How cold is too cold?

[sundial]

We've had temps in the teens and 20's this week and I've cycled in it. Today it's 17 F/-8 C.

For the TE'ers here, I wonder......how cold is too cold to cycle?

[songlady]

For me the magic number is around 32, depending on wind chill and the conditions of the road.

[NoNo]

On Saturday it was in the low 40's and I went out. Since I live near the water, there was a constant wind, so it felt colder, but I was fine. This morning when I left for work, my car said it was 8. I thought to myself "Don't think I'd want to be out in this!"

[sbctwin]

For commuting purposes, I don't like anything below 25 and the roads (shoulders expecially) free of ice/snow (which we haven't had for close to a month now). For pleasure riding, I think upper 30's would be ok. I hate the trainer, but I also hate having to dress like the pillsbury doboy (which is how I look when I dress for cold weather riding).

[Geonz]

I haven't foudn it yet but that is because I"m cycling through town and there *would* be shelter if things broke down. It was 5 this a.m. and 2 yesterday. I like above freezing better ... especially the flaky flaky skin on my ankles now... and the time it takes putting on all those layers...
However, my lungs don't mind inhaling the cold stuff and my hands and feet manage to stay warm if my core is warm, and I pedal hard to keep the core warm. Oh, and that good NOrwegian insulation on the core, too!
Our roads are pretty clear... and I've got studded tyres for if/when it isn't on the big ol' Gazelle.
Gonna dig out the lotion...

[SheFly]

It's never too cold.... :D

SheFly

[Zen]

It would take me more time to get dressed than I would spend on the bike.
If I have to wear gloves, it's too cold.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

25-28 F with no wind is generally my lower limit for rides of 1-2 hours.

[silver]

25-28 F with no wind is generally my lower limit for rides of 1-2 hours.


I'll ditto that.

[mimitabby]

we're all different.

If you're concerned about sheer physical limits, like will you die if you ride at temps below freezing, I just don't think it's a problem.
The stronger riders around here tend to not ride when it's freezing because of all the dampness that turns into black ice.

Me, below 40 degrees, I'm not very happy. having said that, I rode 70 miles this weekend at temps between 38 and 42.

[RoadRaven]

I'm with SheFly... its never too cold...

Mind you, here in almost sub-tropical Middle earth, north of Rivendell... temps only get to freezing (0'C - whats that? about 26'F???) a handful of days per year... so as long as I am wrapped up against the windchill - never too cold :p

[HillSlugger]

For me it's got to be above 32F/0C and it can't be too windy. Sunny is a real plus.

[GLC1968]

Apparently, 25F degrees is too cold for me as I skipped my lunchtime ride today. I really think it would have been fine, but this is the first cold day we've had all year and I'm not even remotely acclimated! (or, that's my excuse, anyway).

Tomorrow it should be in the 30's around lunch and I'll ride then, instead. I have commuted at colder temps, but that's mostly because I had to get to work. It's much harder to motivate myself outside when I don't truly *have* to. ;)

Once I'm out there, I usually enjoy it. I'll take a 25F day over 100+ heat every time.

[Crankin]

Truthfully, I don't like road riding below 40. I've been mountain biking in the 30s. My coldest road ride was around 35, with flurries coming down. Well, I was on my mtb, on the road.
It's going to be warm next week, so I probably will ride my commuter bike to a couple of appointments. I really don't want to get my Kuota all dirty from the road and have to take it off of the trainer.
I like doing different outdoor sports when its cold. I hike and walk during the "in between" times before there's any snow. Once March comes, I'm more apt to go on a ride if it's close to 40.
I give credit to you hardy folks who ride when it's 17!

[KnottedYet]

I love reading the Ice Bike thread on BikeJournal. And watching Howard's videos of riding on ice/snow is a hoot!

[SalsaMTB]

There was only one day last year that Dh and I decided it was just too cold to ride and turned around after about 1 mile. The temp was -4F/-20C. I had a little bit of exposed skin on my face, just above my eyes, and was hurting. So, from that day on, Dh and I have set out limit to 10F. Anything below, we stay inside.

[three]

I agree with Salsa. It's the same rule I have for outdoor runs - 10F or below is too cold. But, she lives in MI and I'm in MN, so our standards of cold are probably a little different than everyone else. As a kid, when it hit 50F for the first time (usually late spring) I'd throw my swimsuit on.

