lurch0038

Do we "Clydes" ride or hibernate in the New England winter?

Wanting to ride but because I am an office sissy the riding is getting tougher to do.

nogods

I just returned to riding - a trike rather than a bike. The last few days have been in the low 20's with strong winds resulting in wind chills in the teens early in the morning and late in the evening when I ride. I dress warm and in layers so I can manage my body temperature just like when I hike or snowshoe in the winter. I'm using a Bern multisport helmet with the winter insert and a Seirus ultr-thin balaclava under it, with a pair of clear lens ski goggles.

Jimbosays

Wow . . . Just getting into the 50's for a couple of evenings in Florida is too cold for me at the moment!

Rhodabike

I'll be riding as soon as I get rid of this @#%$ cold and stop coughing up a lung every night.
Really though, it's hard to do a lot of riding in a Saskatchewan winter. I get more exercise from other things, such as swimming and cross-country skiing during the cold months. Perhaps next year I'll get a fat bike that can roll over anything.

Tel0004

So far I've ridden when its 40. I plan to continue to ride until the 30's, but since this is my first winter, I'll just have to see how much of the cold I can handle. I'll go skiing in the 20's, so I'm sure if I bundle up enough, I'm sure I can handle it.

mrodgers

50's is still shorts and t-shirt weather

I'm new since the end of summer along with 2 others at work. Oh I talked big a month ago, but I don't have the cash to be handing out for cold weather clothing for biking. I was done a few weeks ago. This weekend it is talking on the forecast about being close to 60, but that is Pittsburgh temps and my temps up here are a good bit lower than Pittsburgh's forecast so maybe I'll get on the bike or maybe I won't. Near 60° weekend weather means I can get stuff done that I can't get done during the week in the dark and cold so I doubt I'll be on the bike.

I'm going to try to maintain the weight and hopefully in the spring when it's time to dust off the bike, I won't have to because I hope to be shining up a nice new bike once I get the tax refund. I just hope I don't need the tax refund to finish up paying for the huge expense of heating oil from over the winter.

JReade

52 degrees and 20 mph winds last night = jacket and long sleeve jersey for me!

lurch0038

Close to 60 for the next few days in Mass so hoping to get out of the office for a nice ride.

B8888S

I bit the bullet and invested in some cold weather gear; tights, thermal jersey, windbreaker, thermal gloves, toe covers, and a skull cap. Not cheap, but worth it. It has been in the low 40's at 5 am here when I ride and I am comfortable. Looks like the only thing that is going to stop me this winter is the occasional rain storm and the fog.

WebFootFreak

I start with my shorts and wicking shirt. Add a set of "atgletic" Champion long johns and top off with sweats and hoodie. With gloves I'm good to about 35 degrees. Any colder and I'll need another layer and head/face protection.

jsigone

the good thing is that the cold weather gear gets used and last a long time. I'm in the hunt for a cheap rain proof / wind breaker style jacket for the colder days. And some water proof gloves this yr....tired of clod wet hands on the club rides from spray.

daviddavieboy

I prefer the cold, I sweat like a pig in the summer. My street clothes are jeans and t-shirt to about 0-5F. Was out cycling the other morning in a good wind and only my hands were bothering me. Was a great day in NH today but got to head back north.

lenny866

Only if there is snow or below 0

antimonysarah

I only stop when it's icy. Though I commute a lot less after the time change, because rush hour traffic in the dark is stressful rather than fun. (Especially when I got clipped (uninjured, but shaken) a few weeks ago in the dark on my commute.)

I prefer cold to hot, too, although really cold I find annoying on a bike because of the wind.

bobotech

I ride in all temps. I ride when its 95 or 25 out. Been in the mid to high 30's the last few days and still ride. I use cheap dollar store gloves, a dollar store beanie under my helmet, fleece, short sleeved shirt, and sweat pants. I'm comfortable but then again I sweat like crazy so I prefer the colder weather.

donalson

yup after riding in 100*+ this summer when it dips to the 50's its just painful :-/... back into the 60's today... got to take a test and then i'm out for a ride

FrenchFit 

I've become a FWR (fair weather rider), if anything more than leggings and a light wind jacket are required I'm passing. I'd rather put on a sleeveless jersey and drive to the spin room. But, if it a gloriously sunny winter day, you might get me on a bike if the roads are pristine.

