Hey folks!
After those last few posts, time to lighten things up a bit with some post-holiday bicycle cheer! As many of you know, I am (or lately, attempt to be) a year-round bicycle commuter. I'm so proud of myself for that I even put it on my grad school application. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but it is much easier than it appears at first, and it has so many benefits that once you get going it can be tough to stop!
I'll spare you my hyperbolic praise of winter biking for the time being, and give a short overview of how I manage to be a world-class athlete without being anything close to a world-class athlete. I should title this "Winter Biking is for Everyone!" I'm going to give an overview of how I dress for success when I pedal through our winterwonderland.
Alright - so it's cold now, and admittedly if you are not already riding your bike it will be tough to start now. It's best to have a nice biking routine going in the nicer weather for that transition to winter. But it's not too late to look like a hero just by showing up to work! I for one am in the worst shape of my life, my body is practically falling to pieces but I biked this morning! 5 miles! Uphill! Through three feet of snow! ... But seriously you can always hop on your bike.
I ride a 12 speed Motobacane from the 70s - road tires, no front brakes and I never shift, ever. You can ride one of those fancy fattie tire bikes but you can ride absolutely anything. I'd recommend trying whatever bike you would ride during the summer months. Whatever you are comfortable on. There is a tiny chance you will fall if you keep it up (I fall maybe once or twice a winter - often on the same ride), so not anything too delicate. Once you have your bike, head to your winter gear basket cause it's chilly outside!
Biking is different than walking - your body is more active and there is more wind. Scarfs and gloves rather than heavier coats. That kind of thing.
Everyone is different temperature-wise but there are a few rules of thumb for dressing well for winter biking. Try to be a little chilled when you leave. If you are warm at the start of your bike ride, you will be overheated before long. Your fingers, face and toes might get cold, but if your core is warm you are warm. Unless you go out bare-chested, your core will be warm. Today, at +10 degrees, I wore my work clothes (button down plus sweater) under a windbreaker shell with no lining and I was never cold. I don't wear much more than a sweater until it gets below freezing. Don't over dress beneath a windbreaker - you will bake. For me that's no more than 3 layers under a windbreaker until it gets well below 0. I'll double up sweaters at +20 or +30 and be comfortably warm after a mile or so.
I almost always wear regular chinos or cords or whatever pants I wear to work when I bike, unless it gets below 0, then I add a layer of windpants or something. My legs were chilly today, but didn't make me cold. If you wear skirts or dresses, warm leggings is a must below about +20 (so I'm told).
Worry about your hands, face/head and feet. I wear a light balaclava on my head/face all winter (under my helmet!) - nothing else, and my head is always fine. I pull it over my face at 32 degrees. I generally have a scarf around my neck, which is helpful for temperature regulation when I start getting warm. When it gets below +10 or so, I'll pull the scarf over my mouth and nose. My breath then keeps my nose and eyes warm. If you are out for a while, or if it is windy, ski goggles are a good idea, but I have not found a good way to keep them from fogging up, so I don't wear them unless it is below -10. I have light and heavy gloves, which do the job. I wear the lights from +40 to +20, and the heavies below +20.
My first winter, I over-estimated how much to wear every time the temperature dropped. This isn't a huge deal, but it does make for an uncomfortable ride and a smelly morning. If you underdress, you will be chilled for a while but you will warm up, and you will know for next time. It took a few weeks, but I found the right clothes for me for the temperature ranges I faced each morning.
Thursday and Friday of this week both look nice - get out the bike! It will be in the low 30s - wear your normal clothes, a light hat and gloves and a light jacket and you should be fine! Remember, be a bit chilled when you start and you will feel great when you arrive! If your core is warm you are warm! Good luck and thanks for reading!
After those last few posts, time to lighten things up a bit with some post-holiday bicycle cheer! As many of you know, I am (or lately, attempt to be) a year-round bicycle commuter. I'm so proud of myself for that I even put it on my grad school application. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but it is much easier than it appears at first, and it has so many benefits that once you get going it can be tough to stop!
I'll spare you my hyperbolic praise of winter biking for the time being, and give a short overview of how I manage to be a world-class athlete without being anything close to a world-class athlete. I should title this "Winter Biking is for Everyone!" I'm going to give an overview of how I dress for success when I pedal through our winterwonderland.
