cold ride

[chris folder]

Hi done 20 miles on my brompton today freezing cold wind chill in my face for most of the ride freezing coldI spotted guys rideing Rhode bikes wearing just skin tight lycra t shirts and shorts how come they don't get cold? Has anyone worn this sort of clothes do you ride a rhode bike to. what's it like wearing lycra in cold weather ? I'm trying to picture myself wearing this rideing my brompton

 

[rugby bloke]

Have worn shorts all through the winter - even the proper cold snowy ones we had 8 years or so ago. Legs are normally fine, its always the hands that turn to blocks of ice. Even double gloving sometimes does not work !

 

[chris folder]

Hi interesting I would have thought legs would get cold to. I often wounder how riders dont get cold wearing lycra. Yep hands get freezing cold I took my gloves of for few minutes to use phone my hands where numb hurts under finger nails to take quite a time to get feeling back in hands

 

[Racing roadkill]

I rode into work this morning, at 4:30. It was -4, with the windchill taking it down to more like -6. My legs and feet were fine, despite 2 pairs of gloves, my fingers were properly stinging after about a mile.. Such is life at this time of the year.

 

[12boy]

are you talking Fahrenheit -4 degrees or Celsius?

 

[Racing roadkill]

are you talking Fahrenheit -4 degrees or Celsius?

Celsius.

 

[guitarpete247]

Just been out for 15 1/2 miles. My head started to get cold in the first mile but I soon warmed up. Had longs, overshoes, long sleeved top and jacket on. For gloves I had silk liners under fingered gloves and my CC buff around neck. Nice and warm at the end.
Had to get back as I'm waiting for callback from Docs.

 

[12boy]

Celsius.

I have ridden at 20 below Fahrenheit for 3 miles or so at a time and it was an interesting trip. Didn't wear shorts,though.

 

[StuartG]

The legs thing is interesting. I wear shorts unless it is really cold when I wear thick longs over an insulating underlayer. In between doesn't work for me. I assume it is because hairy legs keep a cushion of air so the cold doesn't hit the skin whereas as soon as you put on longs the hair is compressed and much of the the insulation is lost.

Same story when wet. The heat of the bare legs quickly burns it off whereas longs hold the wetness.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Does the foldingness of the bike make a difference?

Yes, anything that folds, drops your core temperature.

 

[roundthebendbromcycle]

I think a brompton style is more tweed...although the lycra does sound interesting Mmmm

 

[JaseO]

It's always the fingers that suffer! Modern gloves are very good, but when it gets so cold, ouch

 

[Dogtrousers]

I just rode my Brompton 5km in conditions best described as "a bit nippy", wearing a business suit. On arrival I would describe my condition as "chilly".

Hope that helps.

 

[Racing roadkill]

It's always the fingers that suffer! Modern gloves are very good, but when it gets so cold, ouch

A pair of these

With one of these

Covered by a pair of these

On a Mountain bike / flat bar hybrid, or these

On a road bike, and you can ride around in very cold weather, and your hands will be nice and toasty. The bulk can take a bit of getting used to, but I've ridden with this set up a few times, and once you're used to the slight clumsiness, it works.

There's no such thing as the 'wrong weather', just the 'wrong kit'.

 

[cyberknight]

Well rode home this morning with winter gloves, gloves liners, thermal socks , sarnie bags over socks and winter overshoes and my hands and feet were frozen.This was about 5.30 am on country lanes so colder than the town and no chance of sunlight to take off the chill
Read an article in cyclist that basically says at around 18 mph windchill takes off 4-5 degrees .