rachel120

Now that the weather is starting to turn a little colder, I need to know what to do and what to expect for commuting in the winter.

Tonight it was 39 degrees when I left work, so my planned layers were put to the test, with some success and some failure. However, it was 39 degrees, not 19 with snow on the ground.

So what do I need to do to the bike and what do I need to do to myself for winter cycling? Last winter was my first winter in the area, sometimes there were snowstorms and the snow stuck around for a few days, though people said it was a mild winter.

Daniel4

There are alot of stickies about winter cycling in this section of the forums. Start with Winter Cycling 101 and Winter Clothing.

Don't overwhelm yourself with information overload.

Just continue cycling right into the fall and make adjustments for what you find out personally what you need to adapt.

By late fall you would have accumulated a lot of cold weather clothing.

Then when you get back to reading those stickies, they'll all make sense to you.

PortlandEddie

I ride in high 30's and low 40's so not as cold as you. I have good gloves (leather) and thick socks i do wish i have something for my ears though. As for my center mass i wear a long sleeve shirt , my work shirt ( usually button down long sleeve) and then either a flannel or windproof jacket. I do plan on riding in snow just to see how it is.

dabac

I keep a log of conditions, clothes and comfort.
It won’t help that much this winter, but it can be real handy the next time the temperature swings.
Intensity vs cold can be tricky.
Even when below freezing I prefer clothes with ventilating rear panels.
It gets clammy otherwise.
And if you find it hard to strike a balance between not freezing and not sweating, remember that sweating is a personal thing.
There are oh so many people itching to tell you that ”if you’re sweating you’re simply dressed wrong”.
Which is ONE, but NOT the ONLY explanation.
Some of us simply sweat easier. Perhaps too easy.
For clipped in riding, I like proper winter shoes. Covers don’t hold up well even to modest amounts of walking. Pogies/bar mitts are also very nice.

mcours2006

A lot of it takes trial and error. You might find one day that you are very inadequately dress/equipped. That will give you some sense/context of what is required for that type of weather, and you make adjustments as you go.

Even though I've gone through a few winters already I still find every year when the cold makes its return there will be a day or two when I'll be slightly under dressed.

dh024

IMO, the biggest challenge of starting to bike through the winter is finding the right combination of clothes to wear. The bike considerations are important, too, but somewhat secondary until you get used to the winter environment.

A few tips that I wish I had known when I started:
- dress in layers, and avoid cotton; layers are important so that when you begin to overheat (inevitable if you bike more than 20 minutes), you can peel off a layer and NOT get too sweaty; staying dry underneath your clothing is very important in winter
- focus first on keeping the extremities warm: hands, feet, head/neck; if you can keep those places warm, the rest of the body will keep up; and overheating your core is very easy to do, so think about how to balance the core and extremities
- merino wool is a fantastic fabric for winter clothes, from socks to caps
- your windproof/waterproof outer shell needs lots of ventilation; look for jackets that have vents in the back near your shoulder blades and armpit zippers
- keep notes on what you wore at different temperatures if that worked; it is easy to forget
- if travelling on roads, you can be harder to see in the winter, so think about your visibility when making clothing choices
- good lights (front and rear) and lots of spare batteries are much more important in the winter than summer
- if you deal with a lot of snow, slush, and salt, it really helps to rinse off your bike frequently (I have a garage and will do it almost daily, using a pump sprayer), and use a thinner lube for your drive train than you would in the summer, for convenience

There are lots of other pieces of advice that will be useful, but those are my top ones. Hope some of that helps.

1nterceptor

"so my planned layers were put to the test, with some success and some failure"

Elaborate a little bit on the failures; perhaps we can offer more direct advice.
Me for example; have sensitive ears. I wear a balaclava. At even lower temps;
I might use ear warmers. Can be taken off when I get hot.
5 Fahrenheit/-15 Celsius by 1nterceptor, on Flickr
New York City 14F/-10C by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

rachel120

The failures are luckily easy to fix, though I do have to fix them on a budget. I need gloves. Real gloves, not the fingerless cycling gloves. It took forever to thaw out my left thumb (figuratively, there was no frostbite). I need outdoor crew socks, my daily wear socks are cutesy and short and there was a bit of a gap where they started and the sweatpants stopped. And the tops of my shoes breathe a little too easy, the top of my feet and my toes were cold even though I wore two pairs of socks.

