Cold weather advice thread

[Greenbelt]

I did a thread on this topic last year but too lazy to bump it so starting new.

I get a lot of questions on this, so here are some ideas, and others can add in/refute etc.

1. Slow Down a Little. My main advice for new winter riders is to add a few minutes to their commutes, on purpose. Just give yourself that extra 5 or 10 minutes so you can take your time when it’s cold or the weather’s poor. I’ve found that my main problems in winter usually have stemmed from trying to be in a hurry. Trying to ride too fast I get too sweaty and then chilled if I have to stop for a flat tire or something. Trying to be in a hurry and go too fast over an icy patch. Trying to be in a hurry around brain-frozen drivers who don’t expect cyclists when it’s cold because they would never go out in the cold like that and didn’t even bother to clear the frost off their windshield because it was cold and they’re late to drop their kids off at school, and so on.

2. Good Gear Pays Off. On short commutes, you can just throw on a coat and tough it out, but on longer commutes (especially if you’re as old as I am) having good quality gear is essential to being comfortable, which is, in turn, essential to being able to slow down a little and enjoy the ride. A “Buff” or two for face and head and neck, good boots or at least shoe covers (buy at least one size larger than you’d think), wool ski socks and base layers, extra-large bulky gloves that are easy to get on and off to grab a phone call or turn on your lights etc. I don’t usually use a winter jacket — I just use my windbreaker with lots of layers under. Generally a wicking layer (or two) a wool base layer, a fleece, then a windbreaker is plenty on top for me. Winter ride tights usually sufficient for legs. On really snowy or cold heavy rain days, I have Gore-tex rain pants and a Gore-tex jacket.

3. Get Dry and Stay Dry. At work, having a good place to dry your gear and shoes is pretty critical. Shoe inserts can help; boot warmers can help; lots of coat racks that you can hang gear on in a warm place somewhere at your workplace. Putting on still-damp clothes for the ride home is super chilling and just sucks. Always try to either bring dry gear or get it dry while you work. A sub-point on the dry thing, I usually bring a change of dry clothes even for group social rides, so that I don’t get chilled at the stop. Maybe I’m a bit over the top on that, but I could ride all day in the coldest weather if I could change into dry clothes often enough.

4. Hydrate. The air loses humidity in the winter, and just by breathing I seem to lose a lot of fluid. Insulated water bottles can keep room temp water from freezing for quite a long time. Mixing in some warm tea is also kind of nice. On the other hand, frozen water bottles are pretty worthless for hydration.

5. Don’t Suffer! If it’s too nasty, and you’re not feeling the whole adventure of it, better safe than sorry. Freezing Saddles is won by teams who don’t get sick or injured. So please don’t get sick or injured! That includes maybe hopping on the bus or Metro or working from home when it’s really horrible out. (But still get in your 1 mile sleaze ride, because that’s just essential…)

6. Practice your Snot Rockets in advance, on flat dry level ground, so you don’t swerve, with no one around. Check the wind. Please be polite around other cyclists — no one should ever see you shoot a rocket, it’s a private thing, never to be seen or heard by others. Or even see evidence of. A mis-shot snot rocket frozen stuck in a blob on your shoulder is sort of a mark of incompetence, not a badge of honor. So practice, practice, practice!

What else? -Jeff

Topic

[ChristoB50]

@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.

Will be watching the responses! I’m still wearing my biking/clip shoes (which have tiny perforations all over the upper face) — so I’ve taken to wearing over-shoe waterproof covers (well, they’re still open along the bottom/sole, of course) to act as a bit of wind-block… and combine that with ShowersPass 3-layer waterproof socks.
Longer rides (over an hour) my toes will still get cold, but basically a manageable level. (In contrast to my first-ever cold ride; made the rookie mistakes of cotton socks and baggies inside, so the socks got damp and BOY did my toes freeze; I was actually somewhat concerned when I got home and realized they’d been wind-chilled while wet!)

Anyway – I’d love to hear how effective some of the specifically-for-winter cleat-compatible shoes or even boots are… {Edit: Like the Shimano MW5 shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/121535/shimano-mw5-mountain-bike-shoes-mens}
I’d seriously think about investing the dough to keep my feet warmer than “manageable” throughout winter, especially as I have yet to bike into the low 20s or teens.

[dbehrend]

I’ve also had good experience with hiking boots and hiking socks keeping my feet comfortable through the winter. When it gets under 20, I double up on socks.

[dbehrend]

@Christob50 183893 wrote:

… and combine that with ShowersPass 3-layer waterproof socks.

I’m a big fan of Showers Pass. Their waterproof socks are great. However, I don’t find them that great at retaining heat. When it gets cold, I usually put another layer on underneath.

[mstone]

@Christob50 183893 wrote:

Anyway – I’d love to hear how effective some of the specifically-for-winter cleat-compatible shoes or even boots are… {Edit: Like the Shimano MW5 shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/121535/shimano-mw5-mountain-bike-shoes-mens}

I’ve got the older MW81’s. They’re worth it for me vs hiking boots because the cold often comes with ice and I’ve got enough to worry about without my feet sliding off the pedals. They’re warm, and much more breathable (i.e., less sweaty) in my experience than shoe covers over warm-weather bike shoes. It doesn’t help you now, but the end-of-season discounts on bike boots tend to be significant.

