winter cyclists - what is the hurdle?

[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.

[lph]

I'm bumping this one up as well - I see I asked almost the same thing last year at this point

There are a lot of good points here. Feel free to add anything else!

Last year I ended up writing a starter guide for our intranet pages as mentioned, and bought a batch of thin wool helmet liners for resale. Very little feedback on the guide, though, so I'm not sure that's what people needed.

[Crankin]

I saw my response from last year; I want to add that my temperature threshold seems to be going down (I rode in 32-34 this week) and dark is no longer an issue. But the ice and snow, yes. My friend broke his hip last March, riding through a puddle on an AM commute, cornering, and skidding out, because the water he rode through was frozen (it had been down to 27 F that morning). I freaked out yesterday on my way home from any early AM ride, because some idiots on Barrett's Mill Rd. had their sprinklers on and the water had runout in the street. It was in the high thirties, but, still.
Again, I have the gear, clothing wise, but I don't have studded tires. I still would rather be x country skiing or snow shoeing when it's winter. If I get a job that is with a 7-8 mile commute when I graduate, I will consider commuting as much of the year as I can, but I am pretty sure snow and ice will still stop me.

[limewave]

I'm going to give a go to winter riding this year, my first attempt. I'm asking for studded tires for Christmas--for my hard tail mountain bike. There's a gravel road race in March that I really want to do, so winter training will be a must.

I'm thinking of taking off my clipless pedals and putting on flat pedals with toe clips so that I can wear warm shoes/boots when I ride. I'm also going to order a really large box of toe-warmers.

[Owlie]

The biggest problem for me last year was that winter was always busy, so trying to get rides in was the issue. That and the dark. I like riding in the mornings because it's not so busy, but trying to do that in winter isn't easy.

Now, it's the weather. Cleveland is colder (to a point) and wetter than Cincinnati, so if it gets below freezing, the road surfaces get interesting. Cleveland also gets a lot more snow thanks to the lake, so there's that to consider. While the roads near me last year were well-plowed and salted due to the proximity to a hospital, I don't know that that will be the case this year.

[Biciclista]

of course snow is rarely a problem here; but the combo that does it for me is rain AND dark. I am afraid of not being seen; and rain adds to the discomfort..
I rode today; it was dark, the streets are wet, but it was clear out. Car window visibility is very important to me.

[girlsubobscura]

I think that's fantastic of you to do this for your co-workers. One of my biggest obstacles was mental. As a grad student, I was afriad that I would have to shell out really large sums of cash for fancy bike specific winter gear, but with a few exceptions, I've found that my regular winter gear works fine. I ride flat mtb pedals, so my normal winter boots work fine with a small saddle adjustment to compensate for the thicker soles. I already had some of those tech pants that are fuzzy and made out of pop bottles (can't remember the fabric name right now) And regular winter coat and my skiing mittens work fine, although I am lusting over the lobster gloves, I haven't really been able to justify the expense yet. Last year I only rode until christmas, and gave up because I couldn't figure out how to make my eyes stop watering and then freezing from the wind, and how to get my glasses to stop fogging due to the balaclava redirecting my breath upwards. This year I've purchased a pair of ski goggles to fit over my prescription glasses, and those along with a pair of waterproof panniers are my only specific purchases for winter bike commuting. I think if you are compiling a list of gear, it might be helpful to highlight what a quality bike specific item does, and what a substitution from normal winter gear could be, if finances are an issue. That way people could decide which items it was most important to invest in right away, and what items they can borrow from their normal winter gear.