How cold does it have to be to stop you?

[PamNY]

I'm curious about cold-weather bike riding. Obviously, I'll figure out my personal tolerance on my own by experience. But since this is my first winter as a bike owner, I am wondering.

Tonight I did ten miles and felt great at about 49 degrees (no wind). There were lots of runners but few bikers on the path, though -- which I found surprising.

Pam

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I can bike ok for an hour or two down to about 25F degrees if it's sunny.....35 if it's windy with no sun. All I need is dry clear roads and good clothing.
Below 25 is really just too cold for me- my face starts hurting despite my balaclava and I can't keep my fingers from freezing even with 4 pairs of gloves (!)- I suppose 30 minutes might be ok though.

very few people around here too seem to ride when it's cold. A local bike club cuts off its rides when it's below 50- my husband and I were amazed! They must have awfully wimpy clothes.

[Biciclista]

I don't like riding below 38 degrees. It's damp here and there's black ice.
Not to mention, you get hot and sweaty from exertion, even wearing lots of wool,it gets old to be damp with foggy glasses when it's cold out.

[Geonz]

Haven't found it yet.

Coldest commute was four below zero, but it's only 7 miles.

45 degrees is about my favorite temperature - makes me giddy and exhilarated.

Heat stops me... or at least slows me 'way down.

[buddha_bellies]

Here in Vancouver, it's not the cold that stops me. It's the wet snow that gets stuck to your tire and that just becomes dangerous. Also, because we don't get a lot of snow here, when we do, the drivers are crazy! Our side streets don't get snow removal from the city, just the major roads. And since a lot of bike paths are along side streets, it's nearly impossible to ride unless you have studded tires.

I've felled over the handlebars twice in the last 12 years biking to work because of black ice. I was lucky because there was no traffic. But I am getting old and I don't know if I'm that in/sane anymore. But at the same time, our transit sucks too... decisions, decisions. I try not to think about it until the day comes.

[Eden]

I have yet to have cold do me in.... like Buddha says, its the ice that's the show stopper. When I lived in Rochester (flat as a pancake...) not even ice was a bother.

[redrhodie]

When my eyeballs freeze, it's too cold.

[bikerHen]

I've had a couple of 22 degree commutes this month. It will get colder. I think the coldest I did last year was in the single digits. I do have studded tires and they do help with the black ice. I really don't like ice. My bike handling skills aren't that good. My most memorable ride last winter was a PM commute. It was about 10 degrees, crystal clear, dark and totally exhilarated. Roads were mostly dry so there were few icy patches to worry about. I LOVE rides like that!

The only draw back to really cold weather riding is that you can't stop for very long or you get very cold. bikerHen

[Brandi]

I am a total california wimp!. If it is in the 40's I don't like to ride. I know that is terrible. I haven't ridden in over a month right now because of being out of town for work so at this moment I would take and temp to ride! Only two more days and I am back for a few months!

[wackyjacky1]

I rode to work this morning -- it was about 44 degrees. I, too, am a South Texas cold-weather wimp, so I was a little hesitant to venture out, but it turned out to be no problem at all. Based on my experience this morning, I think I'd be good down to about 35 degrees, but I don't know if I could handle it if it got much lower than that. Better cold-weather clothes would be a must for that 35-40 degree range. Fortunately it rarely gets much colder than that down here!

(Today I wore the shorts and t-shirt that I wear at work, plus a long-sleeved t-shirt, half-finger gloves, and my new-to-me, lightweight-but-stinky illumilite* jacket. I was very comfortable.)



*see my thread in the apparel forum