I would say it depends on your access to appropriate weather equipment/clothing, wind, and ice/snow factors. I don't have the right tires for the current road conditions so I'm stuck indoors on the trainer or in SPIN class, but I do go outside for runs as long as it's above 10F. You just have to dress appropriately. Believe me, once you get going - you warm up pretty darn fast and what seemed cold at first won't bother you a bit 10 minutes later.

[tulip]

When I commuted my 28 miles RT, I would call it quits at 25 or so, although sometimes in the early am it was colder than that. However, waiting for the bus in those temps was worse than riding. I enjoyed riding in the cold, once I learned the proper layering system (Pearl Izumi lobster gloves, by the way, are the best for me).

Now I'm a bonafide wuss. I moved south, slightly, and work from home. I no longer have a commute to work. I thought, great, I'll just go for a bike ride!. Not happening, except on nice weekends.

Thank goodness for spinning, is all I can say.

[Aquila]

I can ride down to about 30F, so long as the roads are reasonably dry. Below that, my face hurts, and it's just not fun when my face hurts. But I'm a whuss! Long johns under everything is key for me, and not stopping. I get cold fast if I stop for more than a moment.

[7rider]

It's been said that "there is no bad weather...only bad clothing."
That said...I've ridden when it was 18 F (-7ish C), but it was a short, fairly slow commute and I had on a neoprene face mask. But I didn't really care for it. Tomorrow's forecast says 6 a.m. temp will be 16 F with "feels like" temp of 10! :eek: I think I may take Metro in the morning and bail on the bike commute.
Our shop road ride does not officially go off if it's 28 F or colder. Of course, that's probably just the personal threshold of the LBS owner/ride leader, but it seems pretty reasonable to me! ;)
If it's too cold, I'll take care of the errands and chores in the a.m. and ride later in the day when it's had a chance to warm up!

[LadyinWhite]

I'll take a 25F day over 100+ heat every time.

Not me! I'm just the opposite. I can't stand the feeling of cold on my face and breathing through a buff is OK but only in the 40's and above. My cold weather gear does keep everything warm but the face and that's all it takes for me to be instantly miserable.

I don't mind the heat at all! Last summer I loved the hot hot days, stopping at intersections with the heat just rising up off the pavement. So hot that the only thing that makes the heat bearable is cutting through it on a bike.

Love it.

In fact - don't laugh, but I have skipped my trainer rides for 2 days because I don't want to go down in the cold BASEMENT! Can you say pansy??? :o

[Brandi]

We've had temps in the teens and 20's this week and I've cycled in it. Today it's 17 F/-8 C.

For the TE'ers here, I wonder......how cold is too cold to cycle?
ARE YOU NUTS!
Ok I can't say anything in this thread I guess. I mean I rode about a week ago when it was about 45 and there was wind so it was colder then that..BUT I was frozen when I got home! I had to take a hot shower to feel my ears again. I decided it had to be at least in the low 50's from here on out. All you snow birds probably think I am a whimp. But it is what you are aclamated too right? My blood is probably thinner then you girls who live in the snowy places. It has gotten to 19 here before. But the roads where icy so I wasn't going to try that!
But I live by the ocean and it is not warm water. You have to wear a full wet suit and booties or you will die! So the wind that comes off the ocean here is so cold in the winter.

[OakLeaf]

I'll set out in 38-40F if it's expected to warm up a bit during my ride.

I have woolies, but I also have a history of frostbite. My fingers and toesies are very sensitive to cold.

[sundial]

ARE YOU NUTS!

Hot flashes keep me warm. ;)

[divingbiker]

I've set a lower limit of 20F for commuting, but it was colder than that this morning and I still rode. (Apparently the thermometer on my deck reads a bit high.) Very cold toes, but otherwise it was ok, so I guess I have to lower my limit.

My limit for recreational riding is about 40F.

(As an aside, I got a bunch of "Hotties" toe warmers for Christmas and they suck. By the time I got to work they were ice cold (hence the very cold toes above). The "Heat Treat" brand from REI seems to last a lot longer.)

[Zen]

ARE YOU NUTS!

Brandi,I'm sure we're not the only ones feeling that sentiment

[Brandi]

Hot flashes keep me warm. ;)
Thanks! I needed a good giggle!

[sundial]

Whew! For a minute I thought I lost you. :)

[Brandi]

Nawww I am still here.
I still can't believe you ride in such cold weather. But then i am a born and raised California girl. I am not of hardy stock!

