How cold is too cold?

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

- Josh

Personally, I *could* do it. Without careful prep I would be risking
frostbite, so.... you know better than us as to your prep levels and
tolerance for cold. Goggles are recommended, as is checking for any
exposed skin. I intend to be riding at that level and colder this
winter, but I only have 6Km to cover each way.

Good Luck if you try it and let us know how it turned out.

"Josh Hassol" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

They are forecasting -20c for Friday and Monday, hereabouts.

Quoted message said:

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

Layers. I've never found more than 2 layers of sweats, socks plus nylon
shell to be insufficient. A single ski-mask/balaclava with a mouth covering
and hood from my sweat top does it for me.

Any more and no matter how cold I over-heat.

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

Yeah - take the day off! 🙂

I've never gone that cold, but ISTM it's tough when the temperature
drops 20 degrees from one day to the next. If that holds, and it's
cold to begin with, skip it.

OTOH, just noticed your numbers are wind chill. Since you're going to
get a wind chill anyhow from your riding speed, what are the temps
without wind chill?

Pat

Email address works as is.

Patrick Lamb said:

On 24 Jan 2007 12:38:01 -0800, "Josh Hassol" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

OTOH, just noticed your numbers are wind chill. Since you're going to
get a wind chill anyhow from your riding speed, what are the temps
without wind chill?

Pat

Email address works as is.

Good point. Temps without wind chill: tomorrow: 17F in the morning,
and 20F evening. Friday: 8F morning, 11F evening. I think maybe I'll
ride tomorrow, and rest on Friday. I'll see how I feel at 6AM
tomorrow.

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

- Josh

I don't commute in cold weather, but I have been on some rides in that
last few days which have been cold. -18C and -16C (0F to 3F) without
wind-chill. (With proper clothes, IMO wind-chill is meaningless.) I
don't bother with googles, face mask, or that sort of thing. I just put
cold-weather creme on my face, and I just go slow. The most important
thing for me is to know I will be warm enough to walk for a long time
if I have some technical problems. I get warm enough from riding that
wool long-johns, and windproof tights and shell are enough, but if I
got stranded wearing just that I would not be a happy guy. I personally
am lucky that my feet almost never get cold, so wool socks, cycling
shoes, and wind-proof booties are enough for me there, but lots of
people have problems with cold feet. So that may be your limiting
factor.

Have fun!

Joseph

Josh Hassol said:

Patrick Lamb said:

OTOH, just noticed your numbers are wind chill. Since you're going to
get a wind chill anyhow from your riding speed, what are the temps
without wind chill?

Pat

Good point. Temps without wind chill: tomorrow: 17F in the morning,
and 20F evening. Friday: 8F morning, 11F evening. I think maybe I'll
ride tomorrow, and rest on Friday. I'll see how I feel at 6AM
tomorrow.

Given my cold weather gear, I know I could handle today's (Thursday's)
weather at your place. Been there, done that. Don't know about Friday
-- it hasn't gotten that cold (here) since I got the gear. And I've
been waiting two years to find out!

Pat

In article <[email hidden]>,

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

- Josh

I wouldn't worry about the wind chill figures, as they're more related
to the effect of cold wind on bare skin and you sound well wrapped.

Another way to thimk about it is to calculate the wind chill on your
ride to work vs to home, considering the differences in relative wind
speed -- you probably generate one heck of a wind chill at various
times already.

Just dress for the absolute temps and add a little more insulating
layer for your core and legs if you're "just right" at 21 and see how it
goes at 9, then extrapolate for the next day.

Personally, i wear giant insulated galosh-style boots w/ felt liners
when temps get down in the 20 or lower range.

Also, i try to dress for steady-state effort levels, not right out of
the garage warmth. This means i'm a little chilly at first, sometimes
(esp in really cold weather), but it keeps me from turning into my own
private clambake five miles down the road.

bon chance.

"Josh Hassol" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1169671081.003631.89980
@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

- Josh

14 f for me in NY on Friday; I haven't ridden in cold like that for years.
My plan is underarmor thermal, heavy flannel, fleece liner, and snowboard
shell. Wind-proof balaclava on top and snowboard gloves; acorn fleece
socks. I'm trying to decide on glove liners and a sweater between the
flannel and the liner.

The only thing that really gets me on a cold day is my fingers, so I'll
probably take the glove liners with me.

I've been trying to hold the line on suit & tie riding for political
purposes, but it's just impossible to ride a bike with an overcoat on.

--ag

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

Why don't you just ride and find out for yourself what your
tolerances are?

It used to be I'd commute no matter what the temperature.
For me it's not too bad until the temp gets below about 0F (-20C).
Below that cycling sux donkey [censored], IMO. The wind chill effect
becomes extreme, and on a bike all your extremities are exposed.

