I've fallen off the back!

Okay, it's just too cold for me this week. That big cold front has the Midwest looking like what I imagine Norway looks like - frozen rutted ice blobs waiting for you in the road and single digit temps.

When I had so many layers on I looked like Randy from Christmas Story, I opted for the trainer and coach Troy. AND, all those work colleagues who shake their heads when I do ride in are now shaking their heads that the crazy woman has given up - I think I must be some sort of strange mascot for them!

So whats the limit for you fellow commuters cold-wise?

I rode inthis morning, and it was 29 degrees. I really like the cold weather, so it will have to get really cold before I say uncle.

But remember, it is only a 15 or 20 min ride in.

I'm sad to say that due to climate change our normally chilly December now has 10 deg. C and rain... That's apparently 50 deg F.

Oslo doesn't really get that cold, but last winter I stopped cycling at -10-11 deg. C/12-14 deg. F, and I've only biked once in -13 deg. C/9 deg. F. Gets really hard to keep my feet warm!

Cross-country skiing in the mountains in -18-20 deg C/ around 0 F is no problem though, but my ski boots are a lot warmer and a lot roomier.

Not too cold for me at the moment, but too chuffing windy! UK doesn't really get silly cold much. However my part of the UK seems to have had strong winds for the last month and I really can't face commuting in it. In the winter I only commute once a week anyway, its 18 miles each way into the prevailing wind in the morning and at the moment I just can't be bothered battling it for over an hour to get to work. At least when I run its a loop so I only run into the wind for part of it, if I'm commuting I'm into the wind for the whole time with no let up. :( :( :( I didn't commute yesterday and I'm really glad I didn't - massive wind gusts and it absolutely lashed in the evening. Its only 25mph wind today, feels positively still!

I don't do icy conditions either - broke my fingers one year skidding on black ice on the way into work. Thankfully ice is rare, especially for my current commute which heads to the coast (hence windy all the time).

I draw the line when it is under 20 especially when it is windy

It has been in the single digits and teens all week when I have to ride into work, there are ice patches and the wind chill has been a bear lately. That is just not fun. I have Renaud's in my hands so my fingers will turn all white by the time I get to work - I hate that!

Not sure what my limit is, but today was my coldest yet, 25F. Other than cold hands and toes, I was fine, so I guess I can make it till it gets a little colder, especially if I get better gloves and shoe covers. I lost my sunglasses with clear lenses yesterday, so my eyes felt a bit frostbitten this morning.

I haven't been able to commute to work since last Monday. We still have snow on the ground in places and the morning temps are in the teens. I can't dress warm enough for those temps. If the thermometer creeps up to the mid-20's, I will ride. I look like the pillsbury doughboy when I finally get dressed...(I'm only 4'10", on the heavy side). I miss my commute. I now ride the trainer for 40 min, shower and then walk to the train (a mile or more). Now I have shin splints from walking on crusty ice/snow where people don't clear their walks. This morning, the train didn't show up, so I was 30 min later. I should have ridden my bike.....

So far it's been 14 and above - I have a 7 mile commute. I did 25 miles out on the prairie when it was 18 on Sunday (just for Howard) and it was starting to bite through my three layers.
There's a window of hurtin' fingers for about 7 minutes ... this morning I was just *hoping* and believing that it was, indeed, a window and my fingers weren't going to be ice blocks by the time I arrived. (It did motivate me to pedal harder!) Yea, by the time I hit Neil Street I could feel the furnace fire up and even that littlepinky was cookin' before long.
Last year it got down to 4 once.
It does take longer to layer up (and down)! I still really like riding by those gas stations... and those six other riders goin' the other way and the trash collecting dudes ...
I just might, might get some booties though, assuming they're cheaper than shoes. My sneakers are mesh and the duck-boots are cumbersome.

