Cool/Cold/Rainy Weather Head Gear?

[davereo]

I wear a base layer polyester skull cap all winter. Once the temps start getting into the thirties consistantly I add a waterprook helmet cover to cut the wind. I have no hair on top of my head.

50 to 35 degrees is a huge drop in cycling. If you are acustomed to riding up to 50 you are in for a little surpise the difference at 35. You will need to concentrate on keeping your hands and feet warm. They are more difficult to regulate warmth than your head.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by qdc15 .


One last thought. I feel miserable starting out in cold air and uncomfortable for at least ten minutes until my body warms up. Don't dress for the start, dress for ten minutes in. Cover knees for sure until it warms up later in the day.

That 10 minutes of pain can be somewhat mitigated with a nice hot shower before heading out which also facilitates a warmed-up riding state very well. It really made a difference riding to my local parks races with a 6:30am start time in March. It can still be pretty nippy that time of year.

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by danfoz .


That 10 minutes of pain can be somewhat mitigated with a nice hot shower before heading out which also facilitates a warmed-up riding state very well. It really made a difference riding to my local parks races with a 6:30am start time in March. It can still be pretty nippy that time of year.

Your kidding?

I get out of a hot shower and feel twice as cold as I did before I stepped in.

 

[jpr95]

Originally Posted by davereo .

Your kidding?

I get out of a hot shower and feel twice as cold as I did before I stepped in.

The hot shower has to be long enough to bring your core temp up. If it's just 5 minutes or so, all you've done is warmed up the skin a bit, so the lower temps feel that much cooler.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by jpr95 .


The hot shower has to be long enough to bring your core temp up. If it's just 5 minutes or so, all you've done is warmed up the skin a bit, so the lower temps feel that much cooler.

Yeah, you gotta linger a bit.

 

[dabac]

Originally Posted by qdc15 .


Sweating in cold weather followed by shivering is symptomatic of overdressing. Isn't "No bad weather , only wrong clothing." a Swedish expression?

If only it was that easy. I've spent years experimenting, searching for the right level/combination. It's all ended in frustration. But now I say sod it, for me, there isn't one. Pulse up, sweat on - that's how my body works. Far easier, and less frustrating to focus on how to deal with it. Rides of about one hour or so I'll just stubborn it out. Longer rides, I'll swap the layer closest to the skin on the upper body if there's a longer stop.

I can, and regularly do, go tour skating in t-shirt and knee-length shorts at 20-30 deg F (0 - -5 deg C). That'll still get me soaked - and shivering moments after I've stopped. Not much more I can shed. Bare chested on the ice would just look too darn weird.
Bike gear for the same temperature range is a Hi-viz vest(perforated), a long sleeved wicking shirt, thin long tights, kneepads. Shoes, gloves etc. Not exactly Michelin Man. That gets soaked too, unless it's real windy. If it's windy, there may be patches on the front that are only damp. My back will still be soaked.

 

[dabac]

Originally Posted by qdc15 .

... If you're overheating (sweating heavily is an indication) at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you are in my humble opinion 'overdressed'.

At a balmy 50 deg F, I'll sweat buckets even if I'm dressed as scantily as public decency would allow.
Admittedly, I haven't tried a Mankini as exercise gear, but that probably wouldn't cut it with public decency either...

 

[alienator]

At a balmy 50 deg F, I'll sweat buckets even if I'm dressed as scantily as public decency would allow. Admittedly, I haven't tried a Mankini as exercise gear, but that probably wouldn't cut it with public decency either... 

If your sweating is actually excessive sweating, it may not be temperature related at all, and as such dressing to be a little cold at the start of the ride won't change anything. It's definitely possible for people to be dressed appropriately for the weather but still sweat buckets because they have excessive sweating.

 

[dabac]

Originally Posted by alienator .


If your sweating is actually excessive sweating, it may not be temperature related at all, and as such dressing to be a little cold at the start of the ride won't change anything. It's definitely possible for people to be dressed appropriately for the weather but still sweat buckets because they have excessive sweating.

Exactly!

It has to be somewhere around -15 deg C/ 5 deg F before I can do anything seriously aerobic w/o sweating, even if I'm only wearing a base layer of clothes. But at those temps, it's a really thin line between not sweating and hypothermia.

Polar explorer material I'm not.

 

[qdc15]

OK, I'll admit I'm wrong then. I'm sure I sweat in cold weather but it evaporates or something unless I'm wearing too much clothes. You're probably working harder on the bike than I do. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif

 

[vspa]

i had a lot of sweat accumulated on my helmet, i don't wash the gel inserts but now i will (because they look so fragile and helmet manufacturers don't sell replacements.. why ? ...) so i rode into pouring rain on my vacation a month ago and the combination of rain and sweat came into my eyes, on a fairly steep descent, it took me a while to finally stop in complete blindness ! it was very scary, i was thinking that a cycling cap underneath the helmet would have solve this problem,