Strong like bull! Cold like mouse

I admit it, it’s true, there’s no denying or escaping the fact. I am a fucking pussy when it comes to the cold. Which sucks! I like to riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide. I like the sun, the hot, the cool breezes (when it’s hot), going fast and feeling limber.

But the mercury dips as the Earth leans this fine city out of more direct sunlight and poof, I find myself wrapping layers and hoods and begrudgingly letting the my breath steam and curl into the cold, dark, empty… lonely… chilly… expanse… of… winter (dramatic pause!)

But a certain fellow I know can’t seem to feel the cold, he is prepared and suited and holy crap, he could bike on Mars in that shit!

So please, post your shared wisdom and collective knowledge of warmth gathering/making/keeping tactics for biking. How do you bike and not sweat through all this clothing, and then subsequently freeze inside your clothing and fall off your bike in a suit of ice armor and get found 4 months later frozen solid, bike between your legs and eyeballs gooey little melty ice spheres?

Wool and knobby tires. Don’t overdress and wear layers. Your feet & hands are the most important bits in my opinion.

THis is a good thread on the topic:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1160&hilit=snow+riding

Buck up, chippie!!!

full fenders and mudflaps ( a cold rain will get you freezing in a hurry, especially if it’s spraying on your feet)
layers - I prefer a light windbreaker over some fleece/wool layers
wool cycling cap w/ earflaps under the helmet
mittens or lobster gloves (or both)
a scarf
plastic bags over the socks (between socks and shoes) can take the edge off cold winds and keep your feet a little dryer too

carry a flask of good ol jackd

i’ll trade you the 101 day for your freezing cold day.

Good, flece lined workpants are great with a superlight windbreaker pant over em for really wet days.
On top I wear a mid-weight softshell jacket with a sweater and a t-shirt under it.
On the head I rock a balaclava under a wool hat under my helmet and a pair of ski goggles if it’s super cold/snowing.
Last winter I wore flece windstopper gloves with bike gloves under them, but I’m gonna have to figure out a better system this year.

i fucking LOVE the cold weather. EMS waterproof jacket with either a long sleeve thermal or just a tshirt underneath… and long underwear pants under jeans or waterproof pants depending on the weather, good socks, booties over shoes if its preCIPitating. salsa ninja turtle gloves if its snowing, descente rubbery things if its rain. oh man fuck heat waves.

dont have to deal with too extreme colds, but it rains a lot which gets cold. tarckee pretty much summed it up for the NW. full fenders=best fucking investment. i also really want to get some of those toeclip booty things to further keep the wet off my feets

don’t wear mesh shoes. they’re a killer when your feet get wet. also, get a chainguard or a rubberband to keep your pants out of the drivetrain without rolling up your pantleg and exposing your ankle to the cold. full fenders, etc, blah blah.

being drunk dulls the pain of the cold too. i biked through a long ass winter that went down to -5ºF sometimes if not lower and those things kept me alive and decently comfortable. biking your ass off keeps you warm too.

I am sick of summer and the constant 90-105 temps. I love riding in the fall.

wtf? it’s fucking august. where the hell do you live?

Layers, a heavy scarf to cover your throat, long underwear and long socks so you can still roll up the pant legs, ski gloves and a ski jacket with velcro straps on the cuffs helps keep the wind out, ski goggles - if necessary - can be nice.

Cycle specific clothing. It took me a while to finally stop being concerened about looking like a “roadie”. Now I don’t care how I look as long as I am not drenched in sweat that is going to freeze up. I sometimes leave my house and 5-10minutes down the road go back home to change up layers if I am not feeling comfortable. Better than feeling like crap (or not feeling anything going numb from the cold).

Depends on how cold but usually:
wool base layer
wool jersey
windproof jacket (maybe)
fleece lined bibs
knee warmers or tights
wool socks
wool hat (preferably covers ears)
maybe a balaclava
windproof gloves
shoe covers

There is no season I hate cycling in because where I live we have all four seasons and enjoy the scenery and smell.
But I really like riding in the summer rain.

If it is really cold, a union suit is nice to own (though it does make it marginally more difficult to crap).

Cotton Kills.
Keep your core warm. Poly/wicking tshirt. Long sleeved crew neck shirt, also synthetic. Long sleeved zip t neck shirt. Very thin light fleece sweater. Thicker fleece sweater. Vest. Shell Jacket. If you have nice stuff you won’t look like a marshmallow. This is the only way my hands ever stay warm.

[quote=“fix”]Cotton Kills.
Keep your core warm. Poly/wicking tshirt. Long sleeved crew neck shirt, also synthetic. Long sleeved zip t neck shirt. Very thin light fleece sweater. Thicker fleece sweater. Vest. Shell Jacket. If you have nice stuff you won’t look like a marshmallow. This is the only way my hands ever stay warm.[/quote]
This is good advice. I rode home from school in a rain storm once last quarter, with huge winds and sheets of rain. I have a nice outer jacket and I put the fenders on for the rainy season, but when I got home, my t-shirt was as wet from my sweat as my jeans were from the rain, and a lot grosser.

Moral: cotton smells awful.

[quote=“deadforkinglast”]
Moral: cotton smells awful.[/quote]

Not as bad as sweaty polypro!
Compaired to that, sweaty cotton smells like roses and fresh coffee.

Polypro and cotton suck for winter riding. The sweat makes them funky and they breath terribly.