25K in 25F

mike said:

It was bright and sunny this morning, but COLD!

I decided I still needed to ride.

Here is what I wore: a Balaclava under my helmet on my head.
A t-shirt, sweatshirt and longsleave jersey on my top.
My legs had on a pair of bib tights and a pair of fleece
tights. My feet had on wool socks, riding shoes and then
neoprene booties. Then to top it all off I had a windbreaker
jacket (it also doubles as a sail to slow me down).

With all of that on I stayed reasonably warm. A couple of
times with a tail wind almost hot. By the end the only
part of me that was really cold was my toes. Maybe I need
a bright yellow helmet cover like the speed skaters wear.

It was worth getting all those clothes on though, it is
really really nice out there. Not very crowed though. I saw
one other biker. He was coming back from the 7-11 with
coffee.

I would have ridden longer but my water bottle froze up. :-)

I like this weather for riding, although all the extra time dressing is
a drag on commuting days. My only real fear is flatting on a freezing
day, because my medications slow my metabolism enough to shart me
shivering easily. So I carry a very warm layer in my trunk rack for
emergencies, along with a cell phone, and won't be shy about calling
for rescue if necessary.

But late morning/early afternoon rides on cold, sunny winter days like
today are great.

RichC

mike <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

It was worth getting all those clothes on though, it is
really really nice out there. Not very crowed though. I saw
one other biker. He was coming back from the 7-11 with
coffee.

I regularly do 3 hour rides in -5 C (23 F). Yes, once you get the clothes
right, it's quite comfortable. Toes are a frequent problem, mine get cold
even with three pairs of socks. The coldest I've ridden is 2 hours in -15
C (5 F). I had to get off the bike and run with the bike for a few minutes
every half hour to keep my toes warm. Some people do ride in colder than
that, however.

My upper body clothing in -2..-7 C is three-layered: T-shirt (synthetic),
thin shirt with long sleaves (synthetic) and on the outer layer a
windproof cycling jacket.

As the temperatures here range from -15..25 C, and I want to ride (almost)
all year, I have compiled a clothing table for myself where I can check
appropriate clothing for every temperature. When the spring comes, I don't
have to memorize what I should wear in 5..10 C, I just check the table. Of
course, after a few rides in a given temperature, you don't need a table.

My winter speed is miserable (11-14 km/h average) as the road is covered
in snow, and also, I have tires with studs, which don't roll as well as
summer tires. (Well, my summer speed is quite miserable, too...)

Quoted message said:

I would have ridden longer but my water bottle froze up. :-)

There are some solutions for this. Warm the water before the ride so it
freezes later. If your ride is long enough to freeze the water even then,
you have to insulate the bottle. I hear camelback works pretty well in
this situation. As it is under the jacket, it stays warm enough. The parts
that are outside the jacket may freeze, though.

I currently just put my bottle behind my back under my jacket. A real
low-tech solution. It isn't too uncomfortable, but I have to watch out
when I'm pedaling standing, as the bottle may slip out.

--
Kristian Ovaska - http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/hkovaska/en/

Kristian Ovaska said:

mike <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

It was worth getting all those clothes on though, it is
really really nice out there. Not very crowed though. I saw
one other biker. He was coming back from the 7-11 with
coffee.

I regularly do 3 hour rides in -5 C (23 F). Yes, once you get the clothes
right, it's quite comfortable. Toes are a frequent problem, mine get cold
even with three pairs of socks.

With that many socks, your feet might just be sweating or the tightness
of your shoes is cutting of circulation. In cases like this (riding in
the cold and snowboarding) less is more, IME.
\\paul

In article <[email hidden]>,

mike said:

It was bright and sunny this morning, but COLD!

I decided I still needed to ride.

Here is what I wore: a Balaclava under my helmet on my head.
A t-shirt, sweatshirt and longsleave jersey on my top.
My legs had on a pair of bib tights and a pair of fleece
tights. My feet had on wool socks, riding shoes and then
neoprene booties. Then to top it all off I had a windbreaker
jacket (it also doubles as a sail to slow me down).

A couple of months ago I bought (out of a bargain bin at a
drugstore) a pair of gloves with 3-M's 'Thinsulate' insulation.
They're sort of a convertible thing -- finglerless, but with
flaps that cover the fingers and turn the gloves into mittens.
They fit nicely over my full-fingered cycling gloves, so I also
get the warmth provided by layering. They're nice & cozy at -5 C,
and they stay warm even when wet.

