Bicycling in Cold Weather

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 15:16:24 -0500, Stephen Harding
wrote:

Bill Baka wrote:

OK, I am serious now. Get dressed as above then ride about 5 miles near
home and find out what your thermal balance is. I usually find that
after a few miles of pedaling I am overdressed and it is nice to be
able to stop at home and drop off the excess clothing. Just don't ride
to far from a warm place, in case your bike breaks and you can no
longer keep up the balance of heat generated versus insulation needed.
Five miles should get your metabolism to where it will be for the rest
of the ride. Experiment, but try to err on the safe side.

Actually, this brings up another consideration for long duration
cold weather riding: breakdowns and weather changes.

The OP was talking about 5-10 hour rides. Don't know if this
is all at one time or a cumulation of stop and go, cool and
warm segments, but at 25F and even 30F, which I no longer
regard as especially cold, you can have a rough time trying to
change a tire, or even re-adjust a cable. It will definitely
take you longer than during the warm months, and you'll likely
cool down while so involved.

Weather can end up getting colder during such a long ride, and
you could easily require more warming layers than when you
began. Hands and feet will almost certainly be the make/break
considerations for such duration winter expeditions on the bike.

I don't think there is any harm in over-dressing for such a ride,
especially if you dress in layers, and have some place on the
bike to stash stuff you don't immediately need.


SMH

Hence a back pack or Fred looking saddle bags. Better safe than cool
looking (semi-pun), while freezing ones self. I used to ride in 0 degree F
when I was a child, but was never more than a half mile from home. Winter
weather wants a safe harbor nearby where in the summer we can get away
with finding shade and resting to cool down. It is definitely a different
type of riding. Changing a broken part can be nearly impossible at low
temperatures even if you have the tools and a spare part (tube or
whatever). You have to take your gloves off to do anything other than
brute force, and those small parts become very hard to deal with as your
fingers are rapidly freezing. Two pair of gloves is desireable, if not
three. One for working and not going numb as fast like surgeons gloves,
one for moderately cold riding, as in light cloth, and another for the
extremes, even if it has to be large mittens. Assuming the worst, keeping
your extremeties functional will allow you to make a call for help. Better
to lose some dignity than ones self. Group rides are inherently safer,
races have all kinds of aid around, but solo riding requires some minimal
preparation, since you really are "on your own.". I do a lot of riding out
of civilization, so to speak, and want to be prepared for any thing when I
am 5 miles from the nearest human and out of cell phone range. That brings
up a final point from me, you do carry a cell phone for help, don't you?


--
Bill (?) Baka

Stephen Harding wrote:

Bill Baka wrote:

OK, I am serious now. Get dressed as above then ride about 5 miles
near home and find out what your thermal balance is. I usually find
that after a few miles of pedaling I am overdressed and it is nice
to be able to stop at home and drop off the excess clothing. Just
don't ride to far from a warm place, in case your bike breaks and
you can no longer keep up the balance of heat generated versus
insulation needed. Five miles should get your metabolism to where it
will be for the rest of the ride. Experiment, but try to err on the
safe side.

Actually, this brings up another consideration for long duration
cold weather riding: breakdowns and weather changes.

The OP was talking about 5-10 hour rides. Don't know if this
is all at one time or a cumulation of stop and go, cool and
warm segments, but at 25F and even 30F, which I no longer
regard as especially cold, you can have a rough time trying to
change a tire, or even re-adjust a cable. It will definitely
take you longer than during the warm months, and you'll likely
cool down while so involved.

Weather can end up getting colder during such a long ride, and
you could easily require more warming layers than when you
began. Hands and feet will almost certainly be the make/break
considerations for such duration winter expeditions on the bike.

I don't think there is any harm in over-dressing for such a ride,
especially if you dress in layers, and have some place on the
bike to stash stuff you don't immediately need.

A compressible down jacket should do the trick. It provides a lot of warmth,
and fits in a saddlebag. If you're going far from home it's a good idea to
carry one -- just as it is to carry blankets or a winter sleeping bag in the car
in winter.

Matt O.

Subject: Bicycling in Cold Weather
From: Bill Baka
Date: 12/12/2004 4:28 PM US Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 15:16:24 -0500, Stephen Harding
wrote:

Bill Baka wrote:

OK, I am serious now. Get dressed as above then ride about 5 miles near
home and find out what your thermal balance is. I usually find that
after a few miles of pedaling I am overdressed and it is nice to be
able to stop at home and drop off the excess clothing. Just don't ride
to far from a warm place, in case your bike breaks and you can no
longer keep up the balance of heat generated versus insulation needed.
Five miles should get your metabolism to where it will be for the rest
of the ride. Experiment, but try to err on the safe side.

Actually, this brings up another consideration for long duration
cold weather riding: breakdowns and weather changes.

The OP was talking about 5-10 hour rides. Don't know if this
is all at one time or a cumulation of stop and go, cool and
warm segments, but at 25F and even 30F, which I no longer
regard as especially cold, you can have a rough time trying to
change a tire, or even re-adjust a cable. It will definitely
take you longer than during the warm months, and you'll likely
cool down while so involved.

Weather can end up getting colder during such a long ride, and
you could easily require more warming layers than when you
began. Hands and feet will almost certainly be the make/break
considerations for such duration winter expeditions on the bike.

I don't think there is any harm in over-dressing for such a ride,
especially if you dress in layers, and have some place on the
bike to stash stuff you don't immediately need.


SMH

Hence a back pack or Fred looking saddle bags. Better safe than cool
looking (semi-pun)

Oh I don't know, you can get some pretty cool looking racks and bags, mine cost
over a hundred bucks for a light trek tubular racks and the "interchange" bag
that clips onto it.
Fred would be more like a couple metal straps and a piece of plywood, or
anything involving a plastic milk crate.

