as low as -20 and -30 C. When it's that cold I bring out the big guns... neoprene booties, Gore-tex pants and Louis Garneau lobster-claw mittens (keeps warm and lets you brake and shift), and a fleece helmet liner that has ear-coverage.

On snowy days, ski goggles are key to keep the snow out of your eyes.

Bike-wise, I ride a 2008 Kona Jake. Outfitted commuter style with fenders and a rack. I also converted the front-end from drops to a MTB flatbar because the drop bars looked better but weren't stable enough in deepish snow in traffic. Also swapped out the Avid Shorty 4's for Avid SD5 linear-pulls.

For tires, until it snows I use Vittoria Randonneurs and in snow I use the Maxxis Locust CX tires that came on the bike. They work great on snow and ice.

Good luck...

Murray

 

[fatandfast]

The clothing was never the problem. It is always my feet!

Same here. I bought some shoe covers from Paragon and use Pearl Isumi tights and I stay pretty warm. Seen guys going up 9w with electric shoe warmers and they say there is nothing better, I just have not broke down to spend the money for a couple of months of toastie toes.

 

[James Huang]

Booties help but if you're just tossing them over regular shoes (and maybe some wool socks), it's akin to heading out in a winter storm with a thin sweater and a shell - no matter how wind- or waterproof the outer layer, the combo just isn't going to work as well as you want unless you add some proper insulation.

Dedicated winter shoes are the best option for the diehard cold-weather riders as they mix the weather-resistant outer covers with extra insulation, all without having to deal with the hassle of multiple layers. If the budget won't allow for such a thing (unfortunately they tend to be pretty pricey) try cutting a hole in a pair of big wool socks for your cleats, put those on *over* your shoes, and then wrap up the whole lot with your booties. Your feet might look gigantic at this point but at least they'll stand a better chance of not freezing.

 

[TRDean]

Is it still possible to get wool tights anymore?

 

[James Huang]

Looks like it. Just Google 'wool bike tights' and a heap of results come up from companies like Ibex, Giordana, and others.

 

[hfer07]

Road conditions is the primarily limitation in Winter here in Boston-so I try to ride as much as I can, and as much as the weather allows me to do so.

 

[Hairy Wheels]

Riding an MTB is the way to go if you're in a snowy climate. You can ride through pretty much anything with the right clothing and some fenders.

 

[BrandonT]

I ride year round here in Vancouver except for the week around Christmas. In the lower mainland we don't get enough snow to have to change over to spiked tires or a flat bar.
If the temp does fall below 0 I will go to my thermal bib tights but until it gets to that I am pretty comfortable in my bibs, leg warmers and good high socks with a base layer shirt (merino wool), a short sleeve and long sleeve thermal jersey. Booties are a necessity here because of the rediculous amount of rain we get as are neoprene diving gloves. I have regular gym socks that I have cut out a spot for my cleat and I will put over my shoes and under my booties if it is really cold but not raining.

I have a pair of bar mitts to try but I am a little sceptical. I have heard they are quite popular in Asia though. Has anyone used them?

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Year-round in the harsh reality of Minnesota winters.

The really bad months of Dec - Feb I have to wear ski goggles when it's below -0 F or -17 C, otherwise my eyeballs would freeze into marbles. Jealous?

 

[Race Radio]

Winter here means temperature around 65. Sometimes I put on knee warmers.

 

[pedaling squares]

....If the budget won't allow for such a thing (unfortunately they tend to be pretty pricey) try cutting a hole in a pair of big wool socks for your cleats, put those on *over* your shoes, and then wrap up the whole lot with your booties. Your feet might look gigantic at this point but at least they'll stand a better chance of not freezing.

