robnol

I hear ya im from Wisconsin and I will never live there again ...winters suck as

shrtdstncrdr

I'd move back to Wisconsin without a second thought. My entire family is there as are the majority of my childhood friends, with whom I'm still in regular contact (and see practically every time we go back for a visit). That alone is worth moving back for. Just the general friendliness, the warmth of people in the southern half of Wisconsin makes home better than anything I've experienced here in central minnesota.

As far as winter there being bad... not compared to central mn. At least at home you can expect winter to end sometime in March. I've ridden both motorcycles and bicycles during that month as a regularity while in this state that doesn't happen until early May. And though I may not have seasonal disorder nothing puts me in a foul mood like a long winter does. Even so I could always survive it more easily when I had family and friends nearby. Yah, I'd move back right now if everything fell into place.

stephr1

I'm fortunate to live in Silicon Valley, CA where we have a more "Mediterranean-kind" of weather: warmer summers, cooler winters...pretty great weather the year round. As people have stated, the cooler the weather, the more the layers.

The only thing I get bothered by during riding is wind...hate dealing with headwinds. I also won't go out for a ride if it is already raining (and if the ground is already wet, i.e. puddles all over the place and slippery railroad tracks, painted areas, wet leaves, wood bridges and without a rear fender I end up with a dark wet, dirty strip down my back and across my fanny pack However, if I get caught in the rain (after I start my ride), unless it's a torrential downpour (not usually a problem), I'll actually enjoy it. Creates a whole different kind of ambiance for the ride.

I also hate riding in the dark on the shorter days. However, if I wait till too much daylight it means more cars (and traffic) and more bad drivers making decisions that put me in harm's way. So, I try to find a balance between not too dark and not too much traffic. I do have bike lanes over a lot of my ride (and the MUT for another part), but that doesn't prevent stupidity or poor judgement on the part of the drivers.

Use to jog ~6 mi. in the mornings 3x a week. I found it boring and also gave that up to save my knees....bike riding also allows me to see more scenery.

Marci

In rainy Oregon coast we break out the rain gear. Which I am working on now, since its just starting. But on the very bad days its gym time. I tend to exercise bike and half swim so I just up the swim on bad weather days.
With arthritis in knees, one foot, and spine running is out. In fact walking is done with a cane. So swimming is the choice.

stephr1

Lived in Hillsboro for abt 6 years back in the late 70s/early 80s (loved the OR coast during winter So I do know abt rainy days...and very short ones as fall turned to winter. On the other end, it was nice to have so much sunlight (when it wasn't clouded over during the summers.

Definitely miss parts of my time in OR, other times, not so much....

bobwysiwyg

I'd add, if it snows, make sure the snowblower's good to go.

Yup. Seasonal variations seem to promote mankind's advancement.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brain...b0b40245c42d6a

This may go a long way to explaining La La Land.

wolfchild

It's a lot easier for some people to whine and complain and make excuses because of the weather than it is to do the simple things that you just mentioned

cyccommute 

Yabut you have to hang from your feet to get it

NomarsGirl

I can remember as a kid I would complain about the cold (indoors). My mother would tell me to put a sweater on. I was already wearing two of them. And a hat. Would have had mittens on too but couldn't do homework like that. Yeah, they kept the heat at 55.

Notso_fastLane

I've now got a velo. I plan on riding unless the snow is so deep I simply can't power through it.

I shouldn't have to worry about that, though, they do a pretty good job keeping the streets cleared here.

rumrunn6

bedtime

A fat tire bike?

Maybe a 1:1 chainring/sprocket ratio for deep snow trekking.

Marci

So I have a question, on the really cold days (under 30 degrees) how do you keep your hands warm? Gloves the cold just goes thru.

PaulH

Downhill ski gloves.

bedtime

A good way to overcome severe cold and wind is to wear a glove shell that is windproof and breaths (i.e., Gore-tex) and some gloves or mitts that can be worn underneath which provide insulation.

I've been using this shell for the past 12+ years: https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Research-Mount-Baker-Modular/dp/B0059BISMC?th=1&psc=1



It's been worth every penny, though I paid about half the price back then ($85 CDN.). I'd say the shell is by far the most important part of the glove; you could insert just about any highly-breathable, low end mitt inside and it would be fine under very low temperatures. And you could put your hand underwater and it wouldn't leak, yet it would breath.

BobbyG

I've been skiing twice since moving to Colorado in 1992. Once downhill, and then once cross-country.

Cross-country skiing was better because once you fall it's over; where as falling during downhill skiing you can slide for what seems like forever.

Marci

I did wear just the insulated ski gloves and still my hands would be frozen. But towards the end of last winter I did get a pair of mittens, but haven't had a chance to try them out for the really colds nights. I figured I could put one of those heater things in them. But I wonder if even that would work. I have arthritis in my hands and wow do they hurt if cold. The insulated boots I wear work great, and the fuzzy leggings, sometimes 2 pair. LOL But if its not raining too hard I want to ride, Think I figured out the wet stuff. LOL a bike poncho is lovely.

bedtime

Sometimes poor blood circulation can be an issue. If your hands are cold prior to putting them in the gloves, the best gloves in the world won't heat them up; gloves provide insulation and protection but not heat—your body has to provide that.

In such a case, the warmer you speak of would definitely help.

Also, my teacher used to say, "wear a hat to keep your hands warm." A third of your body heat dissipates from your head, so keeping it nice and toasty will help overall.

The leggings are a great idea. Make sure that if you do wear layers that you leave space for air; space is vital to holding the heat your body produces. Layering works primarily due to allowing air to be stored between layers, so don't go wearing two pairs of extremely tight leggings. One pair of decent, thick leggings + pants + a windblocking, water resistant type snow pant shell would be effective. That and moving around should be more than enough to keep your legs warm.

livedarklions

Personally, on below-30 days, I encase my hands in a gym.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. No knock on anyone who enjoys winter biking.

Notso_fastLane

Wearing something on your head is always a good idea, because like every other part of your body, it can get cold. However, losing a third of your body heat through your head is an urban legend.

I use a thin cap that covers my ears when it gets chilly, and a balaclava when it gets too cold to breath without my nose hurting.

rumrunn6

bar Mitts. they're like little garages for your hands. Takes the pressure off the gloves. it's crazy how much we demand from gloves

cyccommute 

I find that gloves are very dependent on the person. My wife has Raynaud's syndrome and can hardly tolerate 40°F without very heavy gloves. I can wear long fingered mountain bike gloves down to about 40°. After than I switch to something like Serius Xtremes (which really aren't). I'm good with those down to mid 20°. Down to about 10°, I'm good with Pearl Izumi Pro Barrier gloves. I don't usually go much lower than that.

But your mileage will vary.