What do you consider bad weather for riding?

[emily_in_nc]

I am probably the wimpiest person on TE! I generally won't ride below about 60F -- chillier than that, I hike, run on trails, or hit the gym. I ride on the trainer all winter and have only ridden outside once since October, when we had a gorgeous 70 degree day a couple weekends ago. I also won't ride above about 94F in the summer. Fortunately, we have a LOT of days in NC between spring and fall that fall within these limits. Only a few days each summer are hotter (and I'm usually at work when the temp is that high at mid-day anyway).

I don't mind one bit taking the winters off and refuse to feel guilty! I quite enjoy concentrating on hiking for a few months and riding indoors to get a good cardio workout and keep from getting saddle sore in the spring. DH and I used to ride outdoors all winter, and I hated it. It was windy, I couldn't breathe, my nose ran like a faucet, I just couldn't get motivated to ride in the cold....I feel so relieved I don't make myself do that anymore.

I also won't ride in the rain, snow, or ice unless it's completely unavoidable; e.g., I rode in the rain a couple of times during a nine-day self-supported tour. Not much fun.... I don't mind hiking in the rain so much since with the proper rain gear and waterproof hiking boots, I actually stay dry. On the bike, it seems impossible not to end up with water in your shoes and all over your face, glasses, etc. The faster you go, the wetter you get!

WIMP AWARD WINNER HERE!!!!

Emily

[mimitabby]

Yeah, Emily, you can keep that award, I'm not going to take it away from you.

I have noticed in the past that when the temps get close to 90, I fail... i slow down and start getting too hot. That's 32 deg celsius.

On the other end of the scale, I won't be riding below freezing. A guy in our bike club hit black ice last week and at 2 mph he fell down and broke his hip and his femur (yes, that's the big bone)!! that's awful. he's a veteran rider of thousands and thousands of miles.
I have no business riding when there could be ice.

and on the watery side of the spectrum, if it's raining pretty bad when we are supposed to start, i probably won't..

drizzle i can do. and what we call spitting or misting. I can handle that too.

[silver]

my cold limits: needs to be no colder than 35 to 40F, SUNNY, winds no more than about 15 mph. I might get starter a little colder if there's hope for it warming up.

Warm limits: I've ridden in weather up to about 102F. I think I could ride in hotter maybe up to 105F. Seems like it could be unsafe much hotter.

I wouldn't ride in snow or ice. Just cause I'm afraid of falling right now.

I don't too much mind a light rain after I get started, but I won't start a ride if it's raining.

It's been interesting to see other people's limits. I don't feel quite as much like a wimp now, seeing that I'm not the only one who doens't like the cold.

[sbctwin]

Well, I had high hopes to commute all winter this year. But I lasted maybe one month into the "cold morning temps". When it finally got consistantly lower than 20F for my morning commute (done at 4:30am), I couldn't keep my feet and hands warm enough. Only 5 miles, but uphill and I couldn't feel my feet. I did get to ride some in Dec 06 when our temps were mild. As far as heat, I melt when it gets too hot, but I have finished a ride when it had reached 100F. I can't get enough liquids in me at those temps. I sweat profusely....

[Veronica]

I've commuted as low as 26 degrees F this year. It's only a two mile trip. My legs get super cold though, since I wear my work clothes. I've seen ice several mornings.

My fingers were getting too cold with the AmPhib gloves I have, so I started wearing my winter motorcycling gloves. They are a little bit better. My feet don't get cold. I wear Smartwool socks and my waterproof Keens.

For hot, we're in the 90s all summer here. I like the heat. I sweat a lot and since it's a dry heat, my sweat actually does what it's supposed to.

I think the hottest I've ridden in is 105 in Death Valley.

V.

[Velobambina]

I won't ride if there's snow/ice on the pavement. If it's below 40 degrees and raining hard, I won't ride, either. Nothing worse than being wet and cold.

It's never too cold to ride in dry conditions, so long as you layer correctly & use chemical hand/foot warmers. Only one thing is to remember that your gatorade might freeze, so bring along some Shot Bloks! When it is really hot, I just make sure I hydrate sufficiently and take it easy. I used to train for marathons in the worst of DC's heat/humidity, so riding a bike in it is much easier than running!!

SheFly is our official Queen of adverse conditions, going out in the dark when it's 15 degrees outside! She can ride on ice covered ponds, for crying out loud!!!!!!!

[KayTee]

I'll ride most days it's above 10 F but don't like ice/snow, rain or winds above 30 mph. Today we had to cut our ride short. We started in off-and-on mist, but then that turned to rain, then mixed with sleet. It was fun, but people were getting cold and wet. I don't like slick roads or not being as visible to cars in bad weather - cars really don't look for bikes on the road in dark, rainy conditions.

[SheFly]

SheFly is our official Queen of adverse conditions, going out in the dark when it's 15 degrees outside! She can ride on ice covered ponds, for crying out loud!!!!!!!

LOL! Thanks, VB!

