How to keep face warm in 30 Degrees

[chris c]

I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
don't ride in these temps, right?

 

[[email protected]]

Nonsense. 30C is fine. Oh. You meant 30F. That's fine too. I'll
ride at any temp, provided the roads are good. I'll run at any temp
provided the wind chill is above -25C (about -13F).

If your face is cold, check out the local (?) downhill ski stores.
They make face masks out of the same stuff that scuba suits are made
of. Supposed to work wonders (I've never had the need for such gear -
if it's cold enough to need that stuff for skiing, it's too cold to
ski).

You could also check out the face masks that motocross riders wear -
solid plastic ought to block the wind.

Jeff

 

[[email protected]]

Jeff Pegguru writes:

> Nonsense. 30C is fine. Oh. You meant 30F. That's fine too. I'll
> ride at any temp, provided the roads are good. I'll run at any temp
> provided the wind chill is above -25C (about -13F).

> If your face is cold, check out the local (?) downhill ski stores.
> They make face masks out of the same stuff that scuba suits are made
> of. Supposed to work wonders (I've never had the need for such gear
> - if it's cold enough to need that stuff for skiing, it's too cold
> to ski).

> You could also check out the face masks that motocross riders wear -
> solid plastic ought to block the wind.

I think you aren't working hard enough. In cold weather perspiring is
a major problem. Just the same, I have seen it damn cold on rides,
more like -10C (14F):

http://www.trentobike.org/Countries/Switzerland/Tour_Reports/Ice_Princess_1963/
http://tinyurl.com/lb5sn
http://tinyurl.com/nefnd

Jobst Brandt

 

[wafflycat]

"chris c" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
> jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
> balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
> exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
> don't ride in these temps, right?
>

A buff

See

http://www.buffwear.co.uk/

A truly versatile bit of stuff. I wear mine round my nack & pulled up over
my mouth & cheeks and it works a treat.

Cheers, helen s

 

[[email protected]]

chris c wrote:
> I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
> jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
> balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
> exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
> don't ride in these temps, right?

Well 30F (-1C) is not particularly cold. I just ride though I do have a
beard I have always had the feeling that face coverings would
probably make things worse in that they might trap moisture and add to
the cooling effect.

Ear coverings once you are below about -10 C are more important

 

[Mark Hickey]

"[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>chris c wrote:
>> I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
>> jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
>> balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
>> exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
>> don't ride in these temps, right?
>
>Well 30F (-1C) is not particularly cold. I just ride though I do have a
>beard I have always had the feeling that face coverings would
>probably make things worse in that they might trap moisture and add to
>the cooling effect.
>
>Ear coverings once you are below about -10 C are more important

That's almost exactly what I was going to write (including the bit
about the beard). ;-)>

Part of the problem might be overdressing the REST of the body. If
you bundle up and put on layers at 30 degrees, you're going to be
absolutely toasty everywhere else, which is going to make your face
feel frigid in comparison. I'm infamous for under-dressing in the
cold... generally down to 45 (7.2C) I just wear shorts and a short
sleeve jersey. Below that and I add a thin nylon shell (the kind you
could roll up and stuff in a jersey pocket) and long-finger gloves.

Dressed like this, about the only thing that gets uncomfortably cold
when I'm riding at 30 degrees is my ears, and sometimes my thumbs (I
got them a little TOO cold early in the season and now they like to
complain). I find that after the first few minutes that the cold air
feels good on my face. YMMV.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

 

[oilfreeandhappy]

I'm fine with a balaclava down to about 15F. If it's colder than that,
I actually wear a wool sock hat under the balaclava. I don't walk in
any 7/11s like this though
Jim Gagnepain
http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/

 

[Bill Baka]

Mark Hickey wrote:
> "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>>chris c wrote:
>>
>>>I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
>>>jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
>>>balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
>>>exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
>>>don't ride in these temps, right?

I do ride in California cold by my main problem is cold wind making my
eyes tear up with attending salt.
>>
>>Well 30F (-1C) is not particularly cold. I just ride though I do have a
>>beard I have always had the feeling that face coverings would
>>probably make things worse in that they might trap moisture and add to
>>the cooling effect.
>>
>>Ear coverings once you are below about -10 C are more important

Face coverings like ski masks do help until it gets way below freezing
and then you could ice up the mouthpiece but you would have to be
blowing out pretty hard and cold too. More than likely you would get
pulled over by a cop wondering which bank you were headed for.
>
>
> That's almost exactly what I was going to write (including the bit
> about the beard). ;-)>

They get frosty and white and you look like Santa??
>
> Part of the problem might be overdressing the REST of the body. If
> you bundle up and put on layers at 30 degrees, you're going to be
> absolutely toasty everywhere else, which is going to make your face
> feel frigid in comparison. I'm infamous for under-dressing in the
> cold... generally down to 45 (7.2C) I just wear shorts and a short
> sleeve jersey. Below that and I add a thin nylon shell (the kind you
> could roll up and stuff in a jersey pocket) and long-finger gloves.

