rumrunn6

wholeheartedly agree

staehpj1

I am in Tallahassee now so we only get a few mornings where I ride in the 20s a few times per year or maybe teens once in a great while. I do ride pretty much every day at sunrise so I do hit the daily low temp. I moved here from Maryland where it was at zero sometimes for my morning runs or rides and once in a while a bit below that.

Anyway what I found works best for me down to zero or so is a beanie that covers the tops of my ears. Synthetic materials are my preference. I have one that has some kind of windproof outer membrane that I especially like for real cold weather, but the regular ones without the membrane are fine too. I like the thin ones for under the helmet. I think most of mine are polartec or similar. The one with the membrane is a Novarra. Not sure if they still sell one like that, but it is my favorite.

I find anything over my face to be too much in any conditions not well below zero if exercising. I do sometimes put a little petroleum jelly on my cheek bones to avoid frost bite (not here in Tallahassee).

truthseeker14

Wow, not sure how I missed that. When I googled and searched Amazon, i didn't find much. Searching Amazon took me to "silk balaclavas" that were 100 %synthetic.

truthseeker14

Also depends on fast I'm going . But I was thinking 15F and above.

Alan K

At 15F or higher temp, a thin layer (silk or one of the several synthetic materials) should be fine.

As for searches on Amazon (or anywhere for that matter), they are cramming way too many things that seem only minimally relevant. Must be something to do with $$$.

Alan K

Several degrees before the temp gets down to freezing, I switch my bicycling helmet to snow-boarding helmet, which is better insulated and it also keeps my ears covered - very useful on cold and windy days.

Alan K

Looks a lot like one of my rides… as it gets colder, snow gets crunchier under your feet and bicycle.
[My wife worries a little but I calm her by letting her know that for the most part, there is no one else besides me so it’s safer than it is in the day. ]

Alan K

I like the name of your website… will check it out.

At way below freezing, humidity drops precipitously. Vesline probably helps you with loss of moisture so you skin doesn’t dry - not so much with frost bite. You can only prevent frost bite by keeping warmer, and hence the full face covers.

At some point, I may move to warmer climate as many older people do, especially if I start having arthritis. But I do not like hot summers.

Addendum: Curious if you are still doing touring (long distance) - something I have been contemplating now at 70. In your opinion, is it an overreach at my age not having done it in the past?