[sheracr]

You all are a hardy and apparently cold-impervious group. I recently set myself a 48 degree minimum, given low wind and sun required. Then again had I not moved to CA, I'm willing to bet I would be able to tough it out (I think!)

[crazycanuck]

Wayyyy back in Edmonton, i believe i cycled until it was -10C & that's not cold. Well, unless there's a windchill. If you're dressed the right way & your bike's set up properly, i think it's still ok to get out there and bike.

Here in Perth, i cycle in our "winter" when temps only drop to 3 or 5C. That's not cold!!!

I remember cycling home last Jan 25th when it was 39C & no wind :eek: Oh boy, was i ever glad to get home!!! I decided then that if it's over 36C and no wind, i may just take the train home.

YOu guys are getting me excited about all the weather i get to experience when i get back on my bike :D

[Popoki_Nui]

Here in Perth, i cycle in our "winter" when temps only drop to 3 or 5C. That's not cold!!!

It gets down to 3-5C in Perth? I didn't realize the temps went that low there; that isn't much different than here.

Around here, for me it isn't "how cold is too cold" so much as it is "how wet is too wet". Cold (winter daytime high temps around 5-8C) is quite ok, but the rain kills any enthusiasm I have to ride outdoors. Occasional showers? Fine. Light on-and-off drizzle? Acceptable. Torrential downpour (like from November to February)? Forget it.

[Aggie_Ama]

Low to Mid 40's for me. In Texas it is hard to justify owning clothes for much colder than that. Plus we get so little cold weather it is hard to get acclimated. Now I will ride in a heat index of 100 no problem. :rolleyes:

[Brandi]

It gets down to 3-5C in Perth? I didn't realize the temps went that low there; that isn't much different than here.

Around here, for me it isn't "how cold is too cold" so much as it is "how wet is too wet". Cold (winter daytime high temps around 5-8C) is quite ok, but the rain kills any enthusiasm I have to ride outdoors. Occasional showers? Fine. Light on-and-off drizzle? Acceptable. Torrential downpour (like from November to February)? Forget it.

I have to agree with the wet factor as well. if I know it is going to rain I try and Get out as soon as I can and ride my butt off in case I can't for a few days!

[lph]

I agree that a lot of rain or snow is a lot worse than cold. A downpour will get me racing home soaked, and much more than a light flurry of snow in the air will have me checking the metro timetable. More than an inch or so of new snow on the ground is a real hassle to ride through, and can be really dangerous in traffic.

Cold is more about having the right gear. At -12 C (10F) I have trouble keeping my feet warm even in winter shoes, but that's with clipless pedals. If I changed to platform pedals and hiking boots, or invested in thermal booties rather than the neoprene ones I wear I'd probably be fine. The rest of me is fine, and the road conditions are usually great when it's that cold, not slippery or soft at all. But my bike usually starts protesting before that, around -10C I have trouble shifting and the brakes are slow. If I were more diligent about lubing everything with a thin lube they'd be better. But we rarely have temps that low for more than a few days, so I can't be bothered :-)

PS. My best new "fixit" this winter was cutting a hole in a Buff for my nose and mouth! The skin under my eyes gets really cold, and the hole for breathing through means I can keep the whole shebang up over my cheeks all the time rather than pull it up and down all the time. Keeps the Buff from getting soaked from moisture from my breath as well.

[SheFly]

All kidding aside, it really is hard to keep warm even with all the right gear once the temps get really cold. I have ridden in 3-5 F temps and keeping feet warm is really hard - those rides usually involve some running just to get the circulation going in the feet.

I'll ride in pretty much anything - usually due to peer pressure and for the sake of a good story :D. New Year's Day, a group of us went out in the snrain here in the burbs of Boston - raining closer into the city, and snowing pretty hard out in the burbs. Temps weren't TOO bad - about 25 or so. Unfortunately, we got really wet coming home, and that made for a pretty miserable end to our ride.

Too cold? Naw!

SheFly

[Velobambina]

SheFly is brave enough to ride across ICY PONDS! One tough lady, indeed. She is my heroine!!

Feet. Have I found a solution? Santa brought me the Sidi heated insoles for Christmas. The last few mornings have been brutal cold. I've used the insoles, one chemical toe warmer on each tootsie area (top of foot), lighter weight Smartwool socks, Sidi Diablos outfitted w/toe & shoe covers. My feet did NOT get cold. Yesterday was the real test---temps in the 20s with windchills in the lower-mid teens. Today, it was 17 degrees when I left the house and there was a light wind. For both rides, I was out about 3 hours each. By the time I got home, my feet were still warm.