Fortunately there are no longer many, if any, days out of the
the years where the temps stay below zero all day.

BTW, the coldest I've ever cycled in was -27F (-32C). Less than
5 mile ride and it was awful. Honestly walking is a far more civilized
way of getting around when it gets really cold.

Quoted message said:

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

Why don't you just ride and find out for yourself what your
tolerances are?

It used to be I'd commute no matter what the temperature.
For me it's not too bad until the temp gets below about 0F (-20C).
Below that cycling sux donkey [censored], IMO. The wind chill effect
becomes extreme, and on a bike all your extremities are exposed.

Fortunately there are no longer many, if any, days out of the
the years where the temps stay below zero all day.

BTW, the coldest I've ever cycled in was -27F (-32C). Less than
5 mile ride and it was awful. Honestly walking is a far more civilized
way of getting around when it gets really cold.

At -27F I would be wearing a ski mask, goggles, AND a full face
motorcycle helmet, pretty serious gloves. I have been outdoors in
Minnesota, chatting with the guy filling my 500 gallon propane tank and
it was about -15F with about a 15 MPH wind. Since I wasn't doing
anything I almost froze solid right there. There are days when it is too
cold to ride (sanely) but then your car might not start either.
I found out that when you put on enough clothing for the cold (just
standing) it is too much for riding since you will work up a sweat even
riding slowly. It beats walking but you sure can't ride at training speeds.
Bill Baka

me said:

Good Luck if you try it and let us know how it turned out.

It was about 6F at 7:30 this morning, and getting windy. I decided to
drive to the subway. Driving is boring, but warm. My biggest concern
was not staying warm on the bike, but what would happen if I got a
flat? In that kind of cold, a roadside tube change would be difficult
if not impossible.

- Josh

Josh Hassol said:

me said:

Good Luck if you try it and let us know how it turned out.

It was about 6F at 7:30 this morning, and getting windy. I decided to
drive to the subway. Driving is boring, but warm. My biggest concern
was not staying warm on the bike, but what would happen if I got a
flat? In that kind of cold, a roadside tube change would be difficult
if not impossible.

Marathon Plus tires help mightily with that. I've only changed one flat
on my commuter since I put them on Oct 2005. Thankfully that was less
than a mile from work, so I just walked the rest of the way and changed
it at my leisure while I was at work.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
Human cardiac catheterization was introduced by Werner Forssman in 1929.
Ignoring his department chief, and tying his assistant to an operating
table to prevent her interference, he placed a ureteral catheter into
a vein in his arm, advanced it to the right atrium [of his heart], and
walked upstairs to the x-ray department where he took the confirmatory
x-ray film. In 1956, Dr. Forssman was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

- Josh

Here it is currently -4C with 28Km/hr North wind gusting 40Km/h
I am riding home 30 mins from now then going to visit some friends.
When I come home about midnight it is forecast to be -16C with similar
wind, (though it will be behind me) I'll let you know tomorrow how
it went. I am using a thin windblocker under the helmet, Visorgogs,
Fleece/neoprene face mask, fleece undershirt/windblocker Goretex
Jacket, Addidas windblocker thermal tights with another pair of similar
over those.Thick socks and exura winter shoes. This will be the coldest
I have tried to ride in.

-4C=25F -16C=3F

anything less than 60F. is too cold.

Josh Hassol said:

Temps (with wind chill) for my daily commute (14 miles each way):

Today: 21 F . . . no problem
Tomorrow: 9 F . . . hmmm
Friday: -9 F . . . too cold?

I have the poly-pro balaclava for under the helmet, the face mask, the
booties, the lobster mittens, etc. But at -9F I'm thinking it may be
smart to take a day off.

Any suggestions?

- Josh

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No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

Andy Gee said:

14 f for me in NY on Friday; I haven't ridden in cold like that for years.
My plan is underarmor thermal, heavy flannel, fleece liner, and snowboard
shell. Wind-proof balaclava on top and snowboard gloves; acorn fleece
socks. I'm trying to decide on glove liners and a sweater between the
flannel and the liner.

The only thing that really gets me on a cold day is my fingers, so I'll
probably take the glove liners with me.

The only problem for me is keeping hands, feet, and face warm enough.

Other than that I never need more than a couple of thin layers plus
windbreaker, down to about 15F. I have some Bellwether Windfront tights,
which are more than warm enough down to 5F, the coldest I've tried them in.

Lately I've been riding around town at night in the 20s F in jeans, a
normal button-down shirt, and a windbreaker with a thin fleece liner, and
even that's almost too warm. My hands get cold though, and I get "ice
cream" headaches going downhill fast with just a thin skullcap.

Try www.icebike.com

Matt O.