Hard stuff, you are. In 50 degrees I start with gloves, 2 t-shirts, 2
sweats on top of that, and at least some head covering. For 2 miles I
shiver then I start to almost sweat and throw things in the back pack.
Not too professional looking but on the way back when the temperature
drops like a rock I can put it all on. The gloves stay on since I have
always had cold hands. Laser protection goggles from
Edmundscientific.com may look dorky but they do help with the UV and the
watery eyes. I spent about 4 hours out chancing the rain and had to
completely peel going up 1,000 ' plus, but coming back down I put most
of it back down so I didn't freeze and kept most of it on for the 12
mile ride home from the 'hills' since it had dropped 10 degrees while I
was sweating up the hill and didn't notice. Froze my ears on the
downhill at my max so far of 39 MPH.
>
> Dressed like this, about the only thing that gets uncomfortably cold
> when I'm riding at 30 degrees is my ears, and sometimes my thumbs (I
> got them a little TOO cold early in the season and now they like to
> complain). I find that after the first few minutes that the cold air
> feels good on my face. YMMV.

Dressed lightly, what if you bonk or flat way up on Skyline Blvd.? I
know where you live and I would be riding up there if I still lived
there. A sudden cold front and bonk or even a near bonk could be if not
deadly, then pretty miserable. I used to ride up there for the snow so
freezing is not all that far fetched, although I was way younger then.
Bill Baka
>
> Mark Hickey
> Habanero Cycles
> http://www.habcycles.com
> Home of the $795 ti frame

 

[Ivar Hesselager]

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 04:13:08 GMT, chris c <[email protected]>
skrev:

> I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a
> barrier
> jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
> balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
> exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
> don't ride in these temps, right?
>

I have been commuting to work all winter. Early mornings and late nights.
In very cold weather (-10 C) the frost bites my cheeks. A little scarf to
mask my face (wild west bank robber fashion) helps a lot. It will also
preheat the air that I breathe, keep the nostril hair from freezing and
keep the icetabs out of my beard. The need for it is temporary -fx.
downhill and not uphill - but it is easily taken off or on while riding.

Ivar of Denmark

 

[[email protected]]

I have found that applying a skin lotion of any type to my face makes
it feel much warmer in a cold wind. I used to cover my face but no
more.

 

[tom]

Bill Baka wrote:

> my main problem is cold wind making my eyes tear up with attending salt.

Goggles may help ... though they're a bit unsightly. For example:
http://www.scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3081228

 

[Bill Baka]

tom wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>
>
>> my main problem is cold wind making my eyes tear up with attending salt.
>
>
> Goggles may help ... though they're a bit unsightly. For example:
> http://www.scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3081228
>
Yeah,
I tried some swim goggles (once) but they were way too dorky looking
although my eyes did not water. Edmund has some that block anything past
Blue and from infrared (heat) up to about Yellow so color perception
would be shot. If someone would make some that would look more like old
time aviator goggles and block UV, IR, act as sunglasses (photo chromic)
and be polarized they would probably sell like hot cakes. I saw an old
military set that had 2 polarized lenses, one fixed and one that could
be rotated and locked. At 90/90 100% of all light was blocked but they
sure made neat variable sunglasses. I think this is a neglected
technology that many of us cyclists, even Harley riders would spend more
than a few Wal-mart bucks on. I hate riding 4 hours in bright summer
light and then coming in and tripping over my wife or other stuff until
my indoor sight returns.
Bill Baka

 

[justin david smith]

On 18 Mar 2006 10:33:37 -0800, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I have found that applying a skin lotion of any type to my face makes
>it feel much warmer in a cold wind. I used to cover my face but no
>more.

That's a good tip; you could apply a little vaseline to your face to
cut down on the chance of wind burn. I've been wearing a neck gator
pulled over my mouth just under my nose when the conditions call for
it; if you don't wear glasses you could pull it over your nose up to
the bottom of your eyes. And I wear the balaclava over the gator to
keep my head warm.

 

[Stephen Harding]

chris c wrote:
> I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
> jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
> balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
> exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
> don't ride in these temps, right?

My coldest ride in to work is about 3F.

Interestingly enough, I used to put on my balaclava (which
works great for for me) when temps got down to about 20F,
however this year I felt pretty good riding in without
the balaclava until perhaps about 10F.

You definitely acclimate!

Besides the balaclava, someone gave me a polartec hat that
has a little face shield built into it. It's not a ski
mask, just a normal cap with a flap that goes down over
your face, or you can leave it up inside the hat when not
needed.

Looks sort of like you're wearing a fake beard, but it
works well.


SMH

 

[[email protected]]

Stephen Harding writes:

> My coldest ride in to work is about 3F.