Crazy as it sounds my head was mostly uncovered, only the helmet, and my head and face stayed warm. I guess way too many years of going outside with my face uncovered have acclimated me to that temperature range, but I know I should invest in a hood or ski mask for when it gets colder. Artificial wind chill from the speed of the bike seems like it will make a head and face covering required, unless I want a frostbitten nose.

I'm also planning on full length leggings for under the sweatpants, right now I only have capri length. And thicker sweats and a thick sweatshirt for the top layer for colder temperatures, the thin sweats and thin jacket were just right for 39 degrees.

rumrunn6

limit exposed skin. my biggest weakness is over dressing

Viich

Studded tires for ice - assuming it stays below freezing for a while.

Boots, or at least big wool socks and something to stop the wind in footwear vents (I have used duct tape)

Reflective vest, sweater, or something. I assume you will be biking in the dark more- I already am.

rumrunn6

chilly this morning was gonna wear some light gloves but wanted to try out some new bar mitts, so the gloves stayed in my pocket. didn't really need them today 'specially when it warmed up but gotta say, I'm a fan & when it gets colder these will get more use. not very attractive but then neither is a lot of cold weather gear

RavenHunter

Hi,
I live in the rural WMass area, and have cycled year-round for 10+ years now. I do not commute, but use my Trek 930 for primary daily transportation. I always layer in cold weather, avoid cotton, as it tends to stay damp/wet, unlike wicking fabrics, wool, etc. Best bike equipment for cold/black ice/snow a set of 26x2.1 Nokian fully studded winter tires-serious safety and confidence benefits! Safely bike across frozen lakes; actually riskier walking! Best clothing addition when temp freezing and below: Giro Timberwolf fully lined helmet with ear flaps. Very warm, even below zero. Best personal gadget: Peacock large pocket warmer-clever flameless catalytic operation using 4hr fill of lighter fluid. Safe, very warm heat source; unlike "shake n bake" powdered iron disposables, is used over and over, only cost being lighter fluid. Oh, I could go on and on, but I think best advice is experiment until you find what works best for you in your area. Fare well!

wipekitty

There are a lot of different winter conditions and just as many ways to deal with them; I've been experimenting with winter riding since 1999, and still don't think I have it right! Just a few ideas though...

Cheap gloves: Look for cheap mechanic's gloves with 40g Thinsulate at your local home improvement store. Good for warmer winter, and nice and grippy. The padded ones with Thinsulate at X-mart also work well, maybe into the mid-20s.

For real winter gloves, the best I've ever had are these Dakine gloves. They will go on sale for half price at some point. Waterproof, breathable, and comfy down to about 0F.

My personal favorite, since circa 2008: REI Expedition Socks But, they are thick. Otherwise, Smartwool stuff is nice; I have small feet so I save money by getting the children's sizes!

I highly recommend a winter boot for winter riding. If that looks too outdoorsy, real or fake leather dress boots (with a reasonable rubber sole) will also function.

How cold is it going to get? At a certain point (the point where a frostbitten nose may be a concern), it may also be helpful to have eye protection - sunglasses/safety glasses, or ideally, cheap ski goggles. A wool balaclava is a good way to cover skin; a cheaper remedy is to sew your own face cover out of the tube section of old wool socks

Two words: Cuddl Duds. Or, as others have mentioned, the fleece leggings from X-mart. Preferably, both. (My long underwear goes on...now...and stays on until early May!)

If you can get your hands on some merino wool layers, they are the best. Actual baselayers can be pricy; I tend to collect merino sweaters from ebay. Thrift shops are also recommended, if your local thrift shops carry such items in your size.

Bat56

If you are warm when you leave the house, you have too many layers on. You will get used to that first cold mile.

Also, don't blow your nose, clear your throat, or spit. Your body will get accustomed to the cold and stop producing all that crap, but if you are constantly cleaning out the system, it will keep producing. That's my experience, everyone is different, but try it!

PaulH

Copenhagenize.com - Bicycle Culture by Design: Overcomplicating Winter Cycling - Why It's Bad

autonomy

Don't mean to start a fight, there's some merit to that blog post but it makes too many assumptions. Forgets about the fact that a lot of the 'how to' articles are commissioned or contain affiliate links. Backpacking/hiking articles are the same way - spend $1000+ on fancy jackets and backpacks just to get outside. No one does that except for the very clueless.

Also, some of the people in the included pictures look miserable. Biking in trainers in snow in -10C? No way! That doesn't sell me on the idea.