That Thinsulate stuff is pretty good.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Paul Hobson <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Kristian Ovaska said:

I regularly do 3 hour rides in -5 C (23 F). Yes, once you get the clothes
right, it's quite comfortable. Toes are a frequent problem, mine get cold
even with three pairs of socks.

With that many socks, your feet might just be sweating or the tightness
of your shoes is cutting of circulation. In cases like this (riding in
the cold and snowboarding) less is more, IME.

Well, I have tried with fewer socks and I find three better. My shoes are
just big enough for three socks when I don't tighten the shoes too much.
Sweat doesn't seem to be a problem for me. Maybe it is kept in control by
sock material: mostly synthetic, some wool, no cotton. My innermost socks
are thin synthetic socks, I find they transfer sweat away from the feet
quite well.

You are right, though, that over-tightness can be a problem. Once I
tightened the shoes about as far as they go and after an hour, I got
cramps in my feet! That's the only time I've got cramps in my feet. I
loosened the shoes and completed the ride with no further problems.

--
Kristian Ovaska - http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/hkovaska/en/

Kristian Ovaska <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

As the temperatures here range from -15..25 C, and I want to ride
(almost) all year, I have compiled a clothing table for myself where I
can check appropriate clothing for every temperature. When the spring
comes, I don't have to memorize what I should wear in 5..10 C, I just
check the table. Of course, after a few rides in a given temperature,
you don't need a table.

Just since thursday we have had almost that range. It was 68F then, I
rode in shorts and fingerless gloves. It was great. Then this morning
it was down to 20F .

Tom Keats said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

mike said:

It was bright and sunny this morning, but COLD!

I decided I still needed to ride.

Here is what I wore: a Balaclava under my helmet on my head.
A t-shirt, sweatshirt and longsleave jersey on my top.
My legs had on a pair of bib tights and a pair of fleece
tights. My feet had on wool socks, riding shoes and then
neoprene booties. Then to top it all off I had a windbreaker
jacket (it also doubles as a sail to slow me down).

A couple of months ago I bought (out of a bargain bin at a
drugstore) a pair of gloves with 3-M's 'Thinsulate' insulation.
They're sort of a convertible thing -- finglerless, but with
flaps that cover the fingers and turn the gloves into mittens.
They fit nicely over my full-fingered cycling gloves, so I also
get the warmth provided by layering. They're nice & cozy at -5 C,
and they stay warm even when wet.

That Thinsulate stuff is pretty good.

cheers,
Tom

Have any of you riders got the problem I have? My eyes tear up at above
15 MPH in any weather below 50F and the only solution I have found is to
wear swim goggles and look like a total dork. Edmund optics sells a
laser protective goggle set that blankets all radiation above and below
the visible so that takes care of both the UV and the IR and they are
only $10.00. Now if they were shaded and polarized they would be perfect.
Any ideas?
Bill

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bill Baka said:

Have any of you riders got the problem I have? My eyes tear up at above
15 MPH in any weather below 50F and the only solution I have found is to
wear swim goggles and look like a total dork. Edmund optics sells a
laser protective goggle set that blankets all radiation above and below
the visible so that takes care of both the UV and the IR and they are
only $10.00. Now if they were shaded and polarized they would be perfect.
Any ideas?

In non-sunny conditions I prefer not to use eyewear at all.
At colder temps I don't get runny eyes (when I don't have
a cold) -- I get a runny nose instead. And I don't feel
cold wind in my eyes, nor do I get ice cream headaches.

I suspect the visor on my helmet has an aerodynamic effect
that somehow deflects the oncoming air away from my eyes.
And although I mostly ride a mountain bike, with the way I've
got it set up it doesn't really impose all that much of an
"upright" position on me, so maybe that helps me to duck
out of the wind.

If you're feeling experimental and you don't have a helmet &
visor, maybe try a golf visor or something like that. This
is just a shot-in-the-dark idea. But if it works, it could
free you from those goggles.

The bills on ball caps might not work as well. Maybe they'd
scoop the cold air right into your face. But ball cap visors
are longer and not as wide as helmet visors.

If that doesn't work, my other suggestion is a pair of
shooting glasses.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tom Keats said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bill Baka said:

Have any of you riders got the problem I have? My eyes tear up at above
15 MPH in any weather below 50F and the only solution I have found is to
wear swim goggles and look like a total dork. Edmund optics sells a
laser protective goggle set that blankets all radiation above and below
the visible so that takes care of both the UV and the IR and they are
only $10.00. Now if they were shaded and polarized they would be perfect.
Any ideas?

