How cold for a Balaclava

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like

a

Quoted message said:

balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

I'd be stiffled at 40. I put on an earband or fleece skullcap when it's
below freezing -- it doesn't get cold enough around here for me to wear a
balaclava.

I'd say it's because I have a huge head of hair, but I did the same when I
had a pixie haircut, so it's not simply the hair that's insulating me.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
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On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:52:46 -0500, "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

Get the lightest, thinnest Balaclava you can find, possibly lycra, or silk
for temps between 45 and 50F, especially if it's raining. I tried the lycra
brand at Performance Bikes which seemed the right 'weight', but the durn
thing was so tight, I was worried it would be uncomfortable after a few
minutes. I know cyclists tend to be diminutive, but do they also have tiny
heads? (j/k)

Below 40-45, I use a Maxit brand:

http://www.bikejerseys.com/maxhead6in1h.html

I've ridden in 18F temps and been perfectly fine with this. It's
polyolefin/lycra blend. All you really need is a one-layer barrier so the
wind is blocked just a bit, b/c. the head seems to generate a lot of heat,
so you don't need much, ime.

I also like the way it dampens the wind rush noise against the ears.

-B

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like
a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

I have a light one and a heavy one. I start wearing the light one when
there's frost on the grass when I look out the window at 6AM.

RichC

Roger Zoul said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

I haven't bothered with a balaclava yet, but then it rarely gets below
25 F out here in Seattle. At 30 F and below I use a fleece earband to
keep my ears from freezing off, and I find that sufficient. Of course
YMMV, I tend to run warmer than other people, I don't need much cover.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Mohandas K. Gandhi often changed his mind publicly. An aide once asked him
how he could so freely contradict this week what he had said just last week.
The great man replied that it was because this week he knew better.

Roger Zoul said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to keep my
ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.

justen

Badger wrote:
:: On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:52:46 -0500, "Roger Zoul"
:: <[email hidden]> wrote:
::
::: I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need
::: something like a balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F
::: is enough for me.
::
:: Get the lightest, thinnest Balaclava you can find, possibly lycra,
:: or silk for temps between 45 and 50F, especially if it's raining. I
:: tried the lycra brand at Performance Bikes which seemed the right
:: 'weight', but the durn thing was so tight, I was worried it would be
:: uncomfortable after a few minutes. I know cyclists tend to be
:: diminutive, but do they also have tiny heads? (j/k)
::
:: Below 40-45, I use a Maxit brand:
::
:: http://www.bikejerseys.com/maxhead6in1h.html
::
:: I've ridden in 18F temps and been perfectly fine with this. It's
:: polyolefin/lycra blend. All you really need is a one-layer barrier
:: so the wind is blocked just a bit, b/c. the head seems to generate a
:: lot of heat, so you don't need much, ime.
::
:: I also like the way it dampens the wind rush noise against the ears.

Thanks, Bagder. I think I'll get that one as I appreciate functionality and
because you think it is light weight. I don't think I need a thick one
because I'm sure my big noggin generates a lot of heat.

So far, as fall as come here to SC, the mornings seem dreadfully cold to me.
I've still got a century to do so I need to be ready and I need to get some
training time in during the early am hours. Brrrrrrrr.

Roger Zoul said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

32 this morning was certainly enough.

justen said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to keep my
ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.

justen

So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
(say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on your head?

That's only 20 deg F, factoring wind chill you know.

You wouldn't be this guy wouldja?

http://www.batmantas.com/cmp/freeze.htm

-B

Roger Zoul said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

i wear a single neck gaitor below 50F tho, below 15F i wear a t-shirt folded
over itself twice w/ the top section over my face, the arms tied behind
my neck and the tail shoved down my front. kinda my version of a balaclava
i guess. picked that up when i was broke in college. i have lots of hair
so protecting my head isn't really a consideration.
--
david reuteler
[email hidden]

Badger said:

justen said:

Roger Zoul said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to keep my
ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.

justen

So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
(say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on your head?

That's only 20 deg F, factoring wind chill you know.

You wouldn't be this guy wouldja?

http://www.batmantas.com/cmp/freeze.htm

-B

I'm with justin, I'll start to cover my ears in the low thirties and
don't bother with the baclava until the low 20's. The key is working
hard enough to stay warm😉

Badger said:

justen said:

Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to keep my
ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.

So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
(say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on your head?

Yup. I'll go to full gloves and long sleeves when it drops below 50,
and add tights and a windbreaker at about 40, but don't add headgear or
warmer socks until it drops to freezing. My ears and feet don't seem to
get very cold as long as my core temperature is up.

