My coldest commute, so far...

[threefingerjoe]

-18C, on Friday. It was..."invigorating". HOPEFULLY, that will be the coldest this winter. I was surprised at the number of other folks in this town who also rode! Glad I'm not the only madman out there!

 

[Aperitif]

Good going joe! It's 2.6 C here at Heathrow this morning and I'm thinking 'Brr chilly'!

 

[Keith Oates]

At -18 deg C the word invigorating would not enter into any description I would be writing. However hat off to you for going out in that weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HLaB]

-18C now that is cold; I don't think its got below -6 here in the city overnight this winter and its usually considerably warmer by the time I commute. Bizarrely this morning +ve temperatures seemed colder into a strong headwind. I heard somewhere that road salt is effective up to -6deg C I don't think I commute in temps below that unless I invested in studded tyres.

 

[hackbike 666]

Nice going joe.

 

[redjedi]

Well done Joe.

I chickened out with the -4C we had the other week.

I hope you've got a good pair of gloves, otherwise you'll have to change your username to TwofingerJoe

 

[darthpaul]

-18C! thats Fresh!

 

[snapper_37]

- 18 C? I can't stand in the freezer here for more than a couple of minutes around that. Well done Joe, I don't think I'd be able to breath in that!

 

[BentMikey]

Impressed!

 

[saty]

Impressed!

Understatement!!!

Well done mate..

 

[fossyant]

Mad....freewheel freezing temps those !!!!

 

[jay clock]

However hat off to you for going out in that weather

I think it is more like "hat on to you, perhaps two hats on"

 

[threefingerjoe]

Thanks, All! I have to confess, though, that with this cold weather, I've been riding the recumbent, with a fairing. That fairing helped, a LOT, as there was also a 10 mph headwind. I have a pair of those Pearl Izumi lobster claw mittens, which worked pretty well, but I still found that it helped to remove my hands from the grips, and move them inward on the bars, which kept them behind the fairing. I don't normally ride that bike to work, as it is my "weekend cruising" bike, but we've been having some brutal weather, lately.

 

[J4CKO]

That is impressive, I have done a few minus number ones now, I find that if I am dressed right the cold is ok (not -18 though), the ice is the main factor, if I can stay upright but I find it eats into my margin of safety, had a wobble at about 18 mph, was in primary as the side of the road was icy but managed to find a spot in the middle of the road, the car behind me, to his credit seemed to realise I was having a hard time and backed off, same journey I had a Land Rover slide towards me and I decided to stop when I saw a Huge Truck (on a small country road) behind me, I would have had to pull right in for him to get by, into the ice and had visions of slipping and having it woll over me.

I suppose that the -18 is a dry cold and you perhaps dont get wet roads freezing and heavy frosts which put me off, its due to our moist climate !

Was about zero this morning, no slipping but there was definitely icy patches, just have to remember not to make any sharp inputs and not get carried away.

One thing I wonder about is extreme colds effect on your lungs and any exposed skin ?

 

[User482]

I was on a skiing holiday in Austria when it hit -25 C. At those temperatures, the snot freezes on the end of your nose. A distinctly unpleasant experience.