My Evening Commute

[KLizotte]

@Arlingtonrider 102710 wrote:

I loved last night’s rainy commute too. Most recent change – I’ve decided to completely stop buying expensive gloves for wet or cold weather. I just use light Fall gloves now with Bar Mitts. I might not trust that yet for a really long ride in a cold rain, but I know it works well for my commute. Light gloves feel more comfortable to me and I like having more dexterity. My hands were warm and dry when I got home last night.

Have you tried Moose Mitts? I’m wondering how the Bar Mitts compare with them under real world conditions.

[Arlingtonrider]

I have both (as a result of a gift), but you don’t need both. I think I’d be perfectly happy with either.

I like the Bar Mitts (neoprene) a little better in rain or wind. I like the Moose Mitts better if it’s a little warmer out or if I think I might be taking them off/putting them on again. Both are easy to put on and take off, but Moose Mitts are probably a little quicker.

All the above applies to the flat bar versions. Might be different with drop bar.

[Greenbelt]

@colleen 102708 wrote:

Seconded. Last night was hands down the wettest, coldest commute I have ever done. The only dry part of me was my top – my Showers Pass jacket has been a great investment. I think I need to upgrade some gear if I’m going to be any help to my team during Freezing Saddles!

I was lucky last night and left work so late I missed most of the rain. Well sort of lucky…

+1 on the wool base layers. Also, gore-tex gloves and a wool under-helmet cap that covers ears helpful. But the main thing for me is that my legs get cold when I ride in the cold rain. At 35 and clear I’m OK in just a thin tight pants. When it’s windy and cold, I have a windstop tight. But when it rains, they just soak up water. Gore-tex rain pants over the tights really help on nights like last night.

[cyclingfool]

I missed out on commuting yesterday b/c I had the day off. While I relished being at home and spending time with family, I did look at the weather conditions out the window longingly by late afternoon. That 40ish and drizzly/misty is one of my favorite riding conditions. Alas.

On the other hand, Christmas exchange w/ family yesterday netted me a long desired repair stand for my bike, some winter shoe covers, and a Fenderbot back light so I can further dork out my bike and make it look like a Christmas tree.

[dasgeh]

Yesterday’s rain was perfect for the rain cape – enough water to want to get it out, not enough wind/water to want waterproof pants. I went out during lunch to run some errands, and came back dry. Ditto with my commute home. Though I really need to sew finger holds into my cheap-o rain cape to keep it out over the handlebars.

Has anyone used a rain cape with bar/moose mitts? How do you get the cape to stay out over the handlebars?

[Crickey7]

Last night was sufficiently warm that only feet and hands really needed protection. Feet got neoprene socks, shoes, gore boot covers and neoprene booties. Got soaked, but stayed warm. Hands got liner and lobster gloves. Worked well enough.

The only downside was the rain preventing me from seeing the pothole I affectionately call the Boneshaker.

[americancyclo]

@dasgeh 102723 wrote:

Has anyone used a rain cape with bar/moose mitts? How do you get the cape to stay out over the handlebars?

Velcro/XL Binder clips?

[dasgeh]

@Crickey7 102727 wrote:

Last night was sufficiently warm that only feet and hands really needed protection. Feet got neoprene socks, shoes, gore boot covers and neoprene booties. Got soaked, but stayed warm. Hands got liner and lobster gloves. Worked well enough.

The only downside was the rain preventing me from seeing the pothole I affectionately call the Boneshaker.

You get an ELITE for calling last night “warm”. Any colder and we would have seen ice!

[pfunkallstar]

Got stuck at work late last night since I work for Uncle Scrooge, props to the guy with the day-glo earmuffs and goofy socks on the Custis – you keep on doing what you’re doing.

[worktheweb]

I had a glorious commute last night. For some reason I had high octane in my metaphorical tank and cut about 10 minutes off my normal commute time with 2 PRs, a 2nd place, and 2 3rd places for segments on my route in Strava with the 4th best time for that direction I’ve ever logged. The 12 mph tailwind certainly helped, but I really enjoyed pushing it. Also, I wasn’t passed by anyone for the entire time on the MVT. It felt really good to be out there and going on all 8 cylinders.

[dplasters]

Its official, the wind is trying to kill me. My west north west commute home was just dead into the teeth of it.

I look forward to the day that I get a morning commute with a tailwind as strong as that headwind.

But snow tomorrow morning. Which is nice.

[Powerful Pete]

All in all a good evening commute, although I suffered the cold. Winter cycling shoes, new supah cold weather gloves and new toasty bibs on order.

Saw a good number of joggers at Hains Point this evening – was expecting to see more riders but that did not happen. The wind (I must have been fortunate) was there but not gale force or anything…

[Harry Meatmotor]

@dplasters 103703 wrote:

Its official, the wind is trying to kill me. My west north west commute home was just dead into the teeth of it.

I look forward to the day that I get a morning commute with a tailwind as strong as that headwind.

infamous cycling quote:

“Why does a headwind seem to get worse the longer you’re riding into it?”

“Because you’re getting closer to it”

[Mikey]

SUSTAINED WINDS 20-30 MPH, gusts 40+mph
North West winds will be quite strong this evening.
be careful out there tonight especially around 7pm.

It still counts as a ride when you walk your bike over the really icy patches.

[DismalScientist]

@Mikey 104138 wrote:

.
It still counts as a ride when you walk your bike over the really icy patches.

Sorry–you have to manually crop these out of your Strava feed.

[Author]

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