cold weather clothes?

[Dogmama]

PM Denise Goldberg at http://forums.teamestrogen.com/member.php?u=513. She cycles through incredibly cold weather.

[DeniseGoldberg]

PM Denise Goldberg at http://forums.teamestrogen.com/member.php?u=513. She cycles through incredibly cold weather.

Wow Dogmama - I thought I was being a baby! It's newfsmith who commutes to work year-round, and she lives in the Boston area too!

Seriously though, I do try to ride year-round, but my cold weather rides are usually limited to an hour or two. I'm ok into the 30s. I think I might be able to wander down to the mid-20s, but I haven't had to try it yet this year.

The key for me is definitely layers, as Aint Doody said above. I too use extra heat for my feet; the brand I've been happy with so far is Heat Treat toe warmers. I get them from REI. I love the name of the warmers Aint Doody says she uses - but I have a bit of a stock of Heat Treats because they are cheaper if you buy 10 or more at once. (I've been buying 10 or more at a time easily since one of the guys I work with cycles through the winter too, and we split the warmers and the cost...).

I use my regular cycling shoes, thin socks (because that's all that fits in my shoes), PI AmFib shoe covers, and a Heat Treat warmer on each foot. My regular cycling shorts covered by either PI AmFib tights or by REI Polartec Powerstretch tights. Lots of layers on top. Temperature dependent, but I usually start with an REI MTS mid-weight sleeveless long underwear shirt, covered by a Patagonia R.5 shirt, a Patagonia R1 shirt, and a windbreaker. If it's really cold I also add a fleece vest and/or a neck warmer. And unbelieveably enough, yes, I can still move! On my hands, I wear either PI winter gloves or Lobster mits. I wear ear bags on my ears, and a Pearl Izumi skull cap under my helmet.

Wow, that sounds like a lot of clothing! But it does work, and I'm happier if I can get out on my bike for even a little while.

It's more than possible that you have enough layers of clothing that will work for you without buying something special - other than things like shoe covers...

Oh, and I don't put anything special on my face - just my normal moisturizer.

Have fun, and keep us posted on your cold weather rides!

--- Denise

[SpinSis]

Thanks for your thorough description, Denise. I "hung up" my bike in November, thinking that was what all Northeastern cyclists did....but then I've noticed some gals and guys heading off to Newton through Brookline for rides, or riding out in my bf's area (Bedford), and the itch to be on the bike is back! I'm still a little intimidated by road safety (with all that extra dirt/sand), and even though I grew up cross country skiing, I'm struggling to wrap my head abour "cold weather bike gear". Your message was perfect!

I've got shoe covers and cold weather jackets on some website wish lists, waiting to move into my shopping cart. Now I'll add the toe thingies you mentioned. Does anyone out there use a balaclava, or am I better with the skullcap and earwarmers? I also welcome any recommendations or links to other threads on bike maintenance and riding in the winter.

I guess I'll dust off the bike now, rather than in March!
S

[DeniseGoldberg]

...I'm still a little intimidated by road safety (with all that extra dirt/sand...

Does anyone out there use a balaclava, or am I better with the skullcap and earwarmers?

I think it's probably better to be intimidated by the extra sand & salt on the road than not. I am much more careful about picking the "clean" roads when I'm out this time of year.

A guy I work with rides year round too, and he prefers a balaclava to my choice of ear bags + skull cap. At that level, I think it comes down to personal preference, based on comfort and on which pieces you own!

Oh, and you're in the Boston area. Did you see the Party for the girls thread under Northeast? Some of us are getting together on January 28th at Naked Fish in Framingham - as a farewell for Spazz before she moves to the west coast. Add a note there if you're interested in joining us.

--- Denise

[CorsairMac]

OK - I'm the "wussy" winter bike commuter since it doesn't get as cold here but I wear a polypro balaclava whenever the temps dip below 40. I'm asthmatic and as long as I can breathe warmed air I seem to do ok. I've noticed that the balaclava helps keep my cheeks from getting chapped to! I just have to remember to pull my glasses away from my face slightly when I stop so they don't fog up!

This mornings commute: 31 with a windchill of 20
Polypro Balaclava, Headband, Helmet
REI LongUnderwear, UnderArmour, LS Jersey, REI Cycling Jacket
Polypro glove liners, PE Lobster Claws
Fleece-lined leg warmers, shorts, overtights, REI rain pants
Smart Wool Socks, SealSkinz Socks, Neoprene Shoe Covers

Now I'll be the first to say I hate the cold and hate being cold and my commute is 6 miles downhill so I don't get much of a chance to really get warm before I get to work so I probably tend to wear more clothes than some of the rest of you.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Oh, and something else I discovered in the last couple of weeks when my bike insisted on riding even though it was only 25 degrees (Fahrenheit).... I've started to wear my knee warmers in addition to shorts and powerstretch tights. Having that extra layer on my knees works really well.

--- Denise

[nuthatch]

I finally got some neoprene shoe covers and, boy, do they make a difference! I also use a balaclava with the nose thingy that has a cutout on the bottom (fer snot wipin') and a mesh area at the mouth. That has really helped me with not feeling smothered by the balaclava when I'm working hard.

The problem is breathability. I'm getting pretty sweaty if I add a windbreaker but it's just too cold to do without it. Mine's just a Canari windbreaker - are those fancy soft shell wind jackets better for this? Do you guys find yourselves constantly unzipping and rezipping? I know I've complained about this here before but it's been a whole year, so I thought I'd bring it up again.

Corsair, it must have taken you 45 minutes to disrobe when you got to work! Denise, I like the knee warmer idea!