On 12/10/2017 12:10 PM, Emanuel Berg wrote:
Did anyone think of putting small windbreaks on
the handlebar just like they have on MCs and
snowmobiles? Insulation, gloves, and
non-smoking would be the first steps but why
stop at that? I often feel the cold wind even
tho not biking especially fast. If the hands
(and feet) are cold, it would seem so is the
entire body....

Yes, those have been commercially available for decades. See
http://www.zzipper.com/

I tried one for a few years for my winter commutes, long ago. I think it
did keep me warmer, and I think it made me a little faster.

But it was noisy, giving a rumbling sound over any bumps in the road
(and we have many). It made the bike a little less portable for carrying
up and down stairs, when I worried about damaging it. The mounting
brackets were sort of flat, wide aluminum hooks that velcroed onto the
brake lever hoods, and they were a bit uncomfortable for me.

In my experience, the benefits weren't great and the detriments weren't
great, but I stopped using it because I didn't think the benefits were
worth the slight hassle.

--
- Frank Krygowski