Cold weather clothing recommendations?

[BruceW..1]

Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
and a long underwear top.

Maybe there wasn't enough food in my stomach, though I was not hungry.

The dilemna then is how to release body heat (from exercise) yet be
dressed warmly.

Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
temperatures? Or, might food intake be the key?

Thanks for your help.

 

[David Reuteler]

BruceW..1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
> the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
> a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
> shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
> Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
> and a long underwear top.

what was the long underwear top made of? if cotton, that's likely your
problem. 40F is also a bit low to be riding w/o leg warmers. i've done
lots of rides in that temp and distance range (in minnesota) w/o problems
and i usually wear a l/s wool underlayer and either a s/s or l/s wool jersey
with shorts and leg warmers and a neck gaitor. i find water requirements
to be less than riding in hot weather and food no different.
--
david reuteler
[email protected]

 

[Frank Miles]

In article <[email protected]>,
BruceW..1 <[email protected]> wrote:
>Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
>the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
>a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
>shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
>Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
>and a long underwear top.
>
>Maybe there wasn't enough food in my stomach, though I was not hungry.
>
>The dilemna then is how to release body heat (from exercise) yet be
>dressed warmly.
>
>Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
>not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
>temperatures? Or, might food intake be the key?

It's hard to generalize about how much clothing you need, since this depends
on relative windspeed, humidity, and how hard you are working. For a
fairly short ride food shouldn't be that big an issue. Keeping your core
(including head) warm comes first.

You definitely want to insulate your knees; some say for temperatures lower
than 50degF. Otherwise you can damage the joint in ways that may not be
immediately obvious.

If you have a hard time sensing cold, perhaps you should add clothes until
you are too warm, then back off? Experience will probably guide you best...

HTH...
-frank
--

 

[Harris]

BruceW..1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
> the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
> a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
> shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
> Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
> and a long underwear top.

Everyone has a different tolerance for cold, but assuming mid 40's temps,
you probably want a long sleeve jersey, a cycling vest (with windproof
front and mesh back) at least at the start, and almost certainly tights
or leg warmers. An overcast or windy day will feel much colder than a
sunny, calm day, so take that into account as well. And yes, your body
will burn calories trying to stay warm so eat during the ride.

Art Harris

 

[Threeducks]

David Reuteler wrote:
> BruceW..1 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
>>the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
>>a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
>>shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
>>Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
>>and a long underwear top.
>
>
> what was the long underwear top made of? if cotton, that's likely your
> problem. 40F is also a bit low to be riding w/o leg warmers. i've done
> lots of rides in that temp and distance range (in minnesota) w/o problems
> and i usually wear a l/s wool underlayer and either a s/s or l/s wool jersey
> with shorts and leg warmers and a neck gaitor. i find water requirements
> to be less than riding in hot weather and food no different.

The big problem I used to have when I was in Minnesota was with my feet.
Even with thick neoprene shoe covers if it was much below 25 F I
couldn't stay on the road long.

The other problem was with water. Below 25 F it would freeze in my
water bottle, makeing it not terribly useful to carry.

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
>the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
>a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
>shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
>Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
>and a long underwear top.
>Maybe there wasn't enough food in my stomach, though I was not hungry.
>The dilemna then is how to release body heat (from exercise) yet be
>dressed warmly.
>Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
>not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
>temperatures? Or, might food intake be the key?

Was the top cotton? If yes, wet cotten will draw the heat from your body
as it very slowly dries. That is probably what happened. You should also
carry another layer to put on when you stop riding. Since you are no longer
exerting yourself, your body is producing less heat. Think layers and
synthetics.
-----------
Alex

 

[Peter Cole]

"BruceW..1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
> the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
> a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
> shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
> Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
> and a long underwear top.
>
> Maybe there wasn't enough food in my stomach, though I was not hungry.
>
> The dilemna then is how to release body heat (from exercise) yet be
> dressed warmly.
>
> Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
> not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
> temperatures? Or, might food intake be the key?

