45 minutes in 22 degrees around my campus. The fellow students were staring at me like I was crazy. They just don’t understand how much fun riding is.
That aside, my head is spinning. I just finished a bottle of water in 2 minutes. my ear drums are pounding. Totally exhausted and I cant feel my fingers toes and ears.
I was covered heat to toe but the wind was just too much. Underarmor, jersey, turtle neck warmer, goggles, double gloves, leg warmers, skiing socks, booties .
Going to lay down so I don’t boot from the nausea .
On the trainer, next to plenty of fluids, a cool fan, maybe some videos or music - and I’ll stay there until it warms up to at least 60! I don’t even go running when it’s below 25 I’m such a sissy.
It snowed today in the DC metro area, and from my window I’m seeing how terrible the locals are at driving in the snow. So many almost accidents I’m scared to be walking in the crosswalks today, let alone riding.
I usually watch the news when on the trainer, but its the boring impeachment that has been on so I tried a different scene. It was so nice and sunny, from indoors.
A couple of weeks ago me and a friend did 3 hours in 14 degrees Fahrenheit. And ran 1 h on top. Earlier this year, I went to work (45 min) on bike in 5 degrees. No problem. I have been out on the bike in -4 for an hour or so some years ago when I was young(er) and crazi(er), but I wouldn´t do that anymore.Besides, the winters don´t even get that cold anymore here in southern Finland.
best to get on the mountain bike and find a hilly place to ride…you will warm up real quick after a few minutes of climbing and you don’t have to worry about getting hit by someone trying to drink their coffee with gloves on while trying to drive.
If you mean 22 degrees F, that is pretty cold on a bike, tough-guy. Check out a wind chill chart, on a still day you are creating a “wind” of at least 15-20 mph. I don’t have the chart in front of me but I’m pretty sure that 22F will feel like 0 or lower. Probably a fair chance of frostbite. When it is cold, I sometimes ride a mountain bike as the slower speed means less wind chill. Regardless, at sub-freezing temps, I have trouble keeping my hands and feet warm. At 22F I’d be going out for a run or inside on the trainer or in the pool.
yep 22F* . With ~10mph wind standing still. I maintained 20mph(any faster and the cold was seeping through my clothes) and sprinting flats I only got up to 32 mph for a short while a few times.
I think I may have been dehydrated for feeling so poor. I know it was not hypothermia because I wasn’t shivering and was sweating from working out.
I would not ride on the road in 22 degrees F. I’d hop on the mountain bike in a second, however in those same conditions. Not as windy as you’re going slower creating less of your own breeze and the trees block the rest. Really steep hills in granny gears warm you up very quickly, too. On the road, chemical heat/warmers in the shoes and sometimes in the gloves. As many layers as needed - especially in the frontal exposed areas of chest/stomach/crotch. My stomach is always cold to the touch for a couple of hours after a cold road ride. The Desoto fleece tights are WONDERFUL things to put over a pair of regular tights, or even by themselves (they don’t block much wind however).
You can learn to ride warmly, but its not easy. Get off the road and on the trails. I will do ANYTHING to avoid cycling indoors or going to the gym.
22 is cold, but not THAT cold. Wear a long-sleeve, skin tight thermal base top and bottom. Over that wear a long-sleeve jersey with a built in balaclava hood, and over that a fleece jacket, and over that a goretex shell that is not insulated. For the bottom, Pearl Izumi’s Amfib tights over the afore mentioned thermals. For shoes ditch the booties and get some riding boots. Answer used to make some that were not very expensive that work fine, but I don’t know if they still do or not. Inside the boots, wear your ski-socks and use some toe-warmer chemical pockets like these: http://www.littlehottieswarmers.com/ (these make a HUGE difference).
For hands, downhill ski gloves should be good. I don’t use goggles – glasses work fine for me unless it is snowing (in which case, I stay off the roads due to distracted drivers).
I avoid large hills. Going up is nice but coming back down is misery if you are sweating. Since you are a student you likely don’t have 10 bikes, but if you have a cyclocross bike, they are ideal for winter training. MTBs are undergeared. Road bike is OK, but you’ll want Continental Gatorskins or something tough because flats in the cold are not fun. Also on a cyclocross bike you can add fenders (Planet Bikes are good), which keep you dry if there is water on the road when it warms up a little.
Water is a problem because it freezes in less than 1 hour. A smaller size camelbak under the coat works well, or you can just stick a bottle under the coat in you jersey pocket, but that is a pain.
One last thing is put on a rear blinky and front flasher unless you are 100% sure not to get caught in the dark – gets early in the winter.
I regularly ride about 2 hours in weather down to about 20 degrees. I admit that below that I head inside, but some people ride colder.
I have a heavier jacket I wear on the top side, along with one of those cycling hats for under the helmet, ear warmers, scarf, and mittens for the hands. On the bottom I wear cycling shorts, thin socks, socker socks, running tights, and a wind-breaker bottom. The jacket stinks, but really it doesn’t matter too much, as I’ll get it cleaned in the spring once it warms up. I ride in all temps, which might not sound like much until you realise that I’ve been riding in -38C, which is about -36.4F, tack on a nice healthy wind-chill to that, and BRRRRRR! I forgot to mention that I wear ski googles so that I can see… something about fogging up when it’s that cold just isn’t nice.
multiple layers. I use a sleeveless tight nike drifit shirt, 2 longsleeve drifit shirts, 2 long sleeve fleecy type of riding gear, and a windproof jacket.
goretex xcr shell with windstopper zip in, gore gloves, ear covers and mountain bike shoes (crazy ventilation of road shoes kills my toes) cover it for me down to 0F for commuting to work. I’ll wear a balaclava and beanie if I’m doing a long ride. Any long pants seem to work alright b/c my legs warm up quickly.
I am from Maine and it is so cold here that the lobsters are begging to be boiled and dipped in melted butter.
I haven’t found a way to be comfy below 30* outside on the bike bur for that temp: tights, shorts over it. Good pair of socks. Top layers: a wicking shirt as a base layer, then a wool sweater, then a windblock fleece. Gloves, headband, helmet.