In non-sunny conditions I prefer not to use eyewear at all.
At colder temps I don't get runny eyes (when I don't have
a cold) -- I get a runny nose instead. And I don't feel
cold wind in my eyes, nor do I get ice cream headaches.

Ever get a big bug in the eye? I will at least wear sunglasses.

Quoted message said:

I suspect the visor on my helmet has an aerodynamic effect
that somehow deflects the oncoming air away from my eyes.
And although I mostly ride a mountain bike, with the way I've
got it set up it doesn't really impose all that much of an
"upright" position on me, so maybe that helps me to duck
out of the wind.

I wear a hat that keeps the sun out of my eyes from coming around the
exposed parts of the glasses. I usually ride mostly erect since that is
more comfortable and pushing wind gives more exercise, which is the
whole point. Aero is a literal pain in the neck and eyes for me, roughly
the equivalent of standing posture perfect erect and then looking at
something straight up without bending your body back. You have to bend
your neck back to the extreme and then your eyeballs up to the limits of
the sockets. Riding like this all day gets to be not fun.

Quoted message said:

If you're feeling experimental and you don't have a helmet &
visor, maybe try a golf visor or something like that. This
is just a shot-in-the-dark idea. But if it works, it could
free you from those goggles.

I use something like a baseball cap, but turned the proper way and it helps.

Quoted message said:

The bills on ball caps might not work as well. Maybe they'd
scoop the cold air right into your face. But ball cap visors
are longer and not as wide as helmet visors.

Ball caps work fine except when the sun is really low.

Quoted message said:

If that doesn't work, my other suggestion is a pair of
shooting glasses.

I am trying to keep out the UV, IR, glare, and excessive daylight, not
powder blow back, but that was a fair idea.
Bill

Quoted message said:

cheers,
Tom

Kristian Ovaska said:

I regularly do 3 hour rides in -5 C (23 F). Yes, once you get the clothes
right, it's quite comfortable. Toes are a frequent problem, mine get cold
even with three pairs of socks. The coldest I've ridden is 2 hours in -15
C (5 F). I had to get off the bike and run with the bike for a few minutes
every half hour to keep my toes warm. Some people do ride in colder than
that, however.

You've inspired me. We've got snow and ice on the roads right now, but
as soon as they clear, I'll head out. We've had several days of
sub-zero weather, but now we're back to a balmy 25F. Dunno if I'll
manage three hours (?!) in these temps -- how about an earnest 1.5?

-JR

Kristian Ovaska said:

I regularly do 3 hour rides in -5 C (23 F). Yes, once you get the clothes
right, it's quite comfortable. Toes are a frequent problem, mine get cold
even with three pairs of socks. The coldest I've ridden is 2 hours in -15
C (5 F). I had to get off the bike and run with the bike for a few minutes
every half hour to keep my toes warm. Some people do ride in colder than
that, however.

I recommend using chemical warmers to combat the cold for long rides in
sub-freezing temperatures. This can help avoid the pain of warming your
feet back up again.

They can also be reused if they haven't died by the end of a ride. Just
seal them in an evacuated zip lock bag and freeze them to stop the
reaction. You can then thaw them in hot water (while in the bag) to get
them started again. It's best to carry spares when doing this since you
can't predict how much reaction time you have left.

Bill Baka said:

Have any of you riders got the problem I have? My eyes tear up at above
15 MPH in any weather below 50F and the only solution I have found is to
wear swim goggles and look like a total dork. Edmund optics sells a
laser protective goggle set that blankets all radiation above and below
the visible so that takes care of both the UV and the IR and they are
only $10.00. Now if they were shaded and polarized they would be perfect.
Any ideas?

Ski goggles.

SlowRider said:

Kristian Ovaska said:

I regularly do 3 hour rides in -5 C (23 F). Yes, once you get the clothes
right, it's quite comfortable. Toes are a frequent problem, mine get cold
even with three pairs of socks. The coldest I've ridden is 2 hours in -15
C (5 F). I had to get off the bike and run with the bike for a few minutes
every half hour to keep my toes warm. Some people do ride in colder than
that, however.