It's going to be 68F today, I guess I'm OK to ride. But there are leaves on the road...maybe not.

kramwinston

Enjoying 60degree days w/ 30+degree nights here in Md. I went out to do 15-20miles yesterday, and w/ the temp gradually droppping toward it getting dark, my muscles were cold . I spinner the better part of the ride,however I pushed it on one busy stretch to try to get away from rush hour traffic and caught a bad cramp in my calf. Take it from me, go easy in the cooler temps, look to just collect miles and turn the crank.

indyfabz

Outside of my short (less than 2 mile commute), I have become somewhat of a cold weenie unless there is an event I really like. One such example is the Black Bear Century. Last year It was just below freezing when we rolled out of the hotel for the 3 mile ride to the start. Had I been at home I would have stayed at home.

I also don't mind doing a tour where cold temps are possible. During our '09 tour in MT, B.C. and AB, we had a couple of chilly, damp and windy days that we knew were possible. Also had two 40 degree starts during an '11 tour in MT.

Looking forward to this weekend. Supposed to be 58 tomorrow and 60s on Sunday. Tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. I will shove off for an overnight camping trip in NJ. About 50 miles each way. It will be chilly in the mornings, but it will be worth it. I even gave up Eagles-Redskins ticket. Probably the last trip of the year, but you never know.

SethAZ 

I haven't got any real cold weather cycling gear. When I've ridden, down to the high 20s or so (though I don't plan on doing much of that), I've just bundled up with normal thermal underwear, light (but baggy, since it's not cycling gear) jacket, etc. I have a skull cap I'll wear under my helmet when it's cool, a Turtle Fur full head ski head cover thing that goes down to the neck for when it's colder. At it's coldest, I wear them both. Probably gonna go with a helmet cover this winter. I think eliminating that airflow through the helmet will really help a lot.

Think about it this way, if anyone can take a winter ride, it should be the clydes, no? We've got the most insulation of anyone.

kc0bbq

At that temp with rain I might even go with tights and a skullcap, but the jacket and jersey just end up unzipped halfway as I roast. I am heading from MN to NC for thanksgiving, it's supposed to be mid 50s. We'll see how much of a warm weather wimp my friend has become, he's going riding whether he likes it or not.

You guys who live in places where you can comfortably ride on the first of December where the biggest choice you have is if you need arm warmers or not are totally spoiled!

FrenchFit 

Don't ride if it's cloudy or windy, so it's just a real hardship some days. Spoiled? Perhaps, but I've hard to get here and stay here. 3 years in Seattle, I was suicidal that last year.

MikeRides

There's really no excuse to not ride in sub-40 degree weather as long as you dress warm for it (t-shirt and shorts weather is long gone, folks!), and yet I still come up with one which lowers my motivation to ride. Today it reached 50 degrees, I did a quick spin to town to return a movie to redbox in plain sweatpants (over bike shorts), fleece sweatshirt (over a wicking t-shirt), and a pair of work gloves from the dollar store. I didn't feel like I needed more. I actually rented a second movie just to force myself to ride tomorrow, I'm already getting tired of the damn trainer!

The problem I'm facing now is the clothes I'm wearing this year are the same ones I wore last year when I was about 60 pounds heavier, so you can imagine just how baggy they are which tend to flop around in the wind. I'm debating if I want to pay more for cold compression "tights", assuming I've hit a plateau in my weight loss (160# since 9/30) or stick with the basic, inexpensive sweatshirts and sweatpants in a smaller size.

howeeee

probably if you rode all year long you wouldnt be a Clydesdale (-:

I live in Michigan I just got back in from a 20 mile ride on a Schwinn Spitfire 5. I ride 6 days a week

kc0bbq

I've moved indoors. There's one last blast of warmth this weekend, but 49 and raining is just too crappy.

Instead I'm trying out TrainerRoad. Just did the 20 minute test. Wish I could say I got some huge FTP, but it's not enough that you'll see me in the Spring Classics next year.

I was half way through the 20 minutes I was starting to think I wasn't going to make it. The messages that they flash on the screen do a good job of guilt tripping you into keeping going.