> Interestingly enough, I used to put on my balaclava (which
> works great for for me) when temps got down to about 20F,
> however this year I felt pretty good riding in without
> the balaclava until perhaps about 10F.

When astounded, it was once common to hear said "well I'll eat my hat"
and that's how the spelling probably got changed to "baklava" so don't
confuse the two.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/baklava
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/balaclava

Jobst Brandt

 

[Ron Wallenfang]

"chris c" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>I am fine in the cold weather except for my face. I layer and use a barrier
> jacket by Pearl (awesome stuff). The only thing is my face. I wear a
> balaclava, but it doesn't help much when it is a little windy. It's the
> exposed parts. The head is fine so i don't need a helmet cover. I know ,
> don't ride in these temps, right?
>
>
>

Unless you're unusually susceptible to frostbite, my advice would be to just
tough it out. It feels cold the first few miles, but eventually you develop
an equilibrium.

 

[Brian Huntley]

[email protected] wrote:
> Stephen Harding writes:
>
> > My coldest ride in to work is about 3F.
>
> > Interestingly enough, I used to put on my balaclava (which
> > works great for for me) when temps got down to about 20F,
> > however this year I felt pretty good riding in without
> > the balaclava until perhaps about 10F.
>
> When astounded, it was once common to hear said "well I'll eat my hat"
> and that's how the spelling probably got changed to "baklava" so don't
> confuse the two.

I tried baklava last winter, and ended up with birds in my beard. While
musical, they were pests in the office - always dive-bombing my morning
bagels. The worst was when a client refused to pay the going rate for
SAN-based dual-pathed bullet-proof storage with a confirmed copy in
another city for disaster recovery purposes, and the birds all started
saying "Cheap! Cheap!." Everyone thought it was me.

So I've been using a knit "neck tube" this year, along with a
thinsulate toque under the helmet. I can pull the tube up over my nose
if needed. Warm as a sesame bagel, and doesn't restrict my vision like
baklava/balaclava does.

- Brian Huntley

PS: Jasper Fforde's books deal indirectly with an alternate history of
the Crimean War (Lord Cardigan, Balaclavas, etc) and are highly
recommended as a good read. Terry Pratchett's "Weird Regiment" deals
with the issue of articles of clothing named after famous military
officers (Wellington, Cardigan, Sgt. Shirt, etc etc). Both authors'
work is very funny, but sadly bicycle free.

 

[Peter Cole]

tom wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>
>> my main problem is cold wind making my eyes tear up with attending salt.
>
> Goggles may help ... though they're a bit unsightly. For example:
> http://www.scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3081228
>

Ski goggles are made for the purpose -- I only find them helpful at
below 15F or so.

I wear a balaclava, but in very cold weather, with goggles, I wear a
strip of stretch fleece (like a headband) around my head, with the top
just under the goggles and the bottom just covering my upper lip. With
the balaclava covering my chin up to my lower lip, no skin is exposed at
all. I don't like breathing through cloth, so I never cover my mouth, I
used to with a synthetic bandanna, but it tended to fog my glasses and
it felt nasty.

 

[Bill Baka]

Peter Cole wrote:
> tom wrote:
>
>> Bill Baka wrote:
>>
>>> my main problem is cold wind making my eyes tear up with attending
>>> salt.
>>
>>
>> Goggles may help ... though they're a bit unsightly. For example:
>> http://www.scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3081228]

Those would be great if I could get a tinted pair for the day and clear
for the night (no UV at night anyway). I do like to keep the IR out
since around here it routinely goes over 105 and my eyes get hot, the
retinas, and it is uncomfortable. Polarized keeps down the sky glare and
also kills 90% of sun reflections off of car windows and chrome.
Bill
>>
>
> Ski goggles are made for the purpose -- I only find them helpful at
> below 15F or so.
>
> I wear a balaclava, but in very cold weather, with goggles, I wear a
> strip of stretch fleece (like a headband) around my head, with the top
> just under the goggles and the bottom just covering my upper lip. With
> the balaclava covering my chin up to my lower lip, no skin is exposed at
> all. I don't like breathing through cloth, so I never cover my mouth, I
> used to with a synthetic bandanna, but it tended to fog my glasses and
> it felt nasty.

 

[Stephen Harding]

[email protected] wrote:
> Stephen Harding writes:
>
>>Interestingly enough, I used to put on my balaclava (which
>>works great for for me) when temps got down to about 20F,
>>however this year I felt pretty good riding in without
>>the balaclava until perhaps about 10F.
>
>
> When astounded, it was once common to hear said "well I'll eat my hat"
> and that's how the spelling probably got changed to "baklava" so don't
> confuse the two.
>
> http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/baklava
> http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/balaclava

Or possibly "I did a balaclava into that pace line" as in
a mindless, doomed charge as in "Charge of the Light Brigade"
at Balaclava.

There's a company we have interactions with called "Celatro".

Always calling it "Celantro" instead.


SMH