How cold is too cold?

[Geonz]

I also wilt badly in the heat.
It's supposed to get all Siberian again this weekend - down near 0 F (our weather guy says we won't go as low as the long-term forecast unless we get snow cover int he meanwhile). Those are the days, though, that make today's 25 feel pretty good.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I divide my winter exercise activities between fitness walking, biking, and snowshoeing- depending on the weather, snow, and road conditions.

I do find that it is the most difficult to keep warm when biking (self-made wind chill, more exposed hands and feet that can't move around enough to keep circulation going...). So, when you look at the thermometer and it's just too cold to bike....it may not be too cold at all to do a brisk walk or jog and be able to keep perfectly comfy. My hands and feet particularly stay warmer when walking in the cold than when biking.
I can be perfectly warm doing a 5 mile fitness walk in 10 F, -when I'd be totally freezing my butt off on my bike.

[kat_h]

I find that I can dress for the cold okay for shorter rides (up to 1 hour or so), but the bike doesn't like the cold. It's fine when I leave the house and the bike has been inside, but if I have to leave the bike outside for a few hours then it's hard to get it going again. The grease gets thick in the bearings. Once I get going it warms up and is fine. We've been quite lucky so far this winter, but February is sure to have some cold snaps. I'd like to keep a second bike with thinner grease and studded tires.

I stopped riding to work every day because I got tired of cars throwing gravel up into my face when they passed me. The highway gets gravelled after it snows, and I was just being hammered by the rocks. Within the city it's okay and I'll still ride to work some days, but not every day.

[kat_h]

I just came across a website with some winter riding tips - http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikewinter/index.htm

Some of it is obvious, like leaving extra time when commuting in the snow, but some of it is pretty good, like shift often to prevent snow from jamming up the chain. It's nice to see a city trying to encourage winter commuting.

[sundial]

So, when you look at the thermometer and it's just too cold to bike....it may not be too cold at all to do a brisk walk or jog and be able to keep perfectly comfy.

Brrrr, self-made wind chill.

I found it helps to head for the woods on my mtb on really cold days. It seems to be warmer there.

[Dogmama]

My toes freeze at 40 degrees. I've been known to put sandwich baggies on my toes before putting them in my shoes. Along with wool socks, it works pretty well. Just don't let the edges of the baggies poke out of your shoes...very tacky.

[Geonz]

LIkewise newspapers work as extra layers. Some of our local rags, they're better at that than news