tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post3559632617918858456..comments2023-11-05T01:50:47.040-07:00Comments on Bike Commute Tips Blog: Cold weather no barrier to bicycle commutingPaul Dornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03893190816290007375noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-66361422923100399862008-11-07T01:14:00.000-08:002008-11-07T01:14:00.000-08:00If you want to see how it's done over here, this i...If you want to see how it's done over here, <A HREF="http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=gw3XSHygRpk" REL="nofollow">this is a video</A> made last winter showing the city centre as normal at -4 degrees, and this shows <A HREF="http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=2n_znwWroGM" REL="nofollow">children riding their bikes</A> to school at -2 degrees.<BR/><BR/>Personally I find little is more important than windproof clothing, and that my now balding head must be covered with a nice warm hat.David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-70692297928254396192008-11-05T11:02:00.000-08:002008-11-05T11:02:00.000-08:00I think it's that commitment thing that matters. ...I think it's that commitment thing that matters. When the weather comes on, the question should be "what should I wear and do?" not "Should I ride?" (Easier to do after you sell the car and before you've figured out the bus line.) <BR/> Then shopping for stuff is just shopping for thigns to wear, not "special" stuff for cycling.SiouxGeonzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14852040976080951492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-12983803102374990642008-11-04T20:11:00.000-08:002008-11-04T20:11:00.000-08:00Oy, speaking of mechanical problems, you want to b...Oy, speaking of mechanical problems, you want to be sure that your cables are all set up so they drain. One of mine isn't, it got water in it, that froze, and it made the rear brake very sticky. To de-ice: pop lose the outer housing in the offending area, and pull really hard, till it slides loose. The ice seemed to stick to the inner cable. Flex the cable and crack it off. (I subsequently oiled the cable, and also cut a small hole in the casing at the lowest point.)<BR/><BR/>As far as "never bought anything special" goes, I think it just depends on you. My toes get cold; on a ski trip I got to compare with a bunch of other people, my fingers and ears were "normal" or warmer, but my toes got bleeping cold -- with wool socks, in ski boots. There's just no point being so cold it hurts.dr2chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16320828055999939449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-44062572674682161202008-11-03T22:31:00.000-08:002008-11-03T22:31:00.000-08:00for the coldest days in anchorage [ten or fifteen ...for the coldest days in anchorage [ten or fifteen below] i have a balaclava on my head; on top a wicking biking shirt, then a longsleeve light fleece and an insulated windproof shell zipped all the way up. glove liners and heavy snowboarding mittens. on the bottom, just capilene long underwear [or 'base layer' as its now called] and levis; warm socks and keen shoes. it's really dry here so usually don't have to worry about splash and moisture. so, no fenders but studded tires are a must.<BR/>sometimes it seems brutally cold but it's OK after about a mile when you get some kind of equillibrium with the conditions and the constant activity.clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10860613460678917845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-51426680139330486642008-11-03T10:28:00.000-08:002008-11-03T10:28:00.000-08:00I ride year-round in the DC area, only taking the ...I ride year-round in the DC area, only taking the bus instead on the snowy and/or icy days (about 5-10/year). I love my "lobster claw" gloves, balaclava, Smartwool knee-high socks and base layers. I wear the same outer layer, a bright yellow cycling jacket, from autumn through spring. I've found that the base layers keep me warm enough so I don't need a heavier jacket. My fingers sometimes get cold but that's about it. Cycling in the winter is great because most cyclists won't do it--you get the trail mostly to yourself!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-85977808986175451852008-11-02T21:30:00.000-08:002008-11-02T21:30:00.000-08:00Here in Canada it has been known to get a little c...Here in Canada it has been known to get a little cold in winter. My only advice is to just keep biking everywhere you go as the autumn turns into winter. <BR/><BR/>I've never bought any special clothes. My normal clothing works just fine on my bicycle. If it didn't, rest assured that I would change the bicycle, not the clothing.