winter cyclists - what is the hurdle?

[Eden]

Toes - if you are really serious about riding all winter long and want to keep your clipless pedals invest in some winter riding shoes. I have pair of winter Sidis that I love. I wear them with liner socks and thick wool socks (I kind of have to.... they don't really come small enough for me..), and will add toe warmers when it is very cold.

Fingers - much harder, but smartwool glove liners with a nice thick windproof glove over the top, also adding hand warmers when it is really cold. I still have problems with achy, burning fingers sometimes, but this helps.

It also helps your extremities to keep your core nice and warm - you body won't be trying to steal all of that blood to keep your organs warm, so wear a base layer and windproof layer.

[NbyNW]

What a great thread!

My big hurdle last year was the cold. I was all set with lights and warm clothes, but then I got the flu over Thanksgiving, which in turn triggered some cold-induced asthma, which had not been an issue for me in many years. I was not able to get my lungs clear all winter.

Hoping I can acclimate myself to the cold air a bit better this year, but the temps have been dropping quickly here!

[Grog]

I'd say temperature regulation is a problem that hits before street condition and darkness. Even before it's too dark and too slippery for most people to ride, there is the issue of keeping one's body temperature adequate: not too hot, not too high.

In my personal experience, this has required a lot of experimentation, and I'm still experimenting. But I take it for granted that I'll have a shower at destination, so I don't mind if I get too hot. If I was cycling in the plain clothes that I wear through my work day, I'd be a lot more reluctant to keep doing it when the conditions change.

Here there is also the added problem of rain.

But, if a lot of your co-workers have only a short distance to commute (less than 5 km) I'm sure you can convince them to try it.

[lph]

Thanks for all the positive feedback

I'm leaning towards a 2 or 3-part article on our intranet pages - 1. introduction to winter biking, covering just the basics and how to ride comfortably down to 0 deg C, with maybe an option to buy the basics through me, - 2. intro to riding below freezing: studded tires, good specialized winter biking clothing (tights, jackets, winter shoes) and maybe - 3. useful tips for riding down to -15 C, which is about as cold as it gets here, thermo shoe covers, lobster gloves, how to protect your face, winter maintenance tips.

It's taken me several winters of regular commuting to figure out what works best for me, so I'm thinking this could be useful to pass on to others. I have to be a bit careful about getting preachy, though I can't stand wearing waterproof stuff unless I really have to, for instance, but I pass people every day wearing expensive Goretex shells in dry, sunny weather so I have to assume opinions differ.

[nancielle]

I readily admit to being a winter wuss. I don't like driving in winter weather let alone cycling in it. My greatest concern is snow accumulation. We get a lot of it here. Picturing just my street, it's challenging enough in good weather as cars get parked on either side and it's difficult for cars to pass safely at times. The street narrows once the snows arrive and it gets plowed to the sides of the road (if we're lucky) and with cars parked next to the snowbanks (a bit further out than before) it's even more of a challenge to be able to ride safely.

[papaver]

Darkness isn't really an issue in Belgium... every street has streetlights...

I never have cold or cold feet for that matter.

[skhill]

Awesome thread.

Snow/ice keep me off the bike, but that's not something we get all that much of. The bigger obstacle is the wind. I've biked down to 5 F on a calm day, but if the wind is 20mph or more and the temp is very much under freezing, it's just too much for me. And we get a fair bit of wind in the winter here.

What I've worked hardest to do is find ways to keep hands and feet warm. Multiple layers of gloves/mittens help a lot. For my feet, I have a fantastically warm pair of boots, with room for multiple layers of socks, but they're so huge that I have to take my toe clips off.

Then there's the problem of my glasses fogging up; haven't really figured that one out yet. But who really needs to see where they're going, anyway?

[Selkie]

Snow and ice definitely will keep me from riding outdoors. One wipeout on a black ice covered bridge taught me a lesson on that!

Last year, I decided that it wasn't worth riding outside when it's really cold---say below 20-25 degrees. I ride for endurance, so I'm usually out for 90 minutes or longer. In those types of temps, even the best winter gear doesn't cut it when you're out for extended periods.

I will cut my mileage some when it gets into the 30s, however. Like Crankin, I'm now cross training more and expect to be doing more of other athletic activities that I enjoy when it's too miserable to ride outside. Winter ends and there will be plenty of comfortable riding on dry pavement come spring.

[Becky]

Darkness isn't really an issue in Belgium... every street has streetlights...

You are very fortunate indeed. Some of the darkest sections of my commute are the most urban sections, where the city can't be bothered (or can't afford) to fix the broken streetlights.

Then there's the problem of my glasses fogging up; haven't really figured that one out yet.

I've had reasonably good luck with a lens-cleaning product called "Cat Crap". It seems to help with the fogging, although I still pull my glasses away from my face at traffic lights to avoid excessive fogging.

[malkin]

Quite often for a cold-outside-ride I end up too bundled up or not quite warm enough. I quit worrying about it though when I realized that I am often over or under dressed for fall or spring rides too; it seems like the only time I get it right is when I'll be cold no-matter-what or hot no-matter-what.

[surgtech1956]

I don't commute, because its a 37 mile round trip. I would like to ride as long as possible(here in Michigan). I think my biggest obstacle is going to be the colder temps. I think I have enough clothing, except for my hands and feet. Riding certain areas in the dark I'm not excited about - I will probably do an out and back route, rather than a dark bike trail.

[lauraelmore1033]

I can do wet OR Ican do cold, but I can't do both. Unfortunately, that is usually what we get around here.

[WindingRoad]

I would say probably snow stops me more than anything. Cold I can deal with usually. My commute is short only 3 miles each way but since I moved I have some steep hills to contend with so I'm not sure how that's going to play into things when we get the first snow. All I know is last year the entire east coast was shut down, I REALLY hope it's not another winter like that. I have all the winter gear but for this short of a commute I dunno if I will want to drag it all out for 3 miles. To be honest, I've been trying to come up with a good method of getting to school by running. The whole book issue is a pain in the butt! I have a small locker at school which I've debating on using and leaving my books there on a couple of nights per week. I can comfortably handle 5 miles of running now so I figure 6 should be doable especially broken up into to 3 milers. It's just the logistics are never in my favor.