Steph Hart had a great suggestion for staying warm in the wintery breeze in the comments section of the last post. It reminded me of a few extra little tidbits concerning winter biking.
First of all, as C pointed out, how far you are biking can have a big impact on how to dress. I bike about 5 miles, most of which is uphill on my way in. That generally means I am chilled when I start and warm by the time I reach the 3 mile mark. If I was only biking 2 miles, I would probably dress warmer. Also, C used to bike 10 miles (both ways!) to work, which meant that her extremities would get way colder by the time she arrived. Even the secret trick of putting baggies under her boots didn't keep her feet warm on those extra cold days.
Speaking of baggies, there are some indispensable bits of apparel that I neglected to mention, the most important of which is the neck gator. I have a lovely smartwool gator ($30 at Midwest Mountaineering) that has kept me warm for 4 years of winters. I only wear it when it gets below freezing - it is hard to adjust the gator like you can a scarf if you get warm. Another must for those super cold days are wrist warmers or long gloves. I have some knit wrist warmers that someone left at the River House after a party a few years ago. They are homemade with little thumb holes and I wear them under my gloves on extra chilly rides.
Most important is to find what works for you. I'd rather be too cold than too warm, so I err towards less clothes - you may be different. I hope these posts encourage you to treat the colder weather as just a new type of biking - not a no bike zone. Especially when there isn't much snow and ice on the ground, biking in the cold is pretty much the same as biking any other time. Try it this Friday! You won't regret it! Thanks for reading!
First of all, as C pointed out, how far you are biking can have a big impact on how to dress. I bike about 5 miles, most of which is uphill on my way in. That generally means I am chilled when I start and warm by the time I reach the 3 mile mark. If I was only biking 2 miles, I would probably dress warmer. Also, C used to bike 10 miles (both ways!) to work, which meant that her extremities would get way colder by the time she arrived. Even the secret trick of putting baggies under her boots didn't keep her feet warm on those extra cold days.
Speaking of baggies, there are some indispensable bits of apparel that I neglected to mention, the most important of which is the neck gator. I have a lovely smartwool gator ($30 at Midwest Mountaineering) that has kept me warm for 4 years of winters. I only wear it when it gets below freezing - it is hard to adjust the gator like you can a scarf if you get warm. Another must for those super cold days are wrist warmers or long gloves. I have some knit wrist warmers that someone left at the River House after a party a few years ago. They are homemade with little thumb holes and I wear them under my gloves on extra chilly rides.
Most important is to find what works for you. I'd rather be too cold than too warm, so I err towards less clothes - you may be different. I hope these posts encourage you to treat the colder weather as just a new type of biking - not a no bike zone. Especially when there isn't much snow and ice on the ground, biking in the cold is pretty much the same as biking any other time. Try it this Friday! You won't regret it! Thanks for reading!
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