However, my commute is only ~30. Any long rides I do in cold weather
are MTB rides where my wind chill is much less a factor.

Justen

kantspel said:

Badger said:

justen said:

Roger Zoul <[email hidden]> wrote:

>I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
>balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to keep my
ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.

justen

So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
(say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on your head?

That's only 20 deg F, factoring wind chill you know.

You wouldn't be this guy wouldja?

http://www.batmantas.com/cmp/freeze.htm

-B

I'm with justin, I'll start to cover my ears in the low thirties and
don't bother with the baclava until the low 20's. The key is working
hard enough to stay warm😉

Well I work plenty hard, and I'm known for my polar bear qualities, but
what do you do about 1) warming up, and 2) the downhills?

I just don't see any need to add to the 'fun' pain of climbing and
sprinting with the 'not-fun' pain in the ears and the cold wind.

What temp do you go to full-fingered gloves? Just curious, b/c yeah, the
less you wear the better, I guess.

-B
I -want- to believe...

justen said:

However, my commute is only ~30. Any long rides I do in cold weather
are MTB rides where my wind chill is much less a factor.

30 minutes.

justen

justen said:

Badger said:

justen said:

Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to
keep my
ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.

So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
(say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on your
head?

Yup. I'll go to full gloves and long sleeves when it drops below 50,
and add tights and a windbreaker at about 40, but don't add headgear or
warmer socks until it drops to freezing. My ears and feet don't seem to
get very cold as long as my core temperature is up.

However, my commute is only ~30. Any long rides I do in cold weather
are MTB rides where my wind chill is much less a factor.

Justen

It all depends on what you are doing (or planning on doing). I lived
in Minnesota one winter and found myself chopping fire wood in
15 degree (F) weather and sweating without any shirt. Not
chopping wood I would have froze as solid as the icecycles (sp?)
hanging from the house. There was no hint of wind so it may not
compare with bicycle riding where you make your own wind, but
then speed = effort = self warming.
Bill Baka

--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Badger said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Roger Zoul <[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
>>balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.
>
>Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to keep my
>ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.
>
>justen

So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
(say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on your head?

That's only 20 deg F, factoring wind chill you know.

I'm with justin, I'll start to cover my ears in the low thirties and
don't bother with the baclava until the low 20's. The key is working
hard enough to stay warm😉

Well I work plenty hard, and I'm known for my polar bear qualities, but
what do you do about 1) warming up, and 2) the downhills?

I just don't see any need to add to the 'fun' pain of climbing and
sprinting with the 'not-fun' pain in the ears and the cold wind.

What temp do you go to full-fingered gloves? Just curious, b/c yeah, the
less you wear the better, I guess.

-B
I -want- to believe...

I live at the top of one of the biggest hills in the area (not that it's
all that much) so I usually feel like I'm overdressing just because of
the first mile of my rides. I find that even a little overdressing gets
me sweaty which always makes it colder in the long run. Here's my
general guidelines for the road.

Low 50's - light full finger gloves (my regular mtb gloves)
High 40's - light long sleeve undershirt, warmish gloves
Mid-low 40's - warmish long sleev's
Mid-high 30's - something for my ears if i'm not wearing headphones,
warm gloves or a liner/light glove combo, warm socks. maybe tights
Low 30's - something for the ears, my good jacket (windproof in front,
fleece in back) with short sleeve jersy. tights.
A baclava somewhere in the 20's and then just layers.

I find temps under 0f to be inconvient to prepare for so I don't usually
bother unless I'm just going a few miles. I also hate being cold and
wet so it's not often that I have to contend with rain below 45 or so.
I've never considered myself a penguin, but I hate getting overheated so
I probably err on the side of cold. And I'm always cold for the first
couple of miles but that's where the working part comes in. I always
make sure that I have something extra to put on if I have to stop for a
repair or whatever.

I've only been in a cold climate for a few years so I'm still adjusting.
I find it's really tough to get clothing right mountian biking in the
cold.

kantspel said:

Badger said:

Quoted message said:

>> Roger Zoul <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need
>>> something like a
>>> balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.
>>
>>
>> Below 20F for me. From 20F to freezing, I just wear a headband to
>> keep my
>> ears warm. Above freezing, I don't bother with any headwear.
>>
>> justen
>
>
>
> So you're telling me that you ride your bike 15-20mph with normal wind,
> (say 10-15mph), and if it's >33 deg F you don't need anything on
> your head?
>
> That's only 20 deg F, factoring wind chill you know.

