How Cold can you Ride?
Not being a big fan of pain I usually keep most of my rides above 25 degrees. But there are times I've gone out just to try and bag a really low number. My lowest temperature for a 45 minute ride was 9 degrees. I'm hoping to do better this year. I have never found a way to keep my feet warm, has anyone? Buying $400 Sidi shoes is not an option.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gene on -
My feet are always cold, until they go numb. It never gets down to 9 degrees here in the PacNW, but even in temperatures in the low 30s, it's not long before my feet get cold. If it's dry, I have the best luck with plain old wool socks. If it's wet, I try neoprene booties. That works until (A) my feet start to perspire, or (B) water runs down my leg into the top of the bootie.
Don't they have battery warmed socks for cycling yet?
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Permalink Reply by Mike the Veloist on
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Who cares about battery heated socks when you can buy Wireless Heated Insoles from Sidi. I'm sure you can find them on line but I saw them in this months Bicycling Magazine. You can get them for just $299, throw in some winter boots at $329 and you'll be toasty warm. Poor but warm.
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Permalink Reply by Gene on
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Wouldn't it be cheaper just to move somewhere that doesn't have cold weather?
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I lived in Miami for 15 horrible months. No thank you. Riding a bike when it's 85 degrees and 90% humidity at 6 am is not my idea of a good time. Give me the cold any day. I get more days riding outside here in Chicago than I did in Miami. I don't know how they do it.
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Permalink Reply by Gene on
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I was just thinking about how awesome you are to ride in that cold over in Chicago, and I read in the news that you're suffering a heat wave of 55 degrees!
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Permalink Reply by Dan Katz on -
Mike,
I lived in Miami when I went to school down there. I used to love the weather. Give me heat and humidity over this stuff anyday. We went out a few weeks ago when it was 25....brrrrrrrrr....
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The warm winds of which you speak have just been blown away by the four tornados that touched down just 15 miles north of here. Actually along one of my bike routes. Good thing it was too hot to ride outside.
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Permalink Reply by Frank Shapiro on
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Typically, my lowest temperature for a ride is 20. I have been on a ride when it was 8, but that wasn't any fun, so we all agreed to cut it short and get coffee. At 20 degrees, I'm wearing a helmet cover, full balaclava and an additional fleece gaiter and motorcross goggles (or ski goggles if it's sunny). On my body, I wear a long sleeve merino wool layer against my skin, a fleece layer on top of that and an Assos Airjack jacket (worth every dollar). Then there's a set of Performance's Triflex tights on top of bib knickers (gotta protect those knees), and wool socks (Woolie Boolies or Smartwool). For my hands, I will wear an insulating liner under a pair of Vulpine Adaptive Ice Mitts (no longer available), which are like fleece lined tri-finger gauntlets with a full zipper. Keeping my feet warm are Performance neoprene booties over shoes with battery powered Therm-ic sole warmers. It's days like this that the cost of my clothing exceeds the cost of my winter bike.
Mike, for a couple cold rides per year, try chemical foot warmers (they worked great for me at the Montrose Park cyclocross race). You can try battery powered or rechargeable foot warmers (Therm-ic or Hot Tronic) for about $100-200 or those new Sidi Wireless Heated Insoles which Alberto's is selling for around $150. Reports from two of my cycling buddies are very positive on these.
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Permalink Reply by Gerry Miller on
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At 7AM this mornin on Armitage in Chicago a guy came barreling down from the railroad bridge, pedaling his road bike furiously, no face mask. The car I was warmly enclosed in said it was -2F out there. It did not give his wind chill.
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Permalink Reply by Theo Solley on -
Daisy and i cycled the Bodmin to Polzeath in Cornwall last friday morning at 7.30am (35/40 miles) - we reckon minus 2 poss three with wind chill. had to stop every 10 mins to put hands under armpits to regain feeling.
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I find it impossible to keep the extremities warm. Hands go first, then feet. Hard to pedal with blocks of ice, especially with clips which I don't like at the best of times. Can't count the number of times I have been caught at stops trying to get a foot free. Then, kaboom. See my blog about the triumphant end to the ride in Michigan last year on The Geezer.
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Permalink Reply by daisy hutchison on -
How glamorous we sound...
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