Real Winter Riding

Barmitts are great until you get off the bike for any reason. Like pissing on your RD or hunting for a stick so your tires have enough clearance to move again.

Flatting in well below wind chills rather sucks. As Todd instructed, use a pair of clapped out 23c tires. Water isn’t exactly a high wear surface to ride on.

Wind is your biggest problem so get windproof cycling stuff. Your feet and hands are going to get cold no matter what. Neoprene booties and some of those socks Fergie loves will do wonders. Just make sure your shoes are loose enough cause squeezing the blood out of your feet in 90 F will make them cold.

And don’t overdress so you turn into a sweaty pile of hypothermia. Covering every inch of skin against frost bite without sweating too much is the goal here.

Me, everytime I read this thread

The pnw and 9 months of rain and darkness seems pretty fuckin awesome right now.

Problem is, people (outside of here) keep telling me I can’t do it.
Worst way to dissuade me.

oh yeah, other piece of unanimity: expect to fall. Got it.

lol, expect to enjoy falling. Stay off the iced over walking paths until you get used to the handling and want a challenge.

You owe it to yourself to go plowing into a ditch and go over the bars at least once. 6’ deep snow will amaze you with how soft it is.

Don’t worry, you’ll have a blast but being outside in the cold takes vigor. Lots of vigor with interspersed periods of sitting inside somewhere overly warm.

Ride bikes. Have fun. Fall. Stay awesome.

Oh also if your toes get real cold you gota wiggle them constantly, or alternatively, cross dismount and run along side your bike for 100 yards once every 5 mins or so.

Riding in snow is fun, riding in freezing temps without snow sucks. I always want it to snow in winter, takes some of the bite out of the miserable cold.