hyhuu

For me, it's putting on the neoprene booties. It's like a wrestling match and I am never sure if I would win every time.

nubcake

I am very much so a shorts person, so the fact I have to wear long pants alone is pretty annoying but that is not very cycling specific. I also dislike thick gloves and that can get pretty annoying, at least that is a simple solution, I just need to get some cash to buy some poggies.

DCB0

I hate mild weather when soft surfaces loosen up and I sink in and cut a 35mm wide trench everywhere I go.

PaintedSpokes

black ice. I live right next to Lake Ontario so the weather is very mild all winter due to lake effect. very little snow but the cold nights freeze all the rain and are killer in the morning.

MNBikeCommuter

The logistics of winter clothing, especially with a big difference in temperature between biking to and from work. The prep time compared to "shorts and jersey" costs several miles of riding a day. :-)

alan s 

Riding in the dark and cold. However, it makes me appreciate spring that much more.

Leebo

People posting from VA thinking they have winter. :0)

tjspiel

Primarily the amount of time it adds to my commute. Between studded tires, denser air, snow, and dressing in more layers it takes a lot longer from the time I get up in the morning until I'm there and ready to work.

lopek77

Slippery surfaces... Hard to stop fast when some idiot drivers are trying to kill someone...
Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIb8MT5tQHI

AngrySaki

Either:
or:

Northwestrider

cold rain, as I have still not found a way to keep my hands warm and fairly dry. I'm thinking of trying bar mitts which I've recently just hear of.

PaulRivers

My actual most disliked thing is the risk of frostbite, but haven't actually run into that yet.

I dunno...it's:
- The amount of time it takes to get dressed up
- That it's not summer (lol). The weather is just more fun to ride in in summer. :-)
- Dealing with riding on snow. My studded tires handle ice fine, but (just like in my car, actually) one can't ride nearly as confidently in snow and such as you can on bare pavement.
- No matter how I dress I always end up a little cold for winter riding at night. :-( I have windproof showers pass gear (but their most expensive most breathable stuff), smartwool base layer, all wool clothing, etc etc, but I always end up a little cold, even if I overdress.
- Days like today where I want to get out and get some air and exercise, but it's 1 degrees outside. Yeah...I "could" ride, but it's...cold. And at this temp it starts to hurt my lungs. :-(

Sigh. I was on vacation in Florida last week...holy bad timing batman, lol, it was like 45 here in minnesota during the day last week, came back just in time for the cold snap.

EdgewaterDude

Sounds like prep time is probably one of most hated things so far. It's my first bike winter, and I'll tell you - it's probably my least favorite aspect, too. I used to be able to throw on a thin baselayer and my knickers and be out the door. Now it seems like I'm suiting up for battle.

Aside from that, it's cleaning the bike.

PaulRivers

lol, I don't hate cleaning my bike because I don't do it. It's just to much work. And for most winter riding I don't see the point - clean it, ride it 50 feet down the street, and look, it's dirty again, seems like. In the summer it stays clean long enough that it seems like it might be worth it. In the winter it gets dirty so fast...I just don't bother...

cyclocommuter

+1. Putting on then getting off all those layers is a real pain especially if you are bike commuting and you have to do the process twice a day. That process takes up at least an hour of my time. Cleaning the bike is a close second.

PROTIP for cleaning the bike... fill a watering can with hot water then just douse the bike using the watering can to wash off salt and grit. Bounce the bike on its wheels a couple of times to shake off excess water before storing it inside or in the garage.

tmat

Prep time is no fun in winter, especially when you're buttoned up, just outside the door, and get nature's call.

My biggest grumbling is laundry. There's always so many extra layers that need to be washed.

ka0use

use talcum powder to reduce the friction. after removing, rinse off, hang upside down to dry.

i use it to get into a wetsuit (scuba), AND the boots.

sknhgy 

The toughest part is that first half mile - till your blood starts pumping and you get a little warmed up. Once my body gets warm I love it and I could ride all night. Most of my winter rides are in the dark. Night riding in the winter is one of my favorite things.

yep202

Dirt dirt dirt.

tsl

That's on your side of the lake. On my side of the lake, we get mountains of snow. Typically. This year is very weird.

stockholm

Ice. I don't mind the cold, dark, or snow too much, but ice scares me.

Bike Gremlin

People giving me smart ass comments if I ever catch a cold during the winter: "see, that bicycle, told you it is crazy, nobody rides in the winter, you will destroy your health...blablabla"

Machka 

I struggled with my first pair of neoprene booties ... then I bought a larger size and they slip on with no problem at all.

Machka 

When I lived on the Canadian prairies, I disliked the bitter cold. When the temperature dropped below about -20C, it was tough to get out there. I ache in the cold, and it seems to take so long to get warmed up, and the bicycle seems to go slower ...

So I moved to Australia.

Now the one thing I dislike most about winter cycling here is the cold rain. Winter here is often about 5C and pouring rain. It's not the sharp, bitter, painful cold of the Canadian prairies ... it's more of a depressing, wet, chilled to the bone sort of feeling.

But on the bright side, here there are enough warmer, drier days during the winter that we were able to do a Century-A-Month quite comfortably last year ... my first Century-A-Month where I didn't have to deal with sub-freezing temps on any of the rides.

LesterOfPuppets

Cold rain for me. Well slush is pretty bad as well. I'll take 25° F over 35° any day. Ice is no problem since I've got studded tires.

Prep time no biggie. My 25 degree getup is not much different than my 40 degree getup, just a thicker middle layer that's all.

It's been many moons since I've done much tundra cycling (sub-20°, for the sake of conversation). Back then the worst thing I remember was snot freezing in my nose if I didn't keep it covered. Thick gloves and even snowboarding mittens worked OK with Gripshift and DT shifters back then, I imagine brifters would be out of the question with such gloves, however.