Sun, 12 Dec 2004 15:16:24 -0500, ,
Stephen Harding wrote:


I don't think there is any harm in over-dressing for such a ride,
especially if you dress in layers, and have some place on the
bike to stash stuff you don't immediately need.

This is what many of us have been suggesting.

I'll just add what I not yet seen mentioned: We use more calories in
cold weather. We burn fuel just staying warm in addition to the work
we're doing. You could almost double your regular food intake for a
ride of that duration if it stayed below freezing the whole day.
--
zk

Zoot Katz wrote:
I'll just add what I not yet seen mentioned: We use more calories in
cold weather. We burn fuel just staying warm in addition to the work
we're doing. You could almost double your regular food intake for a
ride of that duration if it stayed below freezing the whole day.

wag
the minnesotan in me questions esp. that last sentence. i believe it's true
that you burn more calories when it's cold but i don't think it's all that
much -- when you're exercising you're generating a lot of heat anyway, you
don't really need to generate any more to stay warm. i'd wager the
difference in calorie expenditure is probably only around 10%. perhaps
more if you're slacking or standing around.
/wag

my experience with long winter rides in minnesota tells me near 100% is way
off, tho. at least for my body.
--
david reuteler

13 Dec 2004 05:31:03 GMT, , David
Reuteler wrote:


my experience with long winter rides in minnesota tells me near 100% is way
off, tho. at least for my body.

Right. I'm accentuating the need to eat more because it's important.
Also important to keep up your hydration even though you're not as
thirsty in cold weather.

The Army's cold weather ration pack is 4500 calories.

From an Army manual:

Maintain Adequate Energy Intake
1. Eat an adequate amount of rations. A good general rule of thumb is
that military personnel will need to increase their food consumption
by approximately 25-50%, depending on their activity level, to meet
the extra energy requirements of cold weather operations. For example,
in garrison an average male burns 3200 calories/day and an average
female burns about 2400 calories/day. The energy requirement may
increase to approximately 4500 calories/day for males and 3500
calories/day for females when participating in cold weather field
training. Eating a RCW and the T Ration with the Arctic supplement
meet the higher caloric requirements of cold weather training.
2. Eating "normal" breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals with frequent
nutritious snacks during the day and a small "snack meal" right before
bedtime meets the high caloric demands of cold weather operations.
Save extra foods from meal times to eat for midmorning, mid-afternoon,
and evening snack meals. Choose snacks that require minimum
preparation such as: oatmeal, granola bars, MRE crackers, MRE bread,
cheese spread, peanut butter, candies, cookies, soups, and cocoa.
3. Discourage military personnel from using field training exercises
in cold weather as an opportunity to lose weight. Dieting compromises
the body's ability to prevent hypothermia and decreases job
performance (both mentally and physically).
4. Personnel may hear many anecdotal stories alleging that high-fat
diets or foods are especially beneficial to helping the body tolerate
the cold. While some of these stories have some basis in scientific
fact, what the body really needs is adequate caloric intake to
maintain body temperature in the cold. High-fat diets may work just
fine for Eskimos who are used to them, but do not work so well for
those accustomed to the more moderate fat content of the typical
western diet. The human body adapts remarkably well to high-fat diets
but this takes time (weeks). Greatly changing normal dietary patterns
result in gastrointestinal and bowel problems and interfere with the
body's ability to produce energy for work.
--
zk

In article , Mark Hickey
writes:

I should mention that I carry the jacket in my pannier when it's cold
out, so if I do have a breakdown in the middle of nowhere I can throw
it on. I should also mention that I'm more comfortable in the cold
weather than most people who live in Florida or Arizona (where the

Actually they do get some serious weather in Arizona.

heavy coats come out at ~60 degrees F - 15 C). ;-)

Yeah I can relate to that. I have nieces and nephews living in Anchorage who
come to visit here in Southern CA in March and all want to go to the beach.

Bill Baka wrote:

human and out of cell phone range. That brings up a final point from me,
you do carry a cell phone for help, don't you?

Rarely!

A humorous story:

My mother insisted I carry a cell phone with me going out to my
second RAGBRAI a few years back. She was convinced I'd break
down and end up being stranded in some lonely midwestern back
road, dying of thirst or starvation.

I pointed out to her that I would really have no excuse for
being stranded long enough to perish since I was hauling 10
bicycles for my co-team RAGBRAI riders in the back of my
pickup truck!

I should be good for at least a couple hundred miles before
lack of water ended my RAGBRAI plans.


SMH

Zoot Katz wrote:

I'll just add what I not yet seen mentioned: We use more calories in
cold weather. We burn fuel just staying warm in addition to the work
we're doing. You could almost double your regular food intake for a
ride of that duration if it stayed below freezing the whole day.

Sound like a plan for all you people looking to lose weight!

Daily 5-10 hour rides in sub-20 degree weather on the bike.
You'll be fit and trim come March to the surprise of all
those who you haven't seen for the winter...

Assuming you make it through the winter.


SMH

In article . com,
wrote:
I want to bicycle at casual speed for 5 to 10 hours a day in
temperatures 20F-35F. How should I dress? This is what I think:

1. Wicking base layer
2. 100 wt fleece top
3. Waterproof shell
4. Midweight running tights
5. Warm streamlined winter boot/shoes
6. Woll socks
7. Fleece hat
8. Windproof gloves

Is this ok? I don't want to freeze and I want to have a comfortable,
painless ride.


Why don'T you just try it. If you are hot, wear less the next
time. If cold, note where you are cold, and work on keeping that
warm. Note that heat loss via the head can cause extremeties to
be cold.




--

"It's a sad day for american capitalism when a man
can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park."
J. Moran