Originally Posted by
scottfsmith
Today the weather was very similar to my previous ride which I mentioned above (both around 30F); as an experiment I wore an identical outfit except I had a less warm jacket but with arm warmers on top. This is to achieve the goal of more warmth on extremities compared to core. I kept the jacket zipped up the whole time since my core was not overheating. My fingers were warmer, only one finger was cold as opposed to many last time. So, it seems like a bit more data in favor of putting relatively more warmth on the arms/legs.
My impression is Minnesota is a pancake compared to Maryland. Maybe I am mixing it up with all the flat states around it though. My rides have about 100 ft elevation gain per mile on average: 25 mile ride, 2500ft elevation gain kind of thing.
100 ft/mile is pretty hilly, for sure. There are parts of Minnesota that are quite flat, but many parts have plenty of hills. But more like 50 ft/mile. To get 100 ft/mile, you have to go to the driftless area of Wisconsin, an hour or two away from the Twin Cities.
anyway, we digress. Churning out the energy, climbing or otherwise, helps keep the hands warm.
Also - wind. If you don't have bar mitts or very wind-proof gloves, then air speed has a significant effect on hand comfort.
The core is seldom an issue. And though I don't discount your experience, in my experience, arms and legs are not a concern and have little effect on whether my hands/feet are cold.