You've inspired me. We've got snow and ice on the roads right now, but
as soon as they clear, I'll head out. We've had several days of
sub-zero weather, but now we're back to a balmy 25F. Dunno if I'll
manage three hours (?!) in these temps -- how about an earnest 1.5?

Studded tires and the right clothes, you can go all winter. Not much
difference between biking and XC skiing.

Check out:
<http://icebike.com/>

"SlowRider" <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

You've inspired me. We've got snow and ice on the roads right now, but
as soon as they clear, I'll head out. We've had several days of
sub-zero weather, but now we're back to a balmy 25F. Dunno if I'll
manage three hours (?!) in these temps -- how about an earnest 1.5?

Go for it!
Winter actually feels less cold while cycling than, for instance, while
waiting at a bus stop. You are generating lots of heat when exercising.
And with proper clothing, some of the heat stays inside.

--
Kristian Ovaska - http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/hkovaska/en/

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bill Baka said:

Quoted message said:

In non-sunny conditions I prefer not to use eyewear at all.
At colder temps I don't get runny eyes (when I don't have
a cold) -- I get a runny nose instead. And I don't feel
cold wind in my eyes, nor do I get ice cream headaches.

Ever get a big bug in the eye? I will at least wear sunglasses.

I mostly get tiny little bugs in my eyes -- the ones you can
squash by just blinking. But I was specifically addressing your
cold-weather teary-eyes problem. If you're wearing sunglasses,
or anything to keep the wind off your eyes, there shouldn't be
a problem, unless the shape of your sunglasses creates air
currents that get between the glasses and your eyes.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I suspect the visor on my helmet has an aerodynamic effect
that somehow deflects the oncoming air away from my eyes.
And although I mostly ride a mountain bike, with the way I've
got it set up it doesn't really impose all that much of an
"upright" position on me, so maybe that helps me to duck
out of the wind.

I wear a hat that keeps the sun out of my eyes from coming around the
exposed parts of the glasses. I usually ride mostly erect since that is
more comfortable and pushing wind gives more exercise, which is the
whole point. Aero is a literal pain in the neck and eyes for me, roughly
the equivalent of standing posture perfect erect and then looking at
something straight up without bending your body back. You have to bend
your neck back to the extreme and then your eyeballs up to the limits of
the sockets. Riding like this all day gets to be not fun.

My setup doesn't lock me into a single position. Depending on how
much I scootch back/forward on the saddle and bend my arms I get
a range of positions, from more-or-less upright to hell bent for leather.
There's a degree of overstatement in the notion that mountain bikes
are necessarily severely limiting in terms of rider posture.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If that doesn't work, my other suggestion is a pair of
shooting glasses.

I am trying to keep out the UV, IR, glare, and excessive daylight, not
powder blow back, but that was a fair idea.

I sometimes use 'em, myself. They're the kind where the brighter it
is, the darker the lenses get. Their main advantage is, with the
springy ear hooks they're unlikely to fall off one's face. They also
protect a lot of eye 'real estate' (without looking like swim goggles.)

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tom Keats said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bill Baka said:

Quoted message said:

In non-sunny conditions I prefer not to use eyewear at all.
At colder temps I don't get runny eyes (when I don't have
a cold) -- I get a runny nose instead. And I don't feel
cold wind in my eyes, nor do I get ice cream headaches.

Ever get a big bug in the eye? I will at least wear sunglasses.

I mostly get tiny little bugs in my eyes -- the ones you can
squash by just blinking. But I was specifically addressing your
cold-weather teary-eyes problem. If you're wearing sunglasses,
or anything to keep the wind off your eyes, there shouldn't be
a problem, unless the shape of your sunglasses creates air
currents that get between the glasses and your eyes.

I think they do.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I suspect the visor on my helmet has an aerodynamic effect
that somehow deflects the oncoming air away from my eyes.
And although I mostly ride a mountain bike, with the way I've
got it set up it doesn't really impose all that much of an
"upright" position on me, so maybe that helps me to duck
out of the wind.

I wear a hat that keeps the sun out of my eyes from coming around the
exposed parts of the glasses. I usually ride mostly erect since that is
more comfortable and pushing wind gives more exercise, which is the
whole point. Aero is a literal pain in the neck and eyes for me, roughly
the equivalent of standing posture perfect erect and then looking at
something straight up without bending your body back. You have to bend
your neck back to the extreme and then your eyeballs up to the limits of
the sockets. Riding like this all day gets to be not fun.

