Sixty Fiver

The point is that, if you are prepared there really are no limits as to how cold you can go.

muzpuf

until my bottle freezes over

surgeonstone

Maybe, but it was this kind of pissing contest that got me out testing my limits and going out into conditions that 15 years ago I would not have considered. And the great thing is I have learned that being out in all kinds of crazy conditions is a blast. I thank my BF brothers and sisters for sharing that info to egg me on.

valygrl

^^ point taken. I think I was wrong, sorry.

jon c. 

comfortably? about 50 degrees. if there isn't a stiff north wind.

Dudelsack 

Louisville (KY, for you Boulder residents), soon to be the epicenter of recreational cycling in the US and host of the UCI CX World Championships...what was I talking about?

Oh yeah, the two major bike clubs here have rides year round. About 2/3 adopt a >40 only policy. I've done some club rides in the high 20's.

This might help you. This summer was hotter than the hinges of Hades and I rode a lot. I got used to riding in 100 weather. Honest, low 90s felt balmy, and I thought I would freeze to death when it got down to 70.

As it got colder I dressed better and asked myself, what would Chopper Reid do?

This month I've done rides in the high 20s, which is more remarkable because I am poikilothermic.

The key is sweat management. I tend to avoid nasty hills this time of year if I can, because I get sweaty and then get cold.

A thermos of Twining English Breakfast tea can do wonders for the morale on those rides.

The point being, you'd be surprised how adaptable you might be if you tried it.

TupacInLA

Damn, after reading most your guy's responses I feel like a wimp! Lol. I live in SoCal and its 60 degrees out and as much as I want to ride, I'd rather not because I feel its too cold smh..

hhnngg1

WIKIPEDIA: Poikilothermic animals include types of vertebrate animals, specifically fish, amphibians, and reptiles, as well as a large number of invertebrate animals. The Naked mole rat is the only mammal that is currently thought to be poikilothermic.[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP]

Carbon Unit

I did a ride this weekend and the temperature was in the mid to high 50s and damp when I started out the ride in So Cal, so I dressed accordingly. I was too damned hot. I think I was dressed for temperatures in the low 40s so I got sweaty quickly. This makes me think that riding in the 40s wouldn't be a big deal. However, a guy I ride with said that what sucks about riding in cold is that you sweat going up hill and the freeze going down hill. Is it possible to wich the moisture away with layers of clothing?

bsektzer

Born and raised in the city of Chicago, so I'm no stranger to -20 Fahrenheit plus 25 mph worth of wind chill. Yeah, yeah, I know... it's all about dressing properly for the cold, but I remember being bundled up in long Johns, sweaters, an overcoat, gloves, mittens, flannel lined jeans, leggings, 2 layers of socks and boots and then being told to go out and "play". Yeah right. Try playing when you've been padded up to where you look like a marine mammal. Being "properly dressed for the cold meant your mobility was so compromised that when the cold finally did penetrate, you couldn't open the door to get in without assistance.

Which is exactly why I moved to the balmy climes of Northern CA just as soon as I could. 35 years later, my blood has thinned out to the point that anything much less than 50 degrees feels downright chilly. I can get enough insulation on board to deal with temperatures down to about 45 - 50 without feeling too bound up, so that's pretty much where I draw the line. I don't feel too limited by that, although I do admire those of you with heartier constitutions.

Machka 

+1

In Winnipeg (where I rode in my coldest temps), it was fairly easy to ride in sub-freezing temps because they cleared the streets down to the pavement. At -40C/F, for example, when I commuted to work, I could comfortably commute on bare, dry pavement.

In central Alberta, however, where it also got that cold, I had much more difficulty riding because they had a very strange street clearing system which left a thick layer of lumpy ice and snow on the road. Riding on that was not at all comfortable for fear of doing some sort of damage to myself or the bicycle. In fact, there were many times, at much warmer temps, when I opted to use my trainer rather than ride outside on all that lumpy, bumpy frozen ice and snow that they called a plowed road.

Bike Gremlin

Celsius grade used here:

If there is no wind and rain, I'm comfortable at 10 C and warmer.

If there is wind, but no rain, I'm comfortable at 20 C and warmer.

If there is rain, but no wind, I'm comfortable at about 15 C and warmer.

If there is wind and rain, I'm comfortable at 25 C and warmer.


I'm never really comfortable when it is warmer than 33 C.


However, in spite of often not being comfortable, I somehow enjoj cycling in all weather conditions and do it daily.

VegasVic

Same here, low 60's right now after work and I think it's too cold to go ride. OK until the sun goes down, then miserable IMHO.

Machka 

Throw on a jacket and you'll be fine.

Sixty Fiver

I don't even put on pants until it is 50F...

Dudelsack 

I never thought of myself as a mole rat. More like a turtle on a log in the summer...

dave1442397

I have a Campagnolo jersey that's windproofed in the front and on the sleeves, but has a mesh back. With a light merino wool base layer, it's perfect for that kind of ride with temps in the low 40s.

RT

ffa

MarkThailand

Here in sunny central Thailand, the lowest temperature that I have ridden in is 20 C - 75 F. Supposedly, up in northern Thailand in Chiangmai, it goes down to 10 C in the mornings.

But, in the summers here (in March-April), I have ridden centuries in 40 C - 105 C 90 % humidity weather.

Mark

WC89

So far, I don't stop based on temp. I know I can ride for about 1 hour when 14 degrees F (did it twice). Since it rarely gets lower than that, and since single digits are rare here in Maryland, I've not had the chance to try riding below 14. At 14, I was somewhere between comfortable and uncomfortable so it was doable with all of my gear on. At this point, I have every intention of going out to ride if temp is 10 -14 degrees. If we have a rare, single digit day, I think I'll try it just to find out if it's doable for an hour.

caloso

This is me. The lowest I've ridden here is 28F, and my toes and fingers were numb, but I suppose if I had been wearing my good ski gloves and had better shoe covers, I'd have been fine.

cyccommute 

Comfortably? Around 70F (20C). Uncomfortably? Down to 0F (-18C).

banerjek

It's all about the gear. I have comfortably ridden in single digit temps, though I didn't have to deal with it for much more than an hour.

I've never bumped against a temp limit, but the huge issue is fingers and toes. I find lobster mits, booties, chemical warmers, and great socks indispensible.

Keeping everything except fingers and toes warm is easy, but those are hard. Always keep in mind that if you have to stop for a repair, you and your fingers can freeze to the point of uselessness fast even if you're totally comfortable riding.

surgeonstone

To vallygirl
I would not say wrong, I get your point on the macho one upmanship that exists here. It does get me out of my comfort zone though and that is good.

TupacInLA

hmmm true.. I usually ride with shorts and a sweater if it is cold. I never get too hot, more usually I'm a little cold and always stuck with the runny nose effect while riding in the cold. (How can I prevent that?) Even when I dress I'm sweats and a sweater; I'll still be getting the sniffles. :/