The real problem is moisture management. The ideal material is non-absorbent
and insulating while still allowing moisture to evaporate. The closest thing
I've found to the ideal material is stretch fleece. Often, getting very cold
after a ride is from staying in clothing that's wet from sweat. Synthetic
fleece isn't perfect in this regard, but it's generally better than natural
fibers. Stretch clothing that conforms to the skin can be much warmer for a
given thickness than looser garments. You may need to add some wind proofing
on "leading edge" areas like chest, shoulders and upper arms. I prefer to use
a separate layer rather than wind-proof fleece since it's more adaptable (and
cheaper). I don't know of any wind-blocking fleece that stretches, either.

Some people have trouble with extremities: feet, hands, head. That seems to
vary with individual. Ditto for keeping knees warm. Layers and zippers are the
key to "micro-managing" warmth and moisture. It can take a lot of
experimenting. It's always good to have an extra layer to put on after you
stop or if conditions change during the ride. Ideally, you should switch into
dry stuff ASAP after the ride to avoid chills.

 

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 16:04:38 GMT, "BruceW..1"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
>not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
>temperatures?

All. The body is a system. Where a lot of clothes initially but be
sure you can take some off during the ride to regulate your
temperature -- hats, neckwarmers, vest, etc.. Make sure the stuff
against your skin does not hold onto moisture.

> Or, might food intake be the key?

It's easier to get cold if you run out of food.

For me in the temps you described just commuting or doing an endurance
training ride I'd be wearing shorts, leg warmers and thin bib tights,
, a long sleeve polypo or wicking underwear top, perhaps a thick
fleece vest, a long sleeve bike jersey and a vented windshell or
windvest that I might remove on the ride. Plus a thin polypro or wool
hat, thin long-fingered clothes and some lightweight booties. Maybe a
silk bandana around my neck. I wear more than most people though. The
key is to experiment and realize the body is a system. For example,
if your hands are cold, a hat can help.

JT

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[Peter Cole]

"Threeducks" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> The big problem I used to have when I was in Minnesota was with my feet.
> Even with thick neoprene shoe covers if it was much below 25 F I
> couldn't stay on the road long.

The only thing that really works is oversize shoes with extra socks.

> The other problem was with water. Below 25 F it would freeze in my
> water bottle, makeing it not terribly useful to carry.

Use insulated bottles (Polar). Turn them upside-down in the cage, they freeze
from top down, so this keeps the valve open. This works for a couple of hours,
though you might be drinking slush at the end...

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 00:09:37 GMT, "Peter Cole"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"Threeducks" <[email protected]> wrote
>> The big problem I used to have when I was in Minnesota was with my feet.
>> Even with thick neoprene shoe covers if it was much below 25 F I
>> couldn't stay on the road long.
>
>The only thing that really works is oversize shoes with extra socks.

No, having my feet in regular shoes with regular socks also works.
I'd be happy to trade, if only feet were modular...
--
Rick Onanian

 

[Trevor Jeffrey]

BruceW..1 wrote in message ...
>Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
>the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
>a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
>shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
>Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
>and a long underwear top.
>
>Maybe there wasn't enough food in my stomach, though I was not hungry.
>
>The dilemna then is how to release body heat (from exercise) yet be
>dressed warmly.
>
>Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
>not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
>temperatures? Or, might food intake be the key?

Insulate everything lightly. If you get too warm remove gloves, then hat,
leggings, scarf, armwarmers. Use an undervest as well. If the wind picks up
use a racing cape, kraft paper under jersey.

