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?
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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?
For me the magic number is around 32, depending on wind chill and the conditions of the road.
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!"
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).
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...
It's never too cold.... :D
SheFly
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.
25-28 F with no wind is generally my lower limit for rides of 1-2 hours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.
I'll ditto that.
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.
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
For me it's got to be above 32F/0C and it can't be too windy. Sunny is a real plus.
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.
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!
I love reading the Ice Bike thread on BikeJournal. And watching Howard's videos of riding on ice/snow is a hoot!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.Quote:
I'll take a 25F day over 100+ heat every time.
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
ARE YOU NUTS!Quote:
Originally Posted by sundial
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.
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.
Hot flashes keep me warm. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandi
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.)
Brandi,I'm sure we're not the only ones feeling that sentimentQuote:
Originally Posted by Brandi
Thanks! I needed a good giggle!Quote:
Originally Posted by sundial
Whew! For a minute I thought I lost you. :)
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!
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!)
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
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycanuck
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.
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:
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!Quote:
Originally Posted by Popoki_Nui
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.
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
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.
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.Quote:
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.
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:
That's crazy!! Now tubing across a frozen pond, that's my kind of sport. :DQuote:
SheFly is brave enough to ride across ICY PONDS! One tough lady, indeed. She is my heroine!!
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.