And the final nail in the coffin: 30% of trips are <1km, 73% are <3km, 87% are <4km. 3 km is about 10 minutes at 10mph. So most people bike for less than 10-15 minutes. I wouldn't bother with specialized clothing either. But for my half-hour commute I'm much more comfortable NOT wearing jeans. And if I'm doing a longer training ride, then I do not want to deal with the inconvenience of flappy pants that might get into the drivetrain. Sure, that doesn't mean I have to go out and buy the most expensive kit ever, but oftentimes having the right tool for the job makes the job much more pleasant.

https://www.cycling-embassy.dk/wp-con...g-in-DK-1.pdf0

Freezing temps are easy to dress for - wet, humid, and nearly-freezing is much harder. You need less insulation for your body and legs than you think (start out slightly cold as mentioned). You need more insulation for your extremities (hands and feet) than you think. A hat, likely goggles to prevent eyes from watering. A thin balaclava (tried one of those fleece neck-warmer TurtleFurs ones and almost boiled)

rachel120

This morning, about an hour before dawn, I had to go to work. 40F degrees. Apparently 40 degrees before sunrise is somehow colder than 39 degrees after sunset. Maybe I'm close enough to the ground that I was getting the heat it was releasing that previous ride.

I'm going to have to invest in either full length leggings or thermals. Preferably the former as I can use those next spring as outer wear. My lower legs were a little too chilly where the leggings stopped and only the sweats were covering. The doubled crew socks either kept my toes warm or I was too cold elsewhere to notice. And yeah, ski mask, my face was freezing.

Yeah, I'm not spending stupid money on fancy stuff if cheap and not name brand will do the same.

Is Amazon a good place for studded tires? Should I actually not be cheap and get a second set of rims so I'm swapping the entire wheel rather than deflating and reinflating the tire?

PortlandEddie

So i rode in the cold and now my throat is killing me. Make sure you're not sucking wind and its below 32'

rumrunn6

Schwalbe Marathon Winter Studded 700x35 $66.09 free shipping IN STOCK NOW (get them before they're gone!)
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...d-700-622-tire

I wait till the black ice shows up then I leave them on. but I also have 3 bikes so only 1 has studs
they come in a 40mm size which I got last year after my 35mm set broke (wicked old & bought used)
5mm dif doesn't sound like much but they really feel like big wide cat / bear paws
35s from experience are great on pavement, last year I was exploring more unpaved trails all winter long so that's why I got the 40s

good luck!

rachel120

Um, time for a really stupid question. I don't see a size printed on my tires. How do I figure out what size I need?

rumrunn6

look at both sides of the tire, it's not on both side. check front & rear tire if for some reason, somehow it got rubbed off. sometimes they emboss the size (raised letters) instead of printing it. sometimes the embossed letters are in the same area as a reflective stripe making it even more difficult to read. use cheater glasses if you have them, take your time

if you still can not read any text on either side of either tire, tell us what bike you have, or google specs for it yourself

FYI those Marathons are directional so when you get them you'll have to look for the "rotation arrow"

GadgetGirlIL

Thanks for this tip! I just ordered the Marathons.

wphamilton

For the bike, I usually swap the tires to to more rugged and inexpensive ones because I'll be running over more debris, possibly skidding sometimes, and I want to save the good tires for spring. Wider tires if I have them handy, lower pressure regardless. But mostly I'll ride the "winter bike" more and the road bike less, since it's easier to carry extra clothes on, has better lights, etc.

More specifics depend on the local climate.

Keep your hands and feet warmer by layering inside gloves and shoe cover.

rachel120

Thanks, it was on the other side.

And of course, it lists measurements in Imperial units, not metric units. I don't know the conversion, but backing up a page from the link you gave offered a tire that uses inches. But that tire wasn't quite a perfect match, mine says "26 x 1.95" and the tire I found has two options - "26 x 1.75" and "26 x 2.0". Are those close enough? Or do I have to find an exact match?

berner

It does not get that cold in coastal Rhode Island. Our bike club schedules rides throughout the winter months except during the worst weather. I cycle from upper 20s F and 30s F. I have a trunk bag on a rear rack which is used to carry an extra layer. I have quite a bit of experience hiking and backpacking in New Hampshire where it does get very cold. I've learned cycling and backpacking both, to be versatile to deal with unexpected temperature changes. This means dressing like an onion which is to say, in layers.

Imagine beginning a ride with temperatures in the mid-30s F. From there, it may climb to the mid 40s F or drop to mid 20s F which is well below the freezing mark. Wind chill at mid 20s will feel much colder than the actual temperature. Being able to add or remove a layer could turn an otherwise fine ride into a very bad experience. What the actual layers might be for you will be a matter of personal experience.