Hands. Our wonderful Lisa sold me her Gore gloves (I think they are the volcano model). They aren't warm enough, for me, on their own. However, they make the best glove warmers. Again, both today and yesterday, my hands stayed warm with this combo: my Lisa gloves, AmFib lobster gloves, and chemical hand warmers.

I try to stick it out despite the cold, so long as the pavement conditions are not icy/unsafe. Getting up the gumption to go out is the toughest and usually, once I'm out there, I'm fine. I give myself the option of turning for home if I get too uncomfortable.

Thank goodness, we are headed for warmer weather next week. It'll be in the forties when I ride before work all next week! Cold by itself is bad enough but DARK and COLD is the worst.

[SlowButSteady]

Low to Mid 40's for me. In Texas it is hard to justify owning clothes for much colder than that. Plus we get so little cold weather it is hard to get acclimated. Now I will ride in a heat index of 100 no problem.

Ditto, only for South Carolina. I got coldweather tights last year for Christmas and send them back unworn in mid-Feb in exchange for something warm weather.

Now I'm wishing that I had them. It's been below 20F for 3 nights in a row here. I went to the "Y" and swam the other night just to get warm :eek:

[sundial]

SheFly is brave enough to ride across ICY PONDS! One tough lady, indeed. She is my heroine!!

That's crazy!! Now tubing across a frozen pond, that's my kind of sport. :D

[OakLeaf]

Once when I was in college I wrapped my front wheel around my forks. Literally.

That was the last time I rode when there was a possibility of ice.

[solobiker]

I guess it depends on where I was living. Back east where I am from where there is humidity the temps feel colder then here in CO. So, since i am in CO where the 20s feel like the 30s in NY I would be fine in the low to mid 20s. In NY the upper 30s. That damp cold air chills me too much.

[amy]

ARE YOU NUTS!
Ok I can't say anything in this thread I guess. I mean I rode about a week ago when it was about 45 and there was wind so it was colder then that..BUT I was frozen when I got home!

Ummm... here in southern california, I'm such a baby when it comes to the cold. I will definitely be up for a ride in 110 F but if it is below 60F, I'll complain and whine. I think it was about 58 F and windy my last long ride... I haven't been back out in a couple weeks.

I'm almost too embarrassed to post this. Oh, the shame!

[Geonz]

Yesterday somebody at work said to me, in complete seriousness, "I bet you're loving this beautiful weather!" Hey, it was 40 degrees and only cloudy! Riding in 2 degrees makes it beautiful then and it doesn't take quite as long to dress :D

[shootingstar]

Do cycle about 2-4 degrees below freezing...helps there isn't a strong wind chill factor. Distance max. is about 30 kms. No more. But better than nothing just to keep muscle memory alive. :)

But only if there is no snow or ice. Black ice I can do...but only in non-hilly sections. I've fallen off bike twice in last few years on black ice.

I actually prefer to cycle at approx 5-10 degrees above freezing...rather than at very hot temp. I am more willing to go farther at lower temp.

[Geonz]

I also wilt badly in the heat.
It's supposed to get all Siberian again this weekend - down near 0 F (our weather guy says we won't go as low as the long-term forecast unless we get snow cover int he meanwhile). Those are the days, though, that make today's 25 feel pretty good.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I divide my winter exercise activities between fitness walking, biking, and snowshoeing- depending on the weather, snow, and road conditions.

I do find that it is the most difficult to keep warm when biking (self-made wind chill, more exposed hands and feet that can't move around enough to keep circulation going...). So, when you look at the thermometer and it's just too cold to bike....it may not be too cold at all to do a brisk walk or jog and be able to keep perfectly comfy. My hands and feet particularly stay warmer when walking in the cold than when biking.
I can be perfectly warm doing a 5 mile fitness walk in 10 F, -when I'd be totally freezing my butt off on my bike. ;)

[kat_h]

I find that I can dress for the cold okay for shorter rides (up to 1 hour or so), but the bike doesn't like the cold. It's fine when I leave the house and the bike has been inside, but if I have to leave the bike outside for a few hours then it's hard to get it going again. The grease gets thick in the bearings. Once I get going it warms up and is fine. We've been quite lucky so far this winter, but February is sure to have some cold snaps. I'd like to keep a second bike with thinner grease and studded tires.

