Winter commute

John Griffiths said:

Hi folks,
Sorry to throw a downer on the lovely cycling weather we've been having
recently but....
I've recently starting commting to work by bike and I've enjoyed the
experience so much (numpty white van drivers aside) I want to carry on.
However, the thought of doing it in the winter is a bit daunting. Anyone
have any advice for essential kit that will make it a bit more safe and
comfortable?
Cheers
John

Well this may be a bit extreme for the UK but it's fun:
http://icebike.com/ or you might want to have a look at Pete Hickey's
page on winter commuting http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pete/winter.txt

BTW, Pete's article does pretty accurately describe winter cycling
where he lives. I used to live 3-4 km from him and rode part of the
same route in Ottawa ON and Hull QC though I don't always agree with
his suggestions.

John Kane
Kingston ON Canada

wafflycat said:

"John Griffiths" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm in work by about 8 and leave about 4/5, so in the winter pretty much
the whole journey will be in darkness.
John

If you are on unlit roads, lots of good lighting is essential, both to see
where you are going and to be seen by. I have two of the big 5LED Cateye
front lights (on handle bars via Minoura space bar) which give a good beam
so I can see where I'm going, with a S-Sun 3 LED mounted on inner fork to
light the edge of road clearly, a small flashing LED as emergency 'be seen'
only and a helmet-mounted LED torch too.... On the back I have three rear
red LEDs & a red LED on the rear of my helmet.. Then I wear acres of
reflectives and the bike has reflectives on it too. I use the LEDs for the
runtime and brightness. My son, who has a winter commute along dark country
lanes has similar set up and from watching him I can tell this is a very
visible set-up from the point of view of a driver. There's been the odd
occasion he's been late, so I've set out in car to check he's okay and I've
found I can see him well in advance of reaching him :-) I recommend a
helmet-mounted front light as that really seems to have a "What the f**k is
that?" effect on motorists who seem to give me an extra-wide berth and dip
their headlights sooner and more often than without helmet-mounted light.

Cheers, helen s

Any you don't need a parade permit? 🙂

John Kane
Kingston ON

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 20:01:41 +0100 someone who may be "Just zis Guy,
you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

A Russian army
surplus hat is reportedly an excellent combination ear warmer and
keep-rain-out-of-eyes device.

Traditional Russian fleece hats are designed for cold weather. They
tend to be far too warm for cycling any distance in the UK, where
the weather is seldom cold. They are good for walking though.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

In message <[email hidden]>

John Griffiths said:

Hi folks,
Sorry to throw a downer on the lovely cycling weather we've been having
recently but....
I've recently starting commting to work by bike and I've enjoyed the
experience so much (numpty white van drivers aside) I want to carry on.
However, the thought of doing it in the winter is a bit daunting. Anyone
have any advice for essential kit that will make it a bit more safe and
comfortable?

Including wot they said.

Spare inner tubes. It is no fun mending a pucture by the side of the road.
It is less fun when it is 0C and raining.

Martin.

--
According to the human genome project, humans are 50-60% bananas.
When emailing me, please include the word Banana in the subject line.

"Danny Colyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is what I wear on the very coldest days. It would be too much for
most days:

<URL:http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/colyer_pictures/speedy5/cycling/dre
ssforwinter.html>

[censored] -- if you are wearing that lot do you find polar bears a menace
on your commute?

T

"wafflycat" <waffles*A*T*v21net*D*O*T*co*D*O*T*uk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you are on unlit roads, lots of good lighting is essential, both to see
where you are going and to be seen by. I have two of the big 5LED Cateye
front lights (on handle bars via Minoura space bar) which give a good beam
so I can see where I'm going, with a S-Sun 3 LED mounted on inner fork to
light the edge of road clearly, a small flashing LED as emergency 'be

seen'

Quoted message said:

only and a helmet-mounted LED torch too.... On the back I have three rear
red LEDs & a red LED on the rear of my helmet.. Then I wear acres of
reflectives and the bike has reflectives on it too. I use the LEDs for the
runtime and brightness. My son, who has a winter commute along dark

country

Quoted message said:

lanes has similar set up and from watching him I can tell this is a very
visible set-up from the point of view of a driver. There's been the odd
occasion he's been late, so I've set out in car to check he's okay and

I've

Quoted message said:

found I can see him well in advance of reaching him :-) I recommend a
helmet-mounted front light as that really seems to have a "What the f**k

is

Quoted message said:

that?" effect on motorists who seem to give me an extra-wide berth and dip
their headlights sooner and more often than without helmet-mounted light.