Oh, and yesterday's gratuitous 7 miles in laps-around-campus were pretty darned good trainnig (usually the commute really isn't) - not quite as good as the inside ride to "Train Right" at the LBS ithat I"m going to miss tonight (True confession, it's the guys ... okay the guy... in the peanut gallery that I miss more than the sweating ;) ;))

So far we have been anywhere from 11-18F. degrees in the mornings the last couple weeks. Sometimes there is a light wind that will knock the windchill into the single digits, but it hasn't bothered me yet. We got our first snow here in Boise last Thursday and that has left some nice icy patches, but nothing too bad. I haven't found my limit temperature-wise yet, however, when it gets really icy I will draw the line. Oh, I have a twenty-four mile, round trip commute.

I dont know how you ride in those temps. I dont want to go out when its 35 degrees. I feel like my fingers are going to fall off. What do you put on your face to protect it from the wind???

Yea, I've kinda given up on outdoor riding too. :( Not so much because of the cold, but snow and ice on the road shoulders. I keep hinting about studded tires but DH really doesn't want me riding on the highway when there is ice on the road. And actually, I'm not to keen on that either. Too bad most of my commute is on really busy roads.

I've ridden in the single digits and except for my feet freezing it's not too bad. I have found that because I sweat alot I can't stop for more than a swig of water and quality time with a kleenex. I cool off very quickly and then get really cold.

I don't know how I'm going to keep my feet warm. I have wind socks and Am-Fib covers, but I still can't ride for more than about a half hour before they have no feeling. On longer rides I use the chemical toe warmers, but that's to expensive to use for an hour commute everyday. Ah well. At least I've got good gloves and a nice face wrap for the rest of the exposed skin.

The weather people keep saying we are suppose to have a mild winter, so I just have to wait out the snow and ice on my trainer. bikerHen

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Originally Posted by Tater

So far we have been anywhere from 11-18F. degrees in the mornings the last couple weeks. Sometimes there is a light wind that will knock the windchill into the single digits, but it hasn't bothered me yet. We got our first snow here in Boise last Thursday and that has left some nice icy patches, but nothing too bad. I haven't found my limit temperature-wise yet, however, when it gets really icy I will draw the line. Oh, I have a twenty-four mile, round trip commute.

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How do you layer to keep "warm" enough to ride? I really would prefer to ride...the ice is getting less on the sides of the road, but I am so cold by the time I get to work. I am layered so much, I can't seem to get my legs to pump very fast. But, alas, I do prefer to ride. I sweat so much that, if I stop for a light, I freeze even more and it doesn't become fun. I guess I am just experiencing "commuter bike ride withdrawal". The walk to the trax station helps, but it so much nicer having bike wheels under me....

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Originally Posted by suzieqtwa

I dont know how you ride in those temps. I dont want to go out when its 35 degrees. I feel like my fingers are going to fall off. What do you put on your face to protect it from the wind???

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SuzieQ,
I don't commute to work but I've been riding in the cold a lot lately. My usual ride is 2 hrs.
It's the fingers and toes that are hardest to keep warm I think. As for my face, I wear a Louis Garneau "junior" balaclava (look for it on TE under head gear), and also a Smartwool helmet liner on top of that, then my helmet. The SW liner covers over your ears as well. Most balaclavas are way too big for me, but this junior size one fits like a glove. The balaclava's face opening can be arranged in various degrees of coverage. Wear like just a hat, with the neck part folded up like a brim if you want. Or, have your whole face exposed in the opening when it's not too freezing. In the real cold, pull it closer around your forehead and cheekbones and pull up over your chin. You can even pull it up over your mouth if you want. My balaclava is thin and silky, so it fits under helmet well. But it seems pretty warm and keeps my neck, chin, and cheeks warm down to the 17 degreeF wind chill factor the other day with gusty winds for 2 hours. I had my SW liner on as well. Both fit fine under my helmet. It was my hands and feet that were complaining more.

