Wileyrat

Before I moved to Tucson I used to be a part time ski instructor in Washington, but when it comes to riding I have never liked the cold. I do not like bundling up to ride a bike.

I've never really understood that.

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one4smoke

I'm 58 and I find the heat affects me more now. Above a sunny 85 degrees Fahrenheit and it really saps my energy. My ideal temp is 60 to 70. I can do from 40 to 60 well, and 70 to 85 well. Anything above or below those temps and its not very enjoyable for me.

BobbyG

I'm 58 and just finishing 28 years of commuting in Colorado Springs. It rarely officially breaks 100F here, but because of the thin air at this altitude (6500 feet) temperatures in direct sunlight can be much higher. On the other hand, it's a dry heat.

I personally prefer the cold...I can dress to match and heat myself through exertion. With heat, I find it harder to keep cool. Covering exposed skin helps fight the heat of the sun, and modern fabrics that aid in evaporation, also help with cooling. But even still, I prefer cold temperatures.

Here in Colorado I can ride up to 97F or 98F where the temps officially top out, but I'm comfortable only up to about 85F.

I also ride down to 5F, although I'm comfortable only down to 10F.

But riding in 5F is more comfortable to me than 98F.

2cam16

I hate the cold. I function better with 65-up. I don't care if it's even in the 90's.

Kapusta

Good luck with that.

Gresp15C

Well, the climate in my region dictates that there aren't really very many super hot days. So that's taken care of. On the cold side, cold can be turned into heat with clothing. I've got that clothing for other activities anyway. I continue with utilitarian riding (commuting, shopping, etc) during the winter, but take a break from recreational riding and switch to walking and skiing. Also, it seems like making it a routine activity like commuting eliminates the whole motivation thing. Several years ago I switched from "maybe I'll ride if the conditions are right" to "I'll ride no matter what and equip myself to do so."

It's certainly not a macho thing. I'm probably the least athletic cyclist here. It's just something that I chose for myself, a little adventure that I can pretend is cool. I actually think that unless you're an inherently competitive person, it's better to just be matter of fact about it, rather than tying it to your self image. Just say: "I'm riding today because I always ride," even if "always" is just yesterday.

PaulH

It may matter that I am pretty much a pure utility rider, and performance, energy, and enthusiasm are basically irrelevant. I bike to get to work and back, run errands, and have lunch. I don't see it as recreation or sport, so "Ride hard, drink lots, and be drenched in sweat like you had done twice the work." is not my way. I'm riding to work, not doing work and it feels the same at 73 as it did at 13. Also, driving my car on a wet, salty road is completely out of the question. It's a half hour ride to my office, so 1.5 hour rides never enter my mind. Modern ski gloves and overshoes are so much warmer than they were 60 years ago, so extremities are far more comfortable than they were at 13. Because of my attitudes, I'm probably only a good data point when compared with similar people.

rydabent

I live in the snow belt, and absolutely hate the cold.


If you cant ride without being bundled up like the Michelin man, for me it ceases to be fun. I dont really like to ride unless it is warm enough to ride in shorts. I hate long pants.

RunningPirate

Heat gets me more. I run hot, so even if i set out in cold weather with a beanie, I take it off in 5 mins or so. That said, lower temp on a bike would be 45°F (I can go into the 30’s if im running). Upper limit depends on humidity. 85 and dry i can do. 85 and humidity, I can’t.

jskash

Cold bothers me more.. The temps have been in the 30s on my early morning rides where I live in the west San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. It just plain hurts to ride in those temps. I do it anyway, but I am not comfortable most of the ride. I had to cut my ride short this morning. I was just too cold. I plan on going out later in the day as things warm up.

Gyro

I prefer heat to cold. Other than sleeping, then the other way around.

rsbob 

My attitude for several years was, when it’s cold you can always add more layers, but when it is too hot, you can only take off so much before you are arrested.

Now I take little pleasure in having stinging or frozen toes and fingers, or riding in downpours, so I move to the trainer. When temps are too hot, likewise. (Cycling shoes and shorts in front of a fan).

Litespud

my ideal is mid-60s - just slightly chilly. Anything above 80ish I start to suffer. By 95 I’ll probably bag it. It was 32 when I planned on going out today, but it was the frost on the road rather than the temperature that prompted me to hold off for hour until 38 and sun had burnt off the frost. I can do low 30s with a couple of jerseys, arm warmers, tights over my bibs and full fingered gloves. I could likely go lower with more clothes, but I’m not interested in riding like the Michelin Man. I think I’ve become more cold-tolerant and heat-sensitive as I’ve aged.

bmcer

I do not tolerate temps any colder that 55 degrees. I have ridden in 110+ heat when I lived in Chico, CA. Extra water in frozen bottles was all I needed. But cold... By the time I've got enough layers on to avoid teeth-rattling chills, I can't get a leg over the bike.

Gresp15C

Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly have a preferred temperature range. When it's in the 50s to 70s, I'll be on my bike at the expense of pretty much all of my responsibilities.

And "cold" changes with the seasons. In October, 30 is cold. In March, it's warm.

Now I think Yogi Berra said, "You can learn a lot just by watching." If you watch the cyclists on your preferred route, throughout the year, you can observe the ups and downs of the seasons. There are definitely more cyclists out there when it's nice out, no doubt about that. So you're not alone if you have a preferred set of conditions. And if you look closer, you'll see that the riders who are out there in bad weather don't look any different from the good weather riders -- a mix of young and old, fast and slow. I'm one of the slow ones.

The one thing I've noticed is that when I'm riding in the rain, or in the cold, most of the cyclists I encounter have a smile on their faces. I think we realize that we can all choose our battles, but we don't always choose correctly, and once we're past our driveway,we might as well enjoy it.

pdlamb

I can deal with the cold, once I finish unpacking my winter cycling clothes anyways. Hot summer days, it looks like it'd be a beautiful day for a ride, but when the temperature gets into the upper 90s (or above), I have to shorten my rides. I thought a few years back that if I lost, say, 50 pounds I'd have a better surface area to volume ratio and could therefore ride better in the heat. That didn't pan out.

rydabent

I can tolerate temps from 60 to 100, and the ideal would be 80 to 84.

Gary in NJ

Even on the hottest day of the summer, it's probably going to be somewhere in the 70's or worst case low 80's at sunrise...which is the time I choose to ride in the summer. In the fall and spring I can ride mid-day to get the best riding temperature of the day.

Winter is winter...all day.

MNebiker

I'm in Minnesota - it gets cold up here! My cutoff is somewhere between 40 or 45 degrees, depending on the wind. Helmet liner, thermal underwear, full finger gloves make it workable. I have seen some riders on fatties wearing snowmobile suits on a zero day, but I can't see that as being fun. Summer usually isn't scorching hot like the SW, so heat isn't that much of an issue. Like Gary in NJ says, there is usually a cooler part of the day to ride.