At my house, we ride all year. And in New England, that means some pretty adverse conditions. I think the coldest ride I have done was a couple of years ago - it was -5F when we started . The only reason we actually stop riding is if we have a lot of snow - then we switch to x-country skiing and/or snow shoeing instead. This hasn't happened in the past couple of years though.

We did an awesome road ride yesterday. Temp here was about 37F (which was bikini weather compared to the previous two days). Only trouble was the roads were completely salt laden. We had it everywhere when we got home!

Will likely go out and hit the ponds again tonight - just for fun .

BTW - I may be great in the cold/ice/snow, but I DON'T like the heat...

SheFly

[CR400]

My limit temp wise I haven't figured that out yet, because it hasn't got cold enough here yet. Lowest ride so far in a balmy 18F. For snow depth I know that 3inches is still rideable but 13 is not, so maybe 6 or 8. Then again it depends on the kind of snow too. Is it the light and fluffy kind you would rather ski on or the wet and heavy that gives people heart attacks shoveling.
With the heavy I would imagine anything over 2 would be difficult, 4 just possible any more yikes, can you say max heart rate.

[bmccasland]

I'm with Emily and Maureen - fair southern flower

To answer the original question - "thunder and lightening, very very frightening" and hurricanes are out too.

We start training for the MS tour in July, when the temperature is around 95F and 95% humidity. And we're riding after work, not in the mornings when it might be a little better...

Count me in on the running for a whimp award! But when it come to what passes for "cold winter" in these southern climes, I want to stay warm. So I suppose my lower limit is something around 50F, but I have riden when it was colder, but the sun was out.

I draw the line at lightening, especially riding on top of a levee, where me and my bike are the tallest things out there.

[CR400]

Oops, of course a thunderstorm. Can't think of much else that truely temps fate while cycling, than to be on a metal bike during a thunderstorm. Especially if you are possibly going to be the tallest thing around.

I can't wait I'm thinking about going out really early around 6am on Monday the low here is predicted to be less then 5F. Ok it will only be for about a mile, but just so I can say I did it, and thus forces my guy riding buddies to try it.

[GLC1968]

I haven't really found my 'limits' yet either. Since I didn't start riding until I moved here to NC where it's pretty mild, I haven't had much of a chance.

I won't ride in an ice storm, or in nasty lightning...or winds much above 25mph (if it can be avoided), but other than that, I'm game.

I regularly ride in temps above 100F degrees (and 99% humidity) in the summer here. In the winter, we haven't had snow yet (to speak of) but I've ridden a few rides below freezing and was quite comfortable. Like I mentioned above, it's quite mild here. I did grow up a nothern girl though...so I don't see cold temps holding me back should I ever encounter them! I've also had a few rides in torrential rains...not easy, but kind of a fun challenge!

[Maureen Valley]

Wow...I'm like Emily. We're both Wimpettes. I heard tomorrow the high will be only 50 degrees and mentally made a note to go to the gym instead of riding. I've turned into a HOT HOUSE PLANT since moving to Florida. I biked in the snow in Minnesota and shrink in horror, now, when it gets just a tad chilly. I guess, knowing I can bike 365 days a year makes it easy to be picky picky picky.

Best to all:
Maureen the Wimp

[emily_in_nc]

Wow...I'm like Emily. We're both Wimpettes. I heard tomorrow the high will be only 50 degrees and mentally made a note to go to the gym instead of riding. I've turned into a HOT HOUSE PLANT since moving to Florida. I biked in the snow in Minnesota and shrink in horror, now, when it gets just a tad chilly. I guess, knowing I can bike 365 days a year makes it easy to be picky picky picky.

Thanks Maureen, glad I'm not the only one! It's a little daunting reading these reports of gals riding at 10F, 20F, 30F. I have ridden in cold temperatures, but I didn't like it! DH and I are considering moving to Florida when I retire. NC is too cold for us!

Emily

[MomOnBike]

I'm reasonably tough on the cold weather side - but then I have a great tolerance to cold. I've ridden my 2 mile, mostly uphill ride to work in the upper teens and felt wonderful when I got to work. About the only thing that complains about the cold is my cheeks - and my glasses, they fog up.

I don't really like riding on the packed snow/slush streets, but I'm much warmer than I would be in the car for that distance. The car is just about starting to think about warming up by the time DH drops me off. I'm toasty warm on the bike over the same distance. If the roads are very snowy/slickity, I don't ride. I like cold mornings with dry streets.

I've ridden on some pretty windy days. I don't know how hard the wind was blowing on my tour, but it beat me up pretty badly. I don't think I want to know.

Rain, up to a point, isn't all that bad. My fairing keeps some of it off me, but the front fender makes up for it by directing all the road spray into my shoe. This is annoying.

But I'm not tough, I melt in the heat, basically anything over about 75 deg F. Yuck! I hate the feel of sweat on my skin. Bleh! Humidity. Pooh! I do it, but only to get in shape so I can ride in the cooler parts of the year.