cold weather riding

[kimberly]

Hi ladies, When I ride in temperatures below 45 or so degrees I end up with a nasty cough for a few days. The cold air seems to disagree with my lungs. I don't cover my face when I ride though I try to keep the rest of me toasty. My toes get numb after 20 miles no matter what. I hesitate to invest in neoprene booties, it's just not that cold here for that long. Suggestions? Kim

[Veronica]

Have you tried wool socks?

V.

[cruziegirl]

You might try wearing one of those neoprene over-the-head balaclava things that just leave your eyes exposed. You'll feel just a tad dorky initially but it will warm up the air just a bit before you breath it in and that might help with the coughing. You also might consider 2 pairs of socks, 1 wool, for your feet or you could look at toe covers. Toe covers just go over the toe of your shoe and aren't quite the production to put on and take off that shoe covers can be. The toe covers will block off the ventilated portion of your shoes over your toes and keep cold air from getting in so easily.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I have both toe covers and shoe covers. I choose which ones to wear based on the temperature. And on really cold days I also use toe warmers which are really supposed to go inside your shoes, but I put them on top of my shoes and under my shoe covers. I live quite a bit further north though - the warmers might really be overkill for you. I'd recommend starting with the toe covers.

[Dogmama]

I live in the desert and I have shoe covers. I also use poor man toe warmers - plastic sandwich bags over my socks. I also use wool socks. Guess I'm a wimp.

[cruziegirl]

I have found that cold is a very relative thing. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California and there are mornings when it's so cold my lips are frozen at the end of my ride! 2 pairs of socks, lobster gloves, balaclava thing on my head...and my eyes are still watering so much in the cold I can't see!

[DirtDiva]

Hey there Kim.

I too am prone to coughing fits induced by exercise in the cold, but thankfully mine don't last as long as yours. Don't know about you, but my coughing is decidedly asthma related. I find that taking it easy for the first while is really important. I guess it gets the lungs used to the temperature a bit before they have to work too hard. Keeping well hydrated is also helpful, as is taking some Ventolin (salbuterol) before I start exercising if it's really cold, although that won't apply to you if you're not asthmatic. (Could you be? Exercise + cold is a fairly common trigger.)

Anyway, hope that is vaguely helpful.

[sarahfixit]

I get that coughing thing a lot if I don't ride enough, but if I keep to about every other day all Iget is a little tickle.
For the toes, I have to use those hunter kinda shoe warmer packs. They fit inside the shoe between the cleat plate(steel plate, grr) and the sock. Great invention. They are usually at walmart or the like. Amazing how much difference they make.

[CorsairMac]

I wear SmartWools socks to temps below about 25 then I add toe covers. I've ridden with wind chills down to 6 and my toes stayed fairly warm. As for the cough, I'm asthmatic so I may not be of much help. I wear a balaclava that covers my mouth anytime I ride in temps below freezing and even some times when the temps are warmer but I'm riding in a headwind. You could try some Primatine (sp) Mist (OTC inhaler) after your ride and see if it helps the cough.

[emily_in_nc]

Originally posted by CorsairMac
You could try some Primatine (sp) Mist (OTC inhaler) after your ride and see if it helps the cough.

And if it does help, you should go to your doctor for an asthma workup. A lot of women seem to discover that they have exercise-induced asthma when they start cycling. I have it and am now on daily preventative medication (Accolate), which makes such a difference on cold-weather rides. I breathe much better and cough much less.

Good luck!
Emily

[caligurl]

i use toe covers to keep my toes warm... i've not tried the plastic baggies cuz i've read you get wet (then cold) toes cuz they can't breath so you sweat....

i also recently bought a scarf thingy.... it has velcro to hold it on (vice the circle ones that you pull on over your head... i pull it up over my mouth when i've cold and breathe through that!

[SadieKate]

I used to get exercise/cold weather asthma also (hubby had to push me home once). I've found that increasing my fitness level and riding regularly in the cold weather has made it go away. Seems that my lungs are happier with the familiarity rather than the once a year shock so I try to keep to my routine even in the cold. We also keep our thermostat between 58-62 which reduces the shock of going in and out of the cold air (same theory applies in the summer with the AC). They know that people whose jobs take them in and out of heated or air-conditioned buildings have more respiratory problems. I'd rather put on a sweater or add a blanket and keep my lungs happy. My allergies (and therefore, sinus infection rate) has dramatically improved with regular outdoor exercise. At least for me, all these things are tied to fitness and gently perserving to get over the hump. An inhaler can help you with this also.

On the other end, I rode yesterday in stormshield socks because I can't find shoe covers small enough (and that will work with Look cleats). They worked pretty well in combination with toe covers. They are a stretchy breathable, fleece-lined lycra (or neoprene or something) sock. Solved the problem of cold ankles and didn't take up a lot of room in my shoe.

By the way, our nice sponsor carries balaclavas in a "junior" size for us people with small heads. Can't wait to try mine out here in "sunny" California!

[sarahfixit]

BRRR! 10 degrees! Has anybody found a better solution to the steel cleat mounting plate inducing frozen feet? All I can do now is those thermal handwarmy things, but that seems kinda band-aid. I am pondering forming some carbon/fiberglass plates instead(it rocks to work at a hot rod shop )

[annie]

Only solution I've found to the steel plate mounting plate that induces frozen feet is not to use it! Revert to old-style pedals and use toe straps. Its not as bad as it sounds - you tend not to go as fast during the winter anyway - keeps the windchill factor down - so not having your feet locked in isn't really that big of a thing. You are then able to wear warmer footwear plus NOT having that frozen hunk of metal stuck on the bottom of your shoe. When it's below 20 degrees, I guess I don't care as much about looks and function as about keeping warm and therefore being able to ride.

annie

[sarahfixit]

Yeah, I guess that works too. I love being clipped in, but thats why I have the platform SPD. I do use my snow boots when its really bad, but the ride shoes are so much more comfortable(aside from the ice blocks). I need some good insulated boots that are not so huge , my current ones look almost as fat as my bfs size 11. Good for snow walking though.