maybe do it twice a week? Even my lil 8-10miles a day is everything to me. I can’t imagine having to drive my dumb car to work everyday.
I aparantly have been blessed with a hot face that never really feels cold, but if I had a cold face, I’d get this burly balaclava from Minus33.
I’ve been using their midweight model for years and love it. If it dips below like 5f, I add a wool necktube over the balaclava to pull up over my face if I feel like it, though it mostly functions as a gasket to stop wind blowing into the neck of my jacket.
Stick with it Ryan, it’ll get easier as you get used to it.
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Serious Q what do skiers do about this? I guess there’s the big goggles and then it seems like it’s big hooded parka with a neck tube? Not all of that is practical for cycling though
I’m assuming you already have big nasty ice crusted beard going
Oh no driving here, the alternative is walking + train. I can get about 6 miles of walking a day if i use my lunch break to explore, just means i have to leave about 10 minutes earlier than bike, an eon at 7AM
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Roli did his first cold commute this morning at 15f . He was ensconced under his canopy in all his cold weather gear with his rice heater and blanket. He said he was hot and took off his gloves and would have taken his hat off too if it weren’t under his helmet. His commute is only 2.5 miles though.
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Come pick me up and take me downtown
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Some ideas - ski goggles and a bike hat with ear flaps like Randi Jo makes to help keep rest of head warmer to help keep heat near your cheeks. That alone has been enough to get me through DC winters so far so maybe adding the balaclava would be enough for northern IL. Kinda like keeping your legs and arms warmer helps keep your fingers and toes warmer?
I have a balaclava and ear flaps and goggles
I’ve been winter riding here for 15 years, it’s more of the distance, as you start dealing with sweat
35 degrees for my 35 min commute this AM. Not too bad, my thermal Pearl Izumi jersey and jacket did the trick. Smart Wool long johns and REI hybrid pants on bottom. Both outer layers are windblock front and breathable back.
Tomorrow is only 20 degrees or so in the morning but it’s a work from home day for me.
You are an inspiration. I will ride my little 2.5 mile commute more. What’s your shoe situation? I just ordered some insulated Wolverine joints from Walmart.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wolverine-Torrent-Trek-EPX-Waterproof-Insulated-Chelsea-Men-Cognac/3398502535
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I spent christmas at my sister’s apt in chicago one year and none of us would go accros the street to the gas station to buy cigarettes
You’re wearing a full wool base layer, right?
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Sweaty and cold is killing me lately so I’ve been picking up more merino wool layers. I think part of what’s killing me is that I’m not going out to ride for a whole day and constantly moving. I’m riding to a park to chill, then riding to a coffee shop to chill, then riding to another park, etc. So I get hot riding and soak my cotton shirt and hoodie then cool off and get cold.
Hopefully fitness continues to increase and the merino and moisture wicking stuff helps.
But I’m not riding in 20f weather like you, just low 30s to upper 40s so far.
What do you normally wear? Do you have the ability to change at work?
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If moisture management is the issue, bring a second balaclava and swap when the first gets icy?
I only very occasionally have done single-digit commutes, but balancing moisture management, icing around the mouth, minimizing exposed skin, and fogging glasses are always the challenge with balaclavas.
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I’m just gonna keep recommending Minus33. It’s like what smartwool used to be 15 years ago. I listened to an interview with the owner of the company which has been making what he called “wool flat goods” for five generations. It’s still a family owned company based in NH. I’ve never heard someone so earnestly excited about socks.
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I went down a couple weeks ago in the first frost on a bridge and the scab took forever to form and heal. Sucked.
Finally have some snow now, so my twice a week, 30km commute will be much nicer than 0* and rainy with studded tires. I’m stoked. It’ll be like -2*C or so. Very nice.
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Oh yeah, I’ve got a hat and gloves in blaze orange from Minus33 for running in the woods during hunting season. They’re too warm for most of hunting season but good for running in the dark further into winter!
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DQ but can you go slower? I’m guessing wind chill is a huge factor, as I’ve been snow biking and plenty sweaty down to 0° or so, but hardly ever use goggles as I’m not going fast enough to need more than sunglasses.
PS this is an inspiration to commute more during the winter. To my shame, a big motivator is that scraping ice of my car in the morning is such a PITA that riding a bike might actually get me to work faster.
This has been my struggle. My 30 minute Madison commute usually ended with one tiny little hole in the frost on the goggles to peer through. I cut some extra holes in the top of the lens and that helped. Current commute is about a mile so challenge is not dressing too warm.
Dammit, not even December and already gone to the studded tires. I just don’t have the risk tolerance for ice that I used to. 9 freedom degrees this morning.
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I had kinda lusted after the $250 Kask Urban R
It then I looked on AliExpress and saw
Just found this amazing item on AliExpress. Check it out! $15.18 56％ Off | PEMILA The Four Seasons Cycling Helmet With Goggles Lens Ear Protection Bicycle Helmet MTB Reflective sticker E-Bike Bike Helmet
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