Cold Weather Riding (outside)

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slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Merino is fine until you start sweating...….then it itches like crazy. I'd rather be comfortable in polyester and stink a bit.
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
Cold hands and feet are usually a bigger problem than your core. Two pairs of gloves (e.g. silk liners) will stave the cold off a bit longer. Neoprene overshoes work really well.

Don't leave your water bottle on the bike if you stop and go into a cafe...the movement during riding keeps it liquid, but it gets supercooled and may quickly freeze when still. This happened to half the Beacon RCC club run on one cold ride years ago. Not that you'll need to replace much sweat when it's below freezing.
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
These look comfy.
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Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Never experienced that, and I sweat lots and wear Merino all year round (even on summer days).

Indeed I find merino ensures I don't get that cold wet feel against the skin that synthetics often end up doing.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Never experienced that, and I sweat lots and wear Merino all year round (even on summer days).
I've had that happen but it's still better than polyester which itches before you sweat. Cotton and bamboo are better and less sweat-making IMO. Just take care if cotton does get wet, as mentioned pages ago.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I really don't think exposed knees in really cold weather is a good idea since tendons do not receive direct blood supply like muscle tissue, the body cannot regulate their temperature as well. Like most elastic tissue, when it is colder, it loses elasticity, becoming more vulnerable to tearing at higher force

The question is of course how cold would it have to be for tendons to lose elasticity? Certainly bare knees are fine at anything above zero, and probably ok below. Since there are no studies on this we will just have to go by our own experiences I.e. Anecdote.
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
My knees are clicky if they're not covered and it's below about 13 degrees C, at least for the first mile or so until they warm up a bit*. Given that knees are delicate things, I cover them if in doubt.

*technically I think the synovial fluid is getting where it should be
 
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