Cold Weather Riding

[hennbell]

My Shimano Alfine 8 stayed in the set gear at -5. It took about 20 mins to free up with srd grease. Using the oil dip oprion extended cold weather operation. Could you run a winter freehub on oil?

I have a Scott sub10 with an 8 speed alfine gates carbon belt drive. It is with question the best winter bike I have used. I have never used it lower than -25C, but to that point it has never had any issues.

 

[Nebulous]

I prefer not to ride in freezing conditions. I've twice fallen off and hurt my hip on black ice, both times on the same cycle path.

Sometimes you have to though. In 2019 I did a 200 and 300 in freezing conditions. The 200 was more or less at freezing point the whole way. We should have gone down the cyclepath alongside the A9 dual carriageway from the Slochd summit, but the path had deep snow so we made a decision to go down the dual carriageway instead. I went last looking over my shoulder determined if I saw a lorry coming in our lane I was diving into the snow at the side of the road. We made it though.

The 300 was probably worse. It was from the borders and the temperature was forecast to be relatively benign with a low of 7 all day. My Garmin recorded minus 6 in the hills and my water bottles froze. The guy I was riding with had a moustache and that also froze. Possibly most impressive was one guy in 3/4 leg tights. We got to the control at Eskdalemuir and the whole exposed fronts of his legs were glowing bright red. They looked as though they had been sandblasted.

 

[Alex321]

It had turned a lot colder again this evening. Average 2C, minimum 0 according to my Wahoo. Cold rain for the latter part of the ride which was turning to snow at the high point in Welsh St Donats. And met a gritter going the other way on the final road home.

 

[gzoom]

It's lovely weather to ride in this week......

.

4 miles from work, just as I was thinking...humm it looks a bit slippery on this corner and about to grab the brakes, I had a nice reminder (again) for what tarmac feels like .

Not as dramatic on the soft squash flesh as 12 months ago, managed to get turn my body enough that the rucksack and then bike took most of the energy so I guess I much learning to fall better. Still 16mph down to zero sharpish probably not something I want to repeat too often.

The last 4 miles to work was 'nervous' there was actually ice all over the road at the bottom of the hill I fell on, had I not fallen higher up am pretty sure I would have at the bottom. I was only able to stay upright because I stopped and put my foot down!!

This thread I think joins in nicely with the indoor trainer thread.....Why on earth would you want to cycle out in the real world when you can do it in the safety of your warm home!! I've hurt my self more on my pedal bike in the real world than anything else I have done, who needs adrenaline sports when you try to ride your pedal bike on UK roads all year round

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/indoor-trainers—love-or-hate.282235/

 

[figbat]

I was out on Wednesday night (5th Jan), left home around 18:50 and arrived at the local pub at around 21:00 after around 20 miles of quasi-offroad riding with a MTB group. My Wahoo Bolt was hovering around -2 to -3°C for the whole ride and by the end of it some of the muddy verges and trails were starting to freeze. I had anticipated the cold and dressed for it (below if interested) and aside from some initial cold in my hands, which improved with exertion and circulation, was generally warm enough all over, sometimes even a little too warm and sweaty. The boots shown below are a new purchase and have made an enormous difference to my previous use of 'regular' MTB shoes with waterproof socks and/or overshoes. Before, my feet would get really cold but now they don't.

- compression base layer, long-sleeved
- microfleece mid-layer, long sleeved
- MTB jersey (normal material, not winterised), long-sleeved
- soft-shell jacket
- buff
- skull cap (under helmet)
- bib tights
- MTB trousers
- 'road' summer socks
- Merino winter socks
- Shimano MW5 boots (SPD)
- merino glove liners
- fleece-lined gloves.

This is my maximum clothing amount for cold riding - I think if it were to get appreciably colder I'd have to look at something more specialist. As it was the above amount wasn't too bulky nor restrictive.

 

[fair weather cyclist]

What’s your lower limit?

10-15 degrees Celsius.

When it's colder than that for me riding is just not enjoyable so I've been avoiding it

 

[Alex321]

10-15 degrees Celsius.

When it's colder than that for me riding is just not enjoyable so I've been avoiding it

Hence the user name

 

[Ming the Merciless]

....Why on earth would you want to cycle out in the real world when you can do it in the safety of your warm home!!

Because the benefits of cycling outdoors are far more than the physical exercise. There are tremendous mental benefits that you just won’t get indoors.

 

[gzoom]

Because the benefits of cycling outdoors are far more than the physical exercise. There are tremendous mental benefits that you just won’t get indoors.

To worry about mental health you need to have all your organs working to provide blood/nutrients to your brain........Smashing out a FTP ride now on icy/cold roads is very good way to experience organ dysfunction.

Its probably just me though, not been able to keep an pedal bike upright at 15mph, 2 years running now cold/wet roads have taken me down .

 

[CanucksTraveller]

My cut off is probably lowish single figures (4-6 or so in Euro degrees, 39-42 in American), but it can depend. A sub zero day can potentially be nice if it's bright enough, bone dry and not windy, whereas yesterday it was maybe 4 or 5 degrees but it was dark grey and the wind had a dampness plus a cold bite to it. No fun really.
It takes me quite a bit of motivation to get a bike out if it's below about 5 degrees or so.

 

[Blue Hills]

10-15 degrees Celsius.

When it's colder than that for me riding is just not enjoyable so I've been avoiding it

have you strayed here from the naked bike riding thread?
Without going bonkers you can cycle in temps substantially below that with no problems, no movement restrictions.
Unless you are somewhere very southern you can't be getting out much or for long - even at warm times of the year in the UK bits of the day will be below that.

 

[kingrollo]

Decent (but not daft expensive) kit - skull cap, buff, decent socks, overshoes and I don't find the cold an issue.

As I get older I cut off around 3c due to Ice.

Roads tend to be quieter, and you feel just getting there is an achievement - the fact I'm farting about at 12mph doesn't bother me as much as it does in July.

 

[Ian H]

200k back from Penzance tomorrow. The weather looks filthy, but never mind. Temps won't drop much below 10⁰C.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

My cut off is probably lowish single figures (4-6 or so in Euro degrees, 39-42 in American), but it can depend. A sub zero day can potentially be nice if it's bright enough, bone dry and not windy, whereas yesterday it was maybe 4 or 5 degrees but it was dark grey and the wind had a dampness plus a cold bite to it. No fun really.
It takes me quite a bit of motivation to get a bike out if it's below about 5 degrees or so.

Any danger of ice or near-zero ambient temps on those horrible damp cloudy days you can forget it. If I go out under my own power in such conditions it will be walking not riding!

 

[alex_cycles]

the fact I'm farting about at 12mph doesn't bother me as much as it does in July.

I misread that on first scan as "farting at about 12mph"
Must be the tension at higher speed.