<BR/><BR/>Some of the young women here in Toronto should, in my opinion, wear more clothing in winter. I keep thinking "how can they go out like that?" But they do, every day. I guess that I'm just an old fuddy-duddy.Kevin Lovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13186428862833389619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-3418839955221634642008-11-02T21:07:00.000-08:002008-11-02T21:07:00.000-08:00I had to have my rear hub redone. At 10 degrees F ...I had to have my rear hub redone. At 10 degrees F and below the prawns in the free wheel would freeze close and I would free wheel. It involved having a lighter weight oil than the standard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-22942050362687575082008-11-02T06:17:00.000-08:002008-11-02T06:17:00.000-08:00Or you could just move to Texas, where it's been i...Or you could just move to Texas, where it's been in the 70's and 80's for the last week, after a very brief overnight excursion into the low 40's. Shorts and T-shirt are the appropriate clothing for Fall biking in in Austin. LOL!<BR/>I did bike year round in Boston for a couple of years, though, and found that layering is truly the key. The first 5 min of my ride I would be cold, especially on nose and hands, but after the ol' metabolism got up to speed, I would be roasting if I couldn't unzip an out windbreaker shell and let some air through a breathable wool layer. I only made the mistake of wearing a ski jacket one time and ended up sweaty, miserable, and later freezing after arriving at my destination. yech!<BR/>Bulky wool socks were how I transformed my biking shoes into winter shoes (never cotton in the winter!); no expensive ad-ons for me.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04818150160957348130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-79316438247648524782008-11-02T06:14:00.000-08:002008-11-02T06:14:00.000-08:00I got a flashing vest from LEDTronics. Works grea...I got a flashing vest from LEDTronics. Works great.<BR/><BR/>Other than that, biking in winter is no different from other outdoor activities like skiing in winter, and plenty of people do that. <BR/><BR/>People think it's crazy, but as I ride in the dark early in the morning, I pass people going out jogging, running a cirucular route and coming home to shower, change and THEN go to work. THAT seems crazy to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-65110572105706227292008-11-02T01:29:00.000-07:002008-11-02T01:29:00.000-07:00Hey, this is really helpful. Each year I plan to c...Hey, this is really helpful. Each year I plan to cycle during the winter but chicken out. I think if I'm well prepared I can get into the mindset to do it. Thanks for all the tips, you too dr2chase.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36250316.post-91982323560227499442008-11-01T17:08:00.000-07:002008-11-01T17:08:00.000-07:00I got started biking in the winter after it became...I got started biking in the winter after it became clear that biking solved all the yearly checkup problems that made my doctor go "tsk-tsk". I just decided I would do it, and somewhere in there I found icebike.com. My plan, which worked, was to add gear as necessary, fixing whatever problems appeared. <A HREF="http://www.icebike.com/" REL="nofollow">icebike.com</A> is an excellent resource.<BR/><BR/>Windblocking tights work great. For a top, all you need is anything that blocks the wind, over whatever wool you already happen to own.<BR/><BR/>I did buy a <A HREF="http://www.foxwear.net/products_small_articles.html" REL="nofollow">stretch polarfleece balaclava</A> and that really, really helps (their tights are good, too).<BR/><BR/>The two true problem areas were my fingers and my toes. Good gloves are necessary. Ski gloves, or anything insulated and windblocking, will do the job (straight fleece is probably not good enough). <BR/><BR/>Because I like to ride with cleats, shoes were a big deal. The cost effective solution is <A HREF="http://dr2chase.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/oversocks-for-winter-biking/" REL="nofollow">oversocks</A>. The other choice, which is very expensive, but works very well, is <A HREF="http://www.lakecycling.com/Products/MXZ302__MXZ302.aspx" REL="nofollow">winter biking shoes</A>.<BR/><BR/>If you don't wear cleats, you can bike in boots.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://dr2chase.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/converging-on-a-design-for-cheap-bright-bike-lights/" REL="nofollow">I make my own lights</A>, but I am a lapsed electrical engineer, so it was not too hard. For about $70 in parts, you can get 200 lumens in front, and enough in back (3 LEDS, plus lens, plus regulator, plus battery pack -- I use a dynamo, but given my uneven history with an expensive German dynamo, I cannot recommend this route to anyone else -- I am testing a cheaper french dynamo right now, but it only has 50-60 miles of use on it yet).<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://dr2chase.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/winter-bike-trail-fashions/" REL="nofollow">This is the outfit that worked for me last year.</A>dr2chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16320828055999939449noreply@blogger.com