A note to those you may be intimidated and feel they have to get all geared out to cycle through it all... you shouldn't! Try different things out on short trips to see what works for you. And while I personally opt to wear mostly "performance" apparel/gear in cold climate, you def. can get along without. When I started commuting year-round as a university student I just had a pair of ski gloves, waterproof rain jacket, army surplus rain pants, and wore plastic bags on over socks in my shoes. Really.
And for those of you who have a system down, it would be great to hear about it!
Just saw this post -- I used to ride around Toronto everywhere when I was a student, and do not remember being cold. Now I commute to work year round in NYC; this will be my second winter.
ReplyDeleteI tried various strategies to stay warm last year for the duration of my 45-50 minute commute. I learned quickly that it's really about keeping one's extremities (feet, hands, ears) warm; the core takes care of itself, more or less. But figuring out the hands/feet thing took a good bit of trial and error.
I found it relatively easy to remain comfortable for the first half hour (lobster claw mitts; thick wool socks) and I think strategies for keeping warm may well be very different depending on the length of the trip and individual tolerances. For me, once the thermometer drops to that range between the mid-teens to low 20's, the heaviest socks and thickest mitts are not enough for that last third of my trip.
The only thing that works are hand/foot warmers in the toebox of my boots (I currently wear an old pair of UGG knock-offs) with wool socks; and hand warmers in sheepskin-lined mitts. Gloves prevent body heat from keeping fingers warm so the mitts are key for me. The mitts have to be made of a material (leather or something else) that keeps wind out. A balaclava under my helmet and a warm wool scarf, and I'm good to go....
Thanks so much for your comment!
ReplyDeleteSo true that many factors come into play when riding in the cold. This year its been so unseasonably warm that I've only worn gloves a hand full of times (no pun intended)!
Length of trip is def. key and can require fine tuning -- for long training rides in the winter I require a pit stops to warm up. In the city most people I know, including me, have about a 30 minute commute but even 10 additional minutes can make certain days much more difficult and require an extra layer of thicker gloves/shoes. Ultimately its all about testing things out for yourself - for sure!