Too Cold

[lazybloke]

Buying additional cycling clobber for winter riding might seem expensive, but i did a 35 minute sub-zero ride at 9pm last night, and my total clothing cost was only £103
That's not just the normal layers and gloves, but also a helmet and spd shoes.

 

[Exlaser2]

Proper cycling kit?

Sounds to me more like wrong cycling kit for the conditions.

Look I’ve been cycling for over 40 years . I know what the correct kit is and always do my research before buying good quality kit to suit the conditions.
I still get cold hands and feet which didn’t get cycling to work . That’s my experience, if you don’t like it or agree with it that fine. But you could try sounding less patronising. 😀

 

[vickster]

Look I’ve been cycling for over 40 years . I know what the correct kit is and always do my research before buying good quality kit to suit the conditions.
I still get cold hands and feet which didn’t get cycling to work . That’s my experience, if you don’t like it or agree with it that fine. But you could try sounding less patronising. 😀

When did you stop commuting and how old are you now? Circulation gets worse with age (even if you don't have any underlying pathologies)

 

[Exlaser2]

When did you stop commuting and how old are you now? Circulation gets worse with age (even if you don't have any underlying pathologies)

All ways suffered with cold hands and feet, don’t think it’s got much worse now I am over sixty. I’ve lost count of the amount of cycling boots/socks combinations I’ve been though over the years . Now I am semi retired these days and have more spare time it’s not a problem, if it’s below 7 degrees I go cycling on another warmer day. 😀
The strange thing is, I am a dinghy sailor too and the sail all year . But don’t get cold hands and feet , in fact I don’t even wear gloves. I think it’s because it’s more of a all body pursuit while cycling is more of a linear pursuit.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The strange thing is, I am a dinghy sailor too and the sail all year . But don’t get cold hands and feet ,

You need a heftier bike, with panniers full of shopping, like me.
Then you won't get cold

 

[a.twiddler]

Went out today for 19 miles on the Linear recumbent, definitely better than earlier in the week. Cycling for me is definitely a "Linear" pursuit if you will pardon the pun.

I did a motorcycle trip to Liverpool for a regular hospital appointment on Monday with all the gear on, as due to all the rebuilding work at the Liverpool Royal car parking is very inconvenient at the moment, so worth going on the old Honda. Also the Mersey Tunnels are free on a motorbike. It was toasty warm going through there, worth putting up with the traffic fumes for a bit of a warm up. 75 mile round trip. I was OK on the day, but I felt wiped out the day after. Keep forgetting I'm not as young as I used to be.

As for the cycling today, I've been wearing thermal underwear all week but apart from that I just wore my normal everyday gear plus gloves, and
it was fine. Just wearing normal clothes is one of the benefits of riding a recumbent.

 

[Exlaser2]

You need a heftier bike, with panniers full of shopping, like me.
Then you won't get cold

That’s what I had when I cycled to work, well without the shopping 😀😀

 

[Bristolian]

The cold doesn't worry me but the state of the roads caused by the cold does. ie: black ice and slippery surfaces, so not worth the risk.

Yes, I had that experience yesterday. I decided to wrap up warm and brave the cold but a few miles into my ride I was braking for a roundabout and the bike started sliding on what like a damp road surface. Took what I hoped would be the safest route home from there and was relieved to make it in one piece. The roads were slippery in places but the cycle paths were slippery everywhere as they hadn't been treated - cue complaint to the local council.

 

[ColinJ]

I guess I'm like many people, as you get older the cold feels colder. I got all dressed up this morning for a ride but when I went outside it felt about 10 below - it was actually +1C

I am definitely feeling the cold more as I age, and particularly because I am now 35 kg (5+ stone) lighter than I once was. That is a lot of insulation lost!

My local posties are still wearing shorts despite the cold. The postman was wearing trainers AND NO SOCKS the other bitterly cold morning! They are young and active though, which obviously helps. No such advantages for a man I saw standing around in the local Aldi car park today... About 50 years old, hanging about doing nothing much, shorts, trainers, thin short socks, bare hands, and a completely bald head with no hat on it... I was wearing multiple layers, hat, gloves, and was very cold!!!

 

[Kingfisher101]

Walking and actually staying upright was incredibly difficult here today. At the bottom of my street its a cul de sac and there's very little sunlight that gets to the road. Its a total ice rink, I've told the council it needs to have a grit bin but this has fallen on deaf ears as per usual. The council are more interested in vanity projects to make themselves look good.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Walking and actually staying upright was incredibly difficult here today.

Same here, yesterday and today.
I actually feel safer cycling on my studded tyres than I would feel walking.
This early am I found the main roads once again not gritted.
The ice that has formed the last few days had extended from the pavements, so that the only ice free bits on he roads were the tracks of cars in the middle.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Despite it being colder this week I've not noticed as much ice/frost on the ground, theres probably a sensible explanation for this.

 

[Poacher]

Despite it being colder this week I've not noticed as much ice/frost on the ground, theres probably a sensible explanation for this.

Maybe low relative humidity so not much water vapour to freeze?

 

[wafter]

Properly cold out there today - glad I dodged the commute in it!

Looks like we might get a bit of sun at lunchtime tomorrow, then a lot warmer and potentially wet next week.. which tbh will be a welcome change as long as it doesn't hammer it down / I can dodge the worst of it.

As much as I've appreciated some aspects of the recent weather, it was starting to take it's toll somewhat..

 

[cyberknight]

You need a heftier bike, with panniers full of extra kit !!, like me.
Then you won't get cold