It's -20c outside, not the best training weather. I'm bored of cross-country skiing and gym training. Racing season is starting soon and I want to RIDE!!!
-20 aint that bad it was 45 here this time last week, a 30km ride felt like 250km it left me nailed for 4 or 5 days Where are you btw? cheers!
I live in Finland, near Helsinki. You said you have -45c? Where do you live? I wouldn't even go out to get my newspaper if it'd be -45c here. Infact I think I'd die on my way to mailbox
It's always the same, either it's too cold or too hot Today it was almost warm here (-4) and I managed to ride 4 hours.
When the sun is shining and it's -4, it isn't that bad. The air feels healthy. I go out for a ride sometimes when it's below zero here in the Netherlands. Rides of 2 to 3 hours. I just put on enough clooths. Mostly i get cold feet. And that is terrible. Kaj
Now I will be moving to a really cold climate in about 12 months time. Where I live now it never goes below 10 degrees C. Any tips for cycling in weather were the mercury goes below freezing? Leon
Hello Leon, How cold will it be there? Always put on more layers of cloths. First a long sleeve craft, then a long sleeve cycling shirt and then a winter cycling jacket. That's what i wear. And a short trousers and a long trousers. When it's really cold (-10 or colder) i put on a long undertrouser. I hope you understand what i mean, because i don't know what the real English names are. Good luck in the cold. Kaj
5°C is the coldest I've cycled in. Afterwards, all my fingers were frost bitten, my speech slurred and I lost sight in my left eye for awhile. I can't imagine cycling in -20°C weather. That's just nuts.
-> Leon When it's subzero use windprotection trousers. Try go without and you'll know what I mean It's still below -10 here in Finland and I've just been skiing, but tomorrow It'll warm up to -6 or something.
One thing I have noticed is that after a couple of months of winter riding, your body adjusts by sweating less for a given level of effort. It's been just above zero the past couple of weeks, and I'm now riding around in lycra shorts and one top layer, not quite windproof, with no discomfort at all. Hairy legs help. I'm thin... don't know if being fat helps. A couple of days ago I did an experiment... it was zero, humidity around 90%, and I decided to ride home in that to see what got cold first. Usually when it gets close to zero I put on some long tights and my Frosty Boy (www.groundeffect.co.nz), although I usually end up too hot after 15min, especially around the shoulders. It really was zero, there was ice forming. In fact, I went arse skating on some of it. Humidity was close to 100% on the riverbank, and you can feel the difference. It's like the hand of death. I was wearing overshoes (thin hiking undersocks) and proper winter gloves... I don't mess around with hands and feet. What got cold was legs (at first), fingertips (end of ride), insides of elbows, the tops of the front insides of my thighs, neck (at first), teeth (this happens if you go hard enough to open your mouth, which you have to to keep the rest of you warm). By the time I got home I was warm, except for those fingertips. Don't overdress. You will get used to it.
Finally...It's starting to warm up here. It's been lovely weather for last three days, sun is shining, it's about +2c and above all I have winter holiday so I can train how I want.
An amazing 3 degrees today and some sunshine, tomorrow back to usual clouds and -3or 5 with wind correction -15 or something. You get used to doing 100km's in this kind of weather its much better than rain IMO. ITs easier to dress for cold then rain.
There is no snow and almost no ice and the first race(team championships) is next weekend so its on the roadie. When there is sow or ice I take the cylocross one. I'm of to spain in then days so there must be 9 days of nice weather cycling coming up. And i hope to move to S-A for 7months for next winther.
How true, how true, how true... We have had 5 days of non stop rain in the "Sunny South Africa". 5 days since I last rode my bike. Think I might be getting some withdrawal symptoms (shake, shake, shiver).