[Hancockbs]

@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’m in this boat too. I recently found out based on another thread, that I need to keep my lower legs warmer to avoid the radiator effect on my feet. When I changed from uninsulated tights to Amphib with light fleece, I easily added 20 minutes to my toe comfort. I’m going to try sock liners next. After that I will go full rain cover for the shoes.

[Emm]

@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.

2 suggestions:

1. proper winter cycling shoes
2. Chemical toe warmers

I don’t like that the chemical toe warmers are 1 time use, BUT they are incredibly effective. Costco carries them for pretty cheap during the winter (I think under $15 for 30 pairs). Last year I kept forgetting I had already stocked up and now I have like 3 boxes of them…which is unfortunate because my commute is now shorter and I honestly don’t need them daily like I used to. So of anyone wants to try them out, you’re welcome to a few pairs if you meet me at one of the coffee clubs or happy hours I attend. One thing to note though is they don’t actually work that well inside my winter cycling boots. The toe warmers need air to work, and the cycling boots are so insulated that no air really gets in…so I’d warm the toe warmers up, put them in my boots, have them stop working, and then they’d heat back up AFTER I took my shoes off. Not helpful…

@Christob50 183893 wrote:

Anyway – I’d love to hear how effective some of the specifically-for-winter cleat-compatible shoes or even boots are… {Edit: Like the Shimano MW5 shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/121535/shimano-mw5-mountain-bike-shoes-mens}
I’d seriously think about investing the dough to keep my feet warmer than “manageable” throughout winter, especially as I have yet to bike into the low 20s or teens.

I have the Shimano MW7s, and they’re worth it if you can get them for below $200. After an hour my feet get cold anyways even with these on, so I find long rides below 35 degrees to hurt no matter what. The good news is they never have gotten truly painfully cold like they have with normal bike shoes/toe covers, but my toes definitely begin going numb after 60-90 min on really cold days. They’re a big improvement on regular cycling shoes though, and they are pretty waterproof as I found out last night while biking through the flooded 4mrt. And as I noted above, because they are so insulated/water proof, they mean chemical toe warmers don’t work. I’ve considered upgrading to the Lake boots, but we’ll see if they go on sale this year. The MW7s are definitely heavy, which also influences how much I enjoy using them.

[n18]

More tips:

Coughing = Torso too cold, go back and wear another layer.

Breathing from your mouth? Cover your nose and mouth. This warms the lower part of your head, so your nose is less likely to get congested. I use this balaclava(REI/Amazon), which can be lowered down to cover only the bottom half of the head when it gets warmer.

[dbehrend]

@mstone 183921 wrote:

… I’ve got enough to worry about without my feet sliding off the pedals.

I haven’t had a problem with my feet slipping when it’s wet or icy. I use flat pedals that have a large surface area and pins. They’ve been great for commuting and everyday riding.

[drevil]

@dbehrend 183949 wrote:

I haven’t had a problem with my feet slipping when it’s wet or icy. I use flat pedals that have a large surface area and pins. They’ve been great for commuting and everyday riding.

Yup, a good set of platform pedals with spikes will grip your shoes extremely well. My favorite pair are the Spank Spikes.

For added anti-slip-ness on ice when walking around, I’ve put a few shorter Kold Kutter screws into the outer edge of the shoe and a couple in the heel.

Kold Kutter Screws in My Shoes by ricky d, on Flickr

[Crickey7]

@Emm 183944 wrote:

2 suggestions:

1. proper winter cycling shoes
2. Chemical toe warmers

I don’t like that the chemical toe warmers are 1 time use, BUT they are incredibly effective.

I don’t buy the foot warmers, but I do buy the hand warmers. You can use them several times if as soon as you finish your ride you stick them in a Ziploc bag and squeeze out all the air.

[dbehrend]

@n18 183947 wrote:

More tips:

I use this balaclava(REI/Amazon), which can be lowered down to cover only the bottom half of the head when it gets warmer.

I picked up the half-balaclava version of this last year ( https://www.rei.com/product/725711/seirus-neofleece-combo-scarf ). Relative to the Buffs I also use, it has been a game changer at keeping me comfortable when the temperature drops below the mid-20s.

[hugopatacon]

What about black ice? any suggestions?:confused:

[Hancockbs]

Decided to break down and buy some cold weather shoes. I found Shimano MW5 for $125 including shipping at bikeinn.com.

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/shimano-mw5/136224930/p

[ChristoB50]

@Hancockbs 184018 wrote:

Decided to break down and but some cold weather shoes. I found Shimano MW5 for $125 including shipping at bikeinn.com.
https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/shimano-mw5/136224930/p

Please report back with your experiences with that shoe, after you’ve got a few cold rides — I’m curious if they make a measurable difference over “plain” bike shoes like my Shimano ME3’s, particularly on longer rides (1hr+) in low 30s or colder…

[Paytonb33]

Thank you all for the information! I’ll probably try thermal bibs and I’ll look into the balaclava and the shimano boots that were recommended. Regards!!

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