Alright - so it's cold now, and admittedly if you are not already riding your bike it will be tough to start now. It's best to have a nice biking routine going in the nicer weather for that transition to winter. But it's not too late to look like a hero just by showing up to work! I for one am in the worst shape of my life, my body is practically falling to pieces but I biked this morning! 5 miles! Uphill! Through three feet of snow! ... But seriously you can always hop on your bike.
I ride a 12 speed Motobacane from the 70s - road tires, no front brakes and I never shift, ever. You can ride one of those fancy fattie tire bikes but you can ride absolutely anything. I'd recommend trying whatever bike you would ride during the summer months. Whatever you are comfortable on. There is a tiny chance you will fall if you keep it up (I fall maybe once or twice a winter - often on the same ride), so not anything too delicate. Once you have your bike, head to your winter gear basket cause it's chilly outside!
Biking is different than walking - your body is more active and there is more wind. Scarfs and gloves rather than heavier coats. That kind of thing.
Everyone is different temperature-wise but there are a few rules of thumb for dressing well for winter biking. Try to be a little chilled when you leave. If you are warm at the start of your bike ride, you will be overheated before long. Your fingers, face and toes might get cold, but if your core is warm you are warm. Unless you go out bare-chested, your core will be warm. Today, at +10 degrees, I wore my work clothes (button down plus sweater) under a windbreaker shell with no lining and I was never cold. I don't wear much more than a sweater until it gets below freezing. Don't over dress beneath a windbreaker - you will bake. For me that's no more than 3 layers under a windbreaker until it gets well below 0. I'll double up sweaters at +20 or +30 and be comfortably warm after a mile or so.
I almost always wear regular chinos or cords or whatever pants I wear to work when I bike, unless it gets below 0, then I add a layer of windpants or something. My legs were chilly today, but didn't make me cold. If you wear skirts or dresses, warm leggings is a must below about +20 (so I'm told).
Worry about your hands, face/head and feet. I wear a light balaclava on my head/face all winter (under my helmet!) - nothing else, and my head is always fine. I pull it over my face at 32 degrees. I generally have a scarf around my neck, which is helpful for temperature regulation when I start getting warm. When it gets below +10 or so, I'll pull the scarf over my mouth and nose. My breath then keeps my nose and eyes warm. If you are out for a while, or if it is windy, ski goggles are a good idea, but I have not found a good way to keep them from fogging up, so I don't wear them unless it is below -10. I have light and heavy gloves, which do the job. I wear the lights from +40 to +20, and the heavies below +20.
My first winter, I over-estimated how much to wear every time the temperature dropped. This isn't a huge deal, but it does make for an uncomfortable ride and a smelly morning. If you underdress, you will be chilled for a while but you will warm up, and you will know for next time. It took a few weeks, but I found the right clothes for me for the temperature ranges I faced each morning.
Thursday and Friday of this week both look nice - get out the bike! It will be in the low 30s - wear your normal clothes, a light hat and gloves and a light jacket and you should be fine! Remember, be a bit chilled when you start and you will feel great when you arrive! If your core is warm you are warm! Good luck and thanks for reading!
Super exciting--and inspiring--post, Mr. Lally! I've been a complete wimp (and lazybones) this fall. I normally bike on Nov. 30, just to say I biked through the end of Nov. Maybe I'll do more beyond that date this year too!
ReplyDeleteHere's one fabulous trick I stumbled upon a year or more ago: I wear my windbreaker backwards. I snap it closed at the top (nape of neck) and usually at least start out with it snapped closed at the bottom (tailbone). It's the wind that seeps in through the zipper or button "cracks" and hits my chest that makes me cold. Meanwhile my back is roasting and working up a sweat, which anyone who's ever worked up a sweat outside in cold weather by any means knows is WAY worse than being dry and cold. You're active, you'll warm up. When you're wet, it freezes. By wearing my windbreaker backwards, I have a built-in vent in the back where it's needed and can make it even bigger with a quick, one-handed flip of the bottom snap. Double bonus if your windbreaker has a hood. It's an extra layer of warmth on the chest, and can help protect the chin from the wind if it's not tucked inside.
Bike on!
Steph Hart