Cold weather advice thread

[TwoWheelsDC]

@LhasaCM 183746 wrote:

I think that is the one notion I wish I’d remembered/been more cognizant of when I started biking more/year-round and set about acquiring suitable stuff. While a lot of the gear suggestions/tips are widely applicable, when they are applicable can vary greatly from person to person, so there’s potentially a fair amount of trail and error involved. And some things (for me, it’s lobster gloves) that may work great for a lot of people just may not be right for you.

I was thinking that this morning as I passed people wearing only what looked like light jackets, but with full-face neoprene masks on…meanwhile I was under like 3 layers on my torso, but with nothing covering my face.

[ChristoB50]

@TwoWheelsDC 183749 wrote:

I was thinking that this morning as I passed people wearing only what looked like light jackets, but with full-face neoprene masks on…meanwhile I was under like 3 layers on my torso, but with nothing covering my face.

I’m in that camp—a merino base layer and a light windbreaker is totally sufficient to keep me comfy… at least this far into winter–I cant imagine it will be sufficient for consistent 20s, teens or lower…
But my face, ears and eyes are a totally different matter. So, ski goggles over my prescription eyeglasses (stops the massive eye-watering problem that tends to develop for me around 42 degrees or lower) and a half-balaklava (nose and below). That combo keeps my ears from freezing, too…
I see no reason to let preventable personal discomforts lure me away from biking. I’m frankly stunned (given my personal history with any forms of exercise discipline in the past) that I’m still excited and “into” keeping my bike commutes going this winter–I would NOT have predicted that to be the case, 9 months ago!

[peterw_diy]

If you wear eyeglasses, anything covering your nostrils (like a balaclava) will direct your breath up to your eyeglasses where it will freeze and block your vision. Ski goggles will greatly reduce this problem if you can’t bear to bare your nose. Look for “OTG” (over the glasses) models.

I find yellow goggle lenses to provide a good compromise between reducing daytime brightness and not making night sky too dark.

[LuisFilipe]

Invest in ping pong balls

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[huskerdont]

Yup, all wired differently. I don’t need anything on my face even down to 10 degrees, but my fingers are like delicate flowers or something. Everyone has to learn what works for them.

Balaclavas for me just put too much moisture on my face; tried one once at 8 degrees and ended up stopping and taking it off. I did buy a turtle fur thing (a loop of fleece that goes around your neck) for skiing last winter and used it a couple of times to keep the wind from going down my collar; you can pull it up over your face if it starts to get too cold. I didn’t mind it too much, but it’s not something I’d use unless it was really, really cold.

[Tania]

My ears, face and top of my head get really cold sub freezing. I have a full-face mtb helmet with a removable chin guard and it covers my ears completely. I didn’t buy it for winter commuting, but it’s sure comes in handy.

[Greenbelt]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 183740 wrote:

I would just like to request kindly that people actually stop doing snot rockets on public trails unless they make very very extensive efforts to first check that nobody else is anywhere nearby. Seems like one dickhead or another blows his nose all over me about once every other month or so. It’s not a good habit, and it shouldn’t be up to other people to make sure they are somehow not going to get a stranger’s bodily fluids blown onto their body or into the air they will be riding through in a matter of seconds.

I got rocket blasted by an osprey once along the Anacostia River trail, except it wasn’t snot.

[rcannon100]

Grow a really good beard

[Steve O]

@rcannon100 183762 wrote:

Grow a “really good” beard

ftfy

[ChristoB50]

@rcannon100 183762 wrote:

Grow a really good beard

Ah, if only it were possible… They do look like they’d be a wonderful built-in face-warmer…

[ChristoB50]

@huskerdont 183759 wrote:

Yup, all wired differently.
Balaclavas for me just put too much moisture on my face; tried one once at 8 degrees and ended up stopping and taking it off.

Yeah, there’s definitely a moisture issue on the half-balaclava, as I often can’t breathe sufficiently by using only my nose. In the current temps, and for my current length of rides, the moisture hasn’t been a huge problem but I can see it could be, as it gets even colder… Love the idea of a full-head helmet that Tania mentions here (would eliminate my ski goggles as well as half-balaclava); tho I think I’d encounter a different problem, in that my head is a furnace chimney, normally — even a light fabric skull cap worn under a normal vented helmet makes me way too sweaty to live with, in the cold. I can’t really wear winter hats off-bike either, for the same reason; the sweat just starts flowing, if the top of my head is covered.

[hozn]

For those looking for nose/mouth covering that still allows for breathing, this is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UATJ5Y/ I can’t recommend it enough if you, like me, prefer to keep your face warm in freezing temps.

[Paytonb33]

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

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[n18]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

I don’t use cycling shoes, but I am trying this one, which can easily handle 20 degrees weather with thick socks, and they are lightweight. They get sweaty with light socks in the 35+ weather. I also got these winter boots from REI Outlet, but it turned out they weigh 4.0 LBS! Never had the chance to try them outside, maybe when it gets below 20.

REI has at the moment has $20 off $100 offer for Outlet items ending this Wednesday.

Edited to add: These are the thick socks I am using. Fabric Content: 85% Acrylic, 14% Polyester, 1% Spandex.

[hozn]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

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I also can’t keep warm with just shoe covers below 35°. I have two sets of boots, which both work well. One pair of fairly old Northwave Celcius boots are comfy for 25-45°. After a couple hours at 25 my feet will be chilly, but nothing too bad. They are not fully sealed (my feet wouldn’t stay dry if I stepped in a puddle) but the uppers are goretex (they kept my feet warm and dry in rain on Friday, for example).

I also have a set of Specialized Defroster boots which are good down into the teens. I am sure after a couple hours in the teens my feet are cold, but I try to avoid ling rides in those temps. The Specialized are really nice boots, but they are a bit bulkier/heavier and so I tend to default to the Northwave when temps are not extreme. I believe these are fully sealed/waterproof too, though not sure I have really tested that.

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