I ride year round, but my winter miles are usually short fun rides. I have ridden my mtb for as long as 4 hrs at -40 (which is where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales meet). I didn't have dedicated winter boots but the wool sock and neoprene boot over my regular shoe worked well. Things are pretty dry at that temp, so I can't tell you how this would work in warmer but wetter conditions. Probably not as well. Hands and feet have always been the issue for me, you need surprisingly little on your core if you are riding with effort. To whomever asked about the bar mitts (Brandon maybe), I tried a set in some real cold but didn't like the bulk. If you are in the LMD a set of lobster claws with water resistant fabric and fleece lining should handle the temperature and afford adequate dexterity.

If you ever get the chance to ride a mtb in the snow with fatties at low psi, I hope you take advantage. It's a beautiful way to ride. I have sinced moved to a warmer climate, and now I think -25 Celsius is real cold. Nice problem to have!

 

[skippy254]

I try to ride all winter as here in Colorado we do get a mix of decent and bad weather. I would like to get some good winter mtb shoes to wear as I'm tired of freezing feet. I generally ditch the road bike and ride the mtb solely in the winter as the slower speed cuts down on windchill and is a little safer to ride.

 

[cromagnon]

electric shoe warmers

Sissiness reaches new heights

(where can I get a pair?)

 

[usedtobefast]

in southern california the early mornings can be pretty frosty, so you layer up
based on the temp going from the 40's to the 70's,give or take. and it usually a "dry" cold. desert conditions. as it heats up, off go the layers. being cold sucks.

 

[elapid]

I'm getting old and wimpy. While I hate the trainer, I head downstairs into the basement when the snow starts to stay on the ground. The good riding near Ottawa (Gatineau Park) is closed to all forms of cycling, including MTBs, for cross-country skiing. Otherwise it is pretty flat and uninspiring, especially when it hits -20C or more. As I said, I'm just getting old and wimpy!

 

[CentralCaliBike]

Someone commented that winter is 65 degrees. Actually where I live it sometimes gets down to the 40s for the start of the ride and once or twice a year I might see the 30s (but then it is always clear). With these weather conditions I have no excuse to take time off so do get out unless it is raining or too foggy. Warm clothing is great and on the really cold mornings I use a neoprene skiing face mask (in fact I use a lot of ski clothing for cold days - glove liners, head band, socks).

 

[knewcleardaze]

I'm getting old and wimpy. While I hate the trainer, I head downstairs into the basement when the snow starts to stay on the ground. The good riding near Ottawa (Gatineau Park) is closed to all forms of cycling, including MTBs, for cross-country skiing. Otherwise it is pretty flat and uninspiring, especially when it hits -20C or more. As I said, I'm just getting old and wimpy!

I suspect I may be getting old and wimpy as well. This winter I am going to try and make a concentrated effort to go more often in the cold. The other day my toes were a bit chilly. But I did buy cold weather riding gear, so I'm going to use it more often.

 

[Anonymous]

whats winter? it barely drops below about 4c here.. we did have snow this year though.. first time id seen any in years...

i just go out in the same stuff as summer, maybe some 3/4 legs, and i dig old the old long sleeved pdm thats toastie as hell under my jacket..

think the wife is just planning on buying some long socks and a tube of deap heat..

 

[knewcleardaze]

whats winter? it barely drops below about 4c here.. we did have snow this year though.. first time id seen any in years...

i just go out in the same stuff as summer, maybe some 3/4 legs, and i dig old the old long sleeved pdm thats toastie as hell under my jacket..

think the wife is just planning on buying some long socks and a tube of deap heat..

I'm equidistant to Washington and Baltimore. Winter here is November to March. Temperatures are between 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm equidistant to Washington and Baltimore. Winter here is November to March. Temperatures are between 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit.

30 to 50 f means as much to me as quantam physics.. i have no idea what you are talking about..

 

[knewcleardaze]

30 to 50 f means as much to me as quantam physics.. i have no idea what you are talking about..

Oy, I'll have a look at the temperature converter.

30 F = 1 C
50 F = 10 C

 

[scribe]

30 to 50 f means as much to me as quantam physics.. i have no idea what you are talking about..

I must be a genius. Because I don't know what the hell is going on with metrics.