I'm with justin, I'll start to cover my ears in the low thirties and
don't bother with the baclava until the low 20's. The key is working
hard enough to stay warm😉

Well I work plenty hard, and I'm known for my polar bear qualities, but
what do you do about 1) warming up, and 2) the downhills?
I just don't see any need to add to the 'fun' pain of climbing and
sprinting with the 'not-fun' pain in the ears and the cold wind.

What temp do you go to full-fingered gloves? Just curious, b/c yeah, the
less you wear the better, I guess.

-B
I -want- to believe...

I live at the top of one of the biggest hills in the area (not that it's
all that much) so I usually feel like I'm overdressing just because of
the first mile of my rides. I find that even a little overdressing gets
me sweaty which always makes it colder in the long run. Here's my
general guidelines for the road.

Low 50's - light full finger gloves (my regular mtb gloves)
High 40's - light long sleeve undershirt, warmish gloves
Mid-low 40's - warmish long sleev's
Mid-high 30's - something for my ears if i'm not wearing headphones,
warm gloves or a liner/light glove combo, warm socks. maybe tights
Low 30's - something for the ears, my good jacket (windproof in front,
fleece in back) with short sleeve jersy. tights.
A baclava somewhere in the 20's and then just layers.

I find temps under 0f to be inconvient to prepare for so I don't usually
bother unless I'm just going a few miles. I also hate being cold and
wet so it's not often that I have to contend with rain below 45 or so.
I've never considered myself a penguin, but I hate getting overheated so
I probably err on the side of cold. And I'm always cold for the first
couple of miles but that's where the working part comes in. I always
make sure that I have something extra to put on if I have to stop for a
repair or whatever.

I've only been in a cold climate for a few years so I'm still adjusting.
I find it's really tough to get clothing right mountian biking in the
cold.

I should clarify my winter riding too, most of it is commuting stuff
under 10 miles per direction (rarly over 30 round trip). I don't really
know what I would change for long distance stuff.

Roger Zoul says...

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need something like a
balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F is enough for me.

My cold weather hierarchy for rides of about 2 hours at 20mph goes
something like this:

< 60º--long sleeved jersey and tights or thin running pants

< 50º--slightly heavier jersey, tights or thin running pants, light
gloves, wool socks, optional head band or skull cap

< 40º--base layer under jersey, tights or base layer under thin running
pants, neoprene gloves, wool socks, skull cap

< 30º--windbreaker, fleece jersey and base layer, neoprene gloves, shoe
covers, running pants with two base layers, thin balaclava.

< 20º--Stay at home, drive, or exercise indoors.

kantspel said:

I'm with justin, I'll start to cover my ears in the low thirties and
don't bother with the baclava until the low 20's. The key is working
hard enough to stay warm😉

Same here. I keep my head shaved or close to it, but my head doesn't get cold
until 40F or so. Below that, I like to have some warm headgear, and to keep my
ears warm. I know I'll get "heat" for this, but in the 30s I often ride with a
ski cap instead of a helmet. Those "Headsweats" bandanas are pretty effective
too.

It's rarely below freezing here in the middle of the day when I go for longer
rides, and keeping warm is rarely a problem for short trips. I can stand to be
cold for a few minutes, to go into town or ride home. Home is all uphill
anyway.

Most people around here are wimps when it comes to the weather. It's really not
that cold, yet hardly anyone rides when it's below 50F. Yet they all ski, etc.,
as if that's any different than biking outdoors.

Matt O.

Super Slinky wrote:
|| Roger Zoul says...
||
||| I'm wondering at about what temp you folks decide you need
||| something like a balaclava while riding? Seems like 40 degrees F
||| is enough for me.
||
|| My cold weather hierarchy for rides of about 2 hours at 20mph goes
|| something like this:
||
|| < 60º--long sleeved jersey and tights or thin running pants
||
|| < 50º--slightly heavier jersey, tights or thin running pants, light
|| gloves, wool socks, optional head band or skull cap
||
|| < 40º--base layer under jersey, tights or base layer under thin
|| running pants, neoprene gloves, wool socks, skull cap
||
|| < 30º--windbreaker, fleece jersey and base layer, neoprene gloves,
|| shoe covers, running pants with two base layers, thin balaclava.
||
|| < 20º--Stay at home, drive, or exercise indoors.

Thanks. That's useful info. I had not considered fully the need for the
full range of clothing options needed.