I posted last week on my purchase of a base layer to help deal with cold weather riding in Boston. I have been happy with a the heavy weight baselayer from Columbia Sportswear and have been able to ride comfortably even on cold days.
The day I used as an example of a cold ride referenced a temperature of 12 degrees Fahrenheit with a windchill that made it fell like -3.
Reader Kellen posted the following comment in response:
Wanna test out your new gear? Come up to Edmonton, AB.
Today: A mix of sun and cloud. 30 percent chance of flurries early this morning. Clearing this afternoon. High minus 27.
Tonight: Clear. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 32. Extreme wind chill minus 44.
Wednesday: Sunny. Wind west 20 km/h becoming light in the evening. High minus 21. Extreme wind chill minus 47."
I rode to work today, 14km (about 60min in these conditions) each way.
With conditions like that, I figured Kellen might have some good advice to share so I emailed him and he kindly responded with his tips for cold weather riding. The following text is 100% credited to Kellen. If other readers have advice feel free to contact us. Stay warm!
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While I wouldn't recommend riding in temperatures as low as -40C/F (my personal cutoff tends to be more like -25C in most cases), Here are a few tips I've compiled over the years to help those cold commutes run smoothly. I hope this helps!
- Ignore windchill or "feels like" factors on the weather forecast: It's the ambient temperature that determines how cold you'll be. There is always windchill on a bicycle!
- Start with warm/dry shoes: Pre-heating your shoes over a heating vent or otherwise goes a long way to warm feet during the ride. Particularly if you're using a shoe cover that will cut the wind and trap that heat in.
- Avoid cotton for any next-to-skin layers: Cotton does not transport moisture, and will eventually saturate and lose all insulating properties. Merino wool and polypropylene are both excellent alternatives.
- Avoid rain jackets: In the winter, it's rare to get rain, and "waterproof" or similar material only further impedes moisture transport away from your body.
- Don't expect to be able to shift gears: Choose your gear wisely before leaving your house, because chances are you won't get a chance to change it until you warm your bike up again indoors
- Expect your bike to break. Always be conscious of how hard you push it up hills etc, ease off a little during the cold snaps and save yourself the hassle of a broken chain or spokes.
- Consider your body as a closed loop heat system: If your hands are cold, you may not just need better gloves, but maybe warmer clothes on other parts of your body that may or may not be "cold". Ie. My hands will stay warmer if I'm wearing a toque.
- Avoid fogging: If you need protection for your eyes, wear glasses, not goggles. This will allow you to take them off immediately upon stopping (ie.at a traffic light). Wave them around while you're waiting, and don't put them on until you're riding again. If you keep them on, they will fog up from the heat of your body, and once they fog, they will ice, and need to be scraped before you can see through them again.
- Don't overdress: Dressing for waiting for a bus in cold weather is not the same as dressing for a bike commute in the same temperature. Dress so that you're just barely warm, or even too cold when you start your ride. You will warm up as you get the blood flowing.
- Regulate with intensity: If you're cold, just pedal harder. Long downhill? Apply your brakes and keep pedaling.
- Don't wet yourself: Shed layers or open zippers at the first sign of overheating, before you begin to saturate your clothes in sweat.