Alrighty, here is a list of my winter-below-20 degrees-riding-attire. When I get home tonight, I'll have DH take a few pics and I'll post what I look like. (:eek: ! :p )

Feet:
- whatever wool/wool blend socks I can find in my sock drawer. I don't do cotton, my feet will freeze! Learned that one while running!
- Specialized Taho cycling shoes
- Gator neoprene booties

Legs:
- cycling shorts
- heavy weight tights. These aren't cycling specific, actually they are running tights but they work wonderfully for cycling (lightweight and warm).
- wind pants. Got these at REI and love them. They aren't bulky, have zippered legs and really do stop the wind.

Torso:
- light-weight long sleeved, wicking base layer.
- long sleeved jersey
- arm skins
- storm proof jacket. Got one at REI that is water proof and wind proof. Tested it out in last Thursday's snowy afternoon ride and it worked really well.

Head/face
- Headsweats fleece skull cap
- Gator face mask. I love this thing! Keeps my face toasty, well as ear parts that the Headsweats didn't cover.
- Helmet, duh!

Hands
- Thinsulate lined, wind proof, water proof gloves. Again, not cycling specific, but they work really well.

On my ride home, if the temperatures rise above thirty degrees, I will stuff the wind pants and arm skins in my pack. I will also switch out my gloves for a pair of Specialized winter riding gloves.

Hope that helps!

My cold weather attire looks a lot like Taters except that I use buffs for my head and face (sometimes polar ones when temps are below 30). My commute is 13 miles, but hilly enough that I exert enough to stay warm. Getting caught at the long traffic lights are killer though!

This has been our coldest week yet but since I got a new 'go fast' bike, I've been skipping my commute in the interest of lunch time rides. I figure I've got 2 weeks to make absolutely sure that this is the bike for me, so I'm riding it as much as possible (I won't commute in the dark on these tires...too much debris). Because of this, my coldest commute is still around 35 degrees even though it's been in the low 20's in the morning this week.

We also don't get much snow here...so I don't see that slowing me down much. I can say that I will NOT ride in the freezing rain. Apparently, in NC, 32 degrees does not mean snow! It can be in the upper 20's and still be raining...then the water freezes when it hits surfaces, like car windows, roads, trees, etc. No way I'd be out on a bike in that.

The coldest I've ever ridden (commuted) in was 19 degrees F.
I have a ~7.25 mile ride and within 1 mile, I have a long uphill, so I warm up pretty quickly on that! :eek:
I use a HeadSweats skull cap and a Sugoi helmet cover and for really cold days, a neoprene face mask (newer ones are lined with fleece...I gotta get me one of those!). Not-so-cold days, I can go with just a balaclava pulled up over my chin/nose. It's easier to vent (i.e., shed) the balaclave when you need to breath, I find.
Hands require lobster gloves (3-fingered) and maybe a liner.
The rest I just layer, and try to make sure I leave room in the panniers to carry those layers in the afternoon if/when it warms up some!
But...I'm out of practice, having not commuted in some time. So all of this is from last year! :mad:

... and it never fails, after whining about the temp and the ice, I pass a young man on his bike this morning on the way to work. No helmet, no hat, no gloves, jeans and sneakers with a light weight jacket and the temp around oh, 15 -20 degrees. :eek: Riding his box store bike through the frozen slush. Makes me feel like a total weenie! bikerHen

Thanks Tater for your info. It is good information. We are now looking at "haze" in the Salt Lake Valley. That will keep a yukky blanket over town and keep the temps low. I hope the "haze" doesn't stay around too long....It can get really depressing. I will evaluate my "layering" and try to commute again if the temps hit mid-20's in the morning. I leave at 4:15am, so I don't worry too much about traffic at that hour, but if the "haze" settles in, I won't tempt fate...

I am in a contest with other teachers so I may ride when it is colder than it already has been. We are a stubborn group...lol So far no one has bailed. I will admit they closed school for two days.