Trevor

 

[Eric]

Threeducks <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> David Reuteler wrote:
> > BruceW..1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
> >>the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
> >>a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
> >>shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
> >>Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
> >>and a long underwear top.
> >
> >
> > what was the long underwear top made of? if cotton, that's likely your
> > problem. 40F is also a bit low to be riding w/o leg warmers. i've done
> > lots of rides in that temp and distance range (in minnesota) w/o problems
> > and i usually wear a l/s wool underlayer and either a s/s or l/s wool jersey
> > with shorts and leg warmers and a neck gaitor. i find water requirements
> > to be less than riding in hot weather and food no different.
>
> The big problem I used to have when I was in Minnesota was with my feet.
> Even with thick neoprene shoe covers if it was much below 25 F I
> couldn't stay on the road long.
>
> The other problem was with water. Below 25 F it would freeze in my
> water bottle, makeing it not terribly useful to carry.

I've had very good luck with wool ski socks. They have extra padding
in the front and on the bottom. It really helps insulate.

Eric

 

[Stan Lipnowski]

Try this site
http://users.rcn.com/icebike/Clothing/clothing.htm

Stan (from BALMY Winnipeg)

"BruceW..1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
> the 40's (Fahrenheit). I felt fine (temperature-wise) while riding, but
> a few minutes after the ride ended I had hypothermia symptoms and
> shivered for the next hour. Apparently I wasn't dressed warm enough.
> Yet to me the actual mechanism remains a mystery. I was wearing shorts
> and a long underwear top.
>
> Maybe there wasn't enough food in my stomach, though I was not hungry.
>
> The dilemna then is how to release body heat (from exercise) yet be
> dressed warmly.
>
> Should one insulate the extremities (head, arms, legs, hands, feet) and
> not the abdomen, or vice versa? What's the right way to dress in cool
> temperatures? Or, might food intake be the key?
>
> Thanks for your help.

 

[BruceW..1]

David Reuteler wrote:
>
> what was the long underwear top made of? if cotton, that's likely your
> problem. 40F is also a bit low to be riding w/o leg warmers. i've done
> lots of rides in that temp and distance range (in minnesota) w/o problems
> and i usually wear a l/s wool underlayer and either a s/s or l/s wool jersey
> with shorts and leg warmers and a neck gaitor. i find water requirements
> to be less than riding in hot weather and food no different.
===============================================

The long underwear top was Patagonia Capilene.

The thing is, I do dress to stay warm, or at least feel warm while
cranking the pedals. And if I get hot I take something off.

Something in this equation is missing. It's gotta be lack of insulation
on the extremeties. So insulate the legs, arms, and head and go lighter
on abdomen insulation. That's where you do most of your sweating
anyway. Must test this theory.

 

[David Reuteler]

BruceW..1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Last fall I rode about 50 miles on my road bike. The temperature was in
> the 40's (Fahrenheit).

good lord man, why're you thinking about this now? august is one of the
three or four months above 40f. one of the reasons it took me 14 years to
leave minnesota was that during the summer i'd forget about how much winter
sucked and it would take me by surprise.
--
david reuteler
[email protected]

 

[BruceW..1]

Trevor Jeffrey wrote:
>
> Insulate everything lightly. If you get too warm remove gloves, then hat,
> leggings, scarf, armwarmers. Use an undervest as well. If the wind picks up
> use a racing cape, kraft paper under jersey.
>
> Trevor
==========================================================

That's the direction I'm leaning toward.

If I was taking my time while riding I'm sure the insulation
requirements would be different. I usually ride at the edge of my
abilities, lots of heat and sweat.

My forearms feel cold before anything else, so it's a natural reaction
to insulate the arms first. This insulation usually also comes with
abdomen insulation, which might be a bad thing in this case.

I usually take a vest along, Polartec or down. Maybe I'll skip this and
wear long underwear pants instead.

Your head loses a LOT of heat so that's probably very important.

Have never gotten cold toes so I think I'll hold off on foot insulation.

 

[Tom Sherman]

Eric wrote:

> ...
> I've had very good luck with wool ski socks. They have extra padding
> in the front and on the bottom. It really helps insulate....

