Originally Posted by
alloo
What is more dangerous? Riding slower (more effort), but longer exposure (time) to the cold or Riding faster but less exposure (time) to the cold? Cold being defined as below freezing. Thank You.
I ride through the winters in Minneapolis and I'll ride temps below -25F. I'll happily do both: ride slower with longer duration and ride fast with shorter duration. It really comes down to the clothing: for slower rides (lower effort) dress warmer; when riding faster (harder effort) dress for venting heat and sweat.
My recent example was a gravel century last month in temps between 25 and 30F, it was a virtual race (results based on Strava) and I was being competitive, so I dressed light. Being a long ride and mostly solo, I'd find myself easing up my effort and feeling the cold in my toes and fingers would kick me in the butt to ride harder to keep the core hotter and keep the toes and fingers comfortable. So, if you're dressed too light for the temps, increase your effort - you'll get where you going quicker for less exposure and you'll keep your core warmer to keep extremities more comfortable.