My setup doesn't lock me into a single position. Depending on how
much I scootch back/forward on the saddle and bend my arms I get
a range of positions, from more-or-less upright to hell bent for leather.
There's a degree of overstatement in the notion that mountain bikes
are necessarily severely limiting in terms of rider posture.

True on that. I can get very Aero on my mountain bike by just putting my
arms in the middle of the bars and leaning down. That allows me to
exceed 22-24MPH for a while but it does get uncomfortable if I keep it
up. Like I said my neck and eyes get sore, not the rest of me. Some sort
of electronic 'Heads up' display would be a neat but not cheap add on.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If that doesn't work, my other suggestion is a pair of
shooting glasses.

I am trying to keep out the UV, IR, glare, and excessive daylight, not
powder blow back, but that was a fair idea.

I sometimes use 'em, myself. They're the kind where the brighter it
is, the darker the lenses get. Their main advantage is, with the
springy ear hooks they're unlikely to fall off one's face. They also
protect a lot of eye 'real estate' (without looking like swim goggles.)

cheers,
Tom

My problem is that I am nearsighted and have to wear glasses one way or
the other. My ideal would be polarized, photo chromic, UV and IR
blocking and goggle like fitting to keep the wind and bugs out.
Maybe it's just a dream, maybe some body will invent some.
Bill

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bill Baka said:

Have any of you riders got the problem I have? My eyes tear up at above
15 MPH in any weather below 50F and the only solution I have found is to
wear swim goggles and look like a total dork. Edmund optics sells a laser
protective goggle set that blankets all radiation above and below the
visible so that takes care of both the UV and the IR and they are only
$10.00. Now if they were shaded and polarized they would be perfect.
Any ideas?

Ski goggles.

I use lab safety glasses, bought for about $7. These allow ventilation along
the far sides, but not too much. They are pretty light and if I want I can
wear my glasses underneath them.

I don't remember if these are UV and IR, but does that really matter in the
winter? The sun is at a low angle and goes through substantially more
atmosphere. I know from personal experience that you can get sunburnt on a
winter's day when getting both the direct sun and the reflection off the
snow, but there's not nearly as much reflection off pavement.

Mike Kruger said:

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bill Baka said:

Have any of you riders got the problem I have? My eyes tear up at above
15 MPH in any weather below 50F and the only solution I have found is to
wear swim goggles and look like a total dork. Edmund optics sells a laser
protective goggle set that blankets all radiation above and below the
visible so that takes care of both the UV and the IR and they are only
$10.00. Now if they were shaded and polarized they would be perfect.
Any ideas?

Ski goggles.

I use lab safety glasses, bought for about $7. These allow ventilation along
the far sides, but not too much. They are pretty light and if I want I can
wear my glasses underneath them.

I don't remember if these are UV and IR, but does that really matter in the
winter? The sun is at a low angle and goes through substantially more
atmosphere. I know from personal experience that you can get sunburnt on a
winter's day when getting both the direct sun and the reflection off the
snow, but there's not nearly as much reflection off pavement.

Winter sunburn is real due to the snow reflecting most of the light back
at you. Laser safety glasses have a plot to show what they pass and what
they cut off. www.edmundoptics.com should have them listed. If I could
get them also polarized and tinted I would be in heaven. UV does most of
the damage but IR can cause undue heating of the retina as I have found
out when driving in a car with a very hot dashboard and wearing
sunglasses. The shades allow the pupil to open up more and they appear
to pass IR to the retina making for a very hot eyeball. This has
happened to me on more than one occasion on hot days after having the
car parked in the sun, since I do have to drive sometimes. You can't
haul lumber or other large objects on a bike, hence the car.
Bill

Sure, you can haul lumber and other large objects! It just takes some
creativity...

Moving lumber and stuff:

http://mbowler.drunkcity.com/cycling/trailler.html

Hauling other bikes:

http://drumbent.com/trike/trikebikes2.jpg

Hauling boxes:

http://tricolour.net/photos/2003/05/04/hpv.html

Hauling people:

http://tricolour.net/photos/2003/04/12/13-31-57.html

A Hammond organ (operational, with organist!):

http://hpv.tricolour.net/organ-trailer.html

I do have to borrow a car every now and then, because it's tough to tow
a trailer or ride my cargo trike in certain winter conditions here in
Ottawa. Other than that, I get all my moving done by pedal power.

Mark