For cold weather riding, I wear SPuD sandals, synthetic inner socks,
heavy wool middle socks, and Gore-Tex outer sock "shells".

If only we could convince Sorel to make their boots with cleat
attachments, as the feet are often the hardest part of the body to keep
warm.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

 

[Jeff Starr]

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 23:55:33 -0500, Tom Sherman
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Eric wrote:
>
>> ...
>> I've had very good luck with wool ski socks. They have extra padding
>> in the front and on the bottom. It really helps insulate....
>
>For cold weather riding, I wear SPuD sandals, synthetic inner socks,
>heavy wool middle socks, and Gore-Tex outer sock "shells".
>
>If only we could convince Sorel to make their boots with cleat
>attachments, as the feet are often the hardest part of the body to keep
>warm.

My feet get cold very easily and I am still tweaking. I have found on
real cold days, it helps if I put one of those disposalable heat pads
on top of the front of my shoe, inside my neoprene booties.

Life is Good!
Jeff

 

[Trevor Jeffrey]

BruceW..1 wrote in message
<[email protected]>...
>
>If I was taking my time while riding I'm sure the insulation
>requirements would be different. I usually ride at the edge of my
>abilities, lots of heat and sweat.
>
>My forearms feel cold before anything else, so it's a natural reaction
>to insulate the arms first. This insulation usually also comes with
>abdomen insulation, which might be a bad thing in this case.
>
>I usually take a vest along, Polartec or down. Maybe I'll skip this and
>wear long underwear pants instead.
>
>Your head loses a LOT of heat so that's probably very important.
>
>Have never gotten cold toes so I think I'll hold off on foot insulation.
>

It's always best to start with a low level warm up of 20 mins, its during
this time you will adjust your clothing depending on reaction. Use a bar
bag to dump clothes into. At -10 C I never put more than terry cotton
sports socks over racing shoes. As long as my legs were insulated my feet
would be warm.

Trevor

 

[Jonathan]

Bruce,

I agree with Trevor & your "leanings" - cover lightly &
breathably everywhere (polypro tights!).

The difficulty is strange, sustained, and uneven
exposures that our bodies are not evolved to
handle. Light coverage everywhere helps diffuse
the negative impact of poorly distributed heating,
venting, and exposure by buffering loss-rates thus
allowing the body's inadequate regulatory activity
a little more time to react.

Insulation is hard to redistribute (hats & sleeves
excepted) during a ride but ventilation is not.
Think about it as venting the hot spots rather
than insulating the cold spots. Chose clothing
that has an abundance of velcro & zippered vents.
Pit or pec vents are great. They tend to balloon
your jersey or shell but they dump core heat +
moisture faster than anything else. I like baggy
shorts over my tights so the thigh-openings
catch&pump air up into the crotch. Also, I cut the
crotch & part of the pelvic panel from one pair of
my heavier tights. Leg warmers, as others have
said, are great for foot warmth in sub-freezing temps.

The head is different: you cannot go by "feel" so
much. I'm a *great* believer in a hat ALWAYS in
cool & cold riding - even if it's merely a light
cap with the bill spun to the back. When the head
is bare during exposed, fast-foward activity it
results in over production + shipment of heat to
the head - regardless of whether the rest of the
body needs or wants that heat. It really is
possible to "feel" warm all over but be pumping
huge amounts of heat through the head that lowers
your core temp. A balaclava in colder weather is a
beautiful thing - though I have trouble finding
ones I like the design of. Also, pumping excessive
heat through the head dries the sinuses thus
increasing susceptibility to common colds.

Hope that helps. Stay with the synthetics as they
throw-off the moisture best. I've a pile vest with
shell material on the front which has proven great
for a wide range of temps & conditions. I most
commonly wear that over a polypro, zippered
half-turtleneck long sleeve shirt.

I've never found a decent solution for the knees. Mine get cold long
before the feet and it's hard to insulate the knees without hampering
mobility. Consequently I've prematurely ground my knees.