I stopped riding to work every day because I got tired of cars throwing gravel up into my face when they passed me. The highway gets gravelled after it snows, and I was just being hammered by the rocks. Within the city it's okay and I'll still ride to work some days, but not every day.

[kat_h]

I just came across a website with some winter riding tips - http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikewinter/index.htm

Some of it is obvious, like leaving extra time when commuting in the snow, but some of it is pretty good, like shift often to prevent snow from jamming up the chain. It's nice to see a city trying to encourage winter commuting.

[sundial]

So, when you look at the thermometer and it's just too cold to bike....it may not be too cold at all to do a brisk walk or jog and be able to keep perfectly comfy.

Brrrr, self-made wind chill. http://bestsmileys.com/cold/3.gif

I found it helps to head for the woods on my mtb on really cold days. It seems to be warmer there.

[Dogmama]

My toes freeze at 40 degrees. I've been known to put sandwich baggies on my toes before putting them in my shoes. Along with wool socks, it works pretty well. Just don't let the edges of the baggies poke out of your shoes...very tacky.

[Geonz]

LIkewise newspapers work as extra layers. Some of our local rags, they're better at that than news :eek:

[Dogmama]

LIkewise newspapers work as extra layers. Some of our local rags, they're better at that than news :eek:

Thus the term "street pajamas."

Yes, there are days that I wish I had a bird so that I could make good use out of the newspaper.

[indysteel]

Here's an interesting NYT article on exercising in the cold:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/health/nutrition/17BEST.html?ref=health

Interestingly, I just had a conversation with a friend who said that her doctor has advised her against exercising in less than 50 degree weather because she apparently has allergy-induced (not exercise-induced) asthma. I'd never heard her complain of having asthma before but whatever.....The point I took from the article is that that if dry weather, not cold weather, restricts airways, then people with asthma should presumably be able to exercise in cold, damp weather. Is that true?

Temps are supposed to be below zero on Sunday and I have to admit that I intend to forego running outside.

[weathergal]

.....The point I took from the article is that that if dry weather, not cold weather, restricts airways, then people with asthma should presumably be able to exercise in cold, damp weather. Is that true?


I'm not sure about asthma, but humidity can be deceiving when it's cold. When temperatures are colder the air is able to "hold" less water vapor. Even when it's damp out, the dewpoint (one way to measure water vapor content) is low in the winter time, often in the 20s and 30s or even lower. The temperature is also lower, and thus the relative humidity is high and we can get snow, freezing drizzle, whatever. But during a sunny day in the summer, the air can "hold" more water vapor and the dewpoint and temperature will be much higher, even though the relative humidity is lower and there is no precipitation.

I've probably really mucked up that explanation, but the point is it can be deceptively dry during the winter. So maybe that's what's irritating to people who have asthma.

[kat_h]

I find dry air is easier on my asthma. Last week I had the bike out for two days and both days I needed a cup of tea for my throat afterwards, but I didn't have an asthma attack. By contrast when I was living in England or Germany, or when I've visited Vancouver in the winter, I have a lot of trouble with asthma.

[OakLeaf]

I have allergic asthma, but no one who doesn't know me well would know I have it. Asthma doesn't have to be a choking, inhaler-grabbing, land in the ER thing. It can be fairly subtle, like mine (and it's plenty, and thank goodness I don't have that severe kind).

Generally I'm much better in dry, cooler environments. That could be simply because allergens are lower (damp breeds mold and dust mites, and warm breeds pollen).

But the main thing is, any time I'm exercising I'm MUCH better, because my immune system is suppressed.

I know cold, dry weather is awful for people with EIA, but I'm really not sure the same is true for people with allergic asthma.

[indysteel]

I hope my comment about my friend's asthma wasn't seen as dismissive of asthma as a serious condition. It's just that my friend complains about a lot of ailments that I've seen zero evidence and it's made me a bit skeptical of her. The slightest twinge, ache, tickle, etc. sends her to the doctor, to bed, to the massage therapist, prevents her from exercising, etc. She's almost always "fighting" something. I've known her for about 7 years, however, and have only actually seen her truly sick a handful of times. It's actually a bit of a running joke in our circle. Even her family, which includes several doctors, chides her about it. So, when she said she had asthma after having never mentioned it before, I had to raise my eyebrow.