And i thought that bright red light in the east was called the sunrise!!

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

Quoted message said:

Any you don't need a parade permit? 🙂

John Kane
Kingston ON

At least I am highly visible in the dark! :-)

Cheers, helen s

John Griffiths said:

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

Quoted message said:

David Martin said:

Well there is winter and there is Winter. Where are you based? Do you
normally get snow/ice or just cold mucky rain?

What is your commute like? Road/off-road/long/short etc.

And can you reasonably expect to be in the dark in one or both directions,
and if so for how long?

I'm in work by about 8 and leave about 4/5, so in the winter pretty much the
whole journey will be in darkness.

I used to be in West London..

My recommendations:

Long sleeve 'training top' with suitable wind proof fabric.
Full finger gloves eg. altura winter ones.
Buff.
If you wear a helmet, a thin balaclava as used by motorcyclists to go
under the helmet, or a fleece head band to cover the ears.
If you don't wear a helmet then something like a Lowe mountain cap with
ear covering flappy bits.
Lightweight waterproof for the wet days, ie Altura Nevis or Nevis Lite.
Shoe covers are a really good idea for the wet (and for the really
cold.)
Ron Hill bikesters or Altura winter cruiser leggings for the cool/cold
days.

And a pair of clear specs to keep the rain/cold off the eyes.

Lights:
Get a couple of LED lights and take spare batteries (for the rear). For
the front almost anything will do as it is to be seen by rather than to
see by, just make sure it is visible and you have spare batteries
(easiest is if you have the same batteries as the rear). Rechargeables
are a good idea for everyday use, just get into the habit of recharging
every night.

...d

Roos said:

When it's icy/slushy/snowy I rather cycle than drive - I know I can't
control my car well enough in those conditions while I know I can handle
my bike. And I don't want to be a plonker myself 🙂

When it's icy/slushy/snowy, there's no way I'd attempt to drive to work or
appointments - because everyone else in Edinburgh tries to do exactly that,
and the entire road network becomes jammed. So for me it's knobbly tyres on
the mtb and "so long, suckers!" Of course, falling off would be negated if
I rode the trike, but when the roads are jammed and the snow is a foot-deep
drift along the middle of the road, it's almost impossible. Of course, my
car has a Torsen diff tucked away in its gearbox, but I've yet to try its
effectiveness in snow.

For me, winter gear isn't all that different from my autumn gear. The
mainstays would be my now approximately waterproof Goretex jacket over a
couple of Odlo or Helly Hansen tops, Duofold fleece gloves (or lobster claw
gloves if it's really really cold), Endura tights over Endura heavyweight
lycra shorts, and usually I'll just wear my Sonoma SPD shoes rather than
Goretex hiking boots and flat pedals. If it's pouring with rain, I might
also put my feet into plastic bags, then put my shoes on. Lenses might be
either clear or blue iridium, depending on the light.

On the bike it's full mudguards plus my usual winter combination of
something like a Panaracer Dart front tyre and some medium chunky
Specialized tyre on the back. I use my 5W Nightstick system up front for
penetrating the interminable darkness, and just the usual 5-LED light on the
back, plus bits of reflective tape around the place.

Becky

Simon Brooke said:

Quoted message said:

Ickle scarf type thing to stop the wind going down the front of my
neck.

It is impossible to sufficiently praise buffs.

I wore mine this morning, under my h*lm*t, to keep the wind out of my
ears. Excellent bit of kit.

Judith

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

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

Quoted message said:

Ickle scarf type thing to stop the wind going down the front of my
neck.

It is impossible to sufficiently praise buffs.

I wore mine this morning, under my h*lm*t, to keep the wind out of my
ears. Excellent bit of kit.

Judith

In colder weather I wear mine round neck but pulled up over my mouth, and
ears - keeps my ears warm and stops me breathing in too-cold air and then it
stops any cold air whistling in down any gaps between cycle jersey/jacket &
skin of neck.

Cheers, helen s