Let's not forget I just spent 2 and a half years in *&$#*@&
So I put on an extra layer today. I saw the guy with a balaclava and shorts on the train, Lauren. I threw the rain gear in my bike bag. I even ate breakfast, to help me keep warm. I froze totally. Anything I might have offered as advice about how to keep warm is pretty much crap at this point. The one part of my anatomy that wasn't cold was my
I never was wet. When I got on the bike at 9:30 Pm across town to ride home -- I threw on my raincoat. It was 30 someodd degrees and straight into the wind. Grin and bear it. I grew up here on a bike. It can be nasty here. I rode home and I wasn't wet. Now I am here with hot chocolate and a heater. It was a character building experience.
And a lot of you are in places like Minnesota and Colorado and Juneau. I will get warm eventually, as for you, I can't say. I hear that with the exception of the occasional blizzard -- it's been warm there. But it's still colder than here.
10 comments:
I'm telling you, Shawn ... Neoprene. I made a joke once about riding in a wetsuit, but for cold, damp weather, I think the best option is really not that far off. There are neoprene-like clothes called "vapor barrier" layors. They trap in all of the heat (and sweat, unfortunantly) and hold it next to your body. Some people who ride in extreme conditions swear by this stuff. Some hate it with a passion. I think I am in the "swear by" category, although I only own VB gloves and socks. When I use them properly, there's nothing better.
Just a thought. Thank you again, so much, for the camera. I'm loving it. I accidently shot all of my pictures today in RAW format. I spent an hour online figuring out how to convert them to JPEGs. So high tech! Love it.
- Jill in Juneau
Get yourself some fuzzy winter bib tights (mine come out once it's under 50) and leave the cotton stuff in the commuter bag -- keep everything around your midsection tucked in and close to your body with no hope of air making its way in to your skin from underneath your jacket. Keeping the trunk airtight means staying warm.
Cold weather riding requires being wind proof. Your rain jacket should have done that. Ideally, you want something that lets the perspiration out without letting the wind in. Then you want to put just enough on to keep tolerably cold.
You don't want to be warm because that will cause you to eventually be hot. Getting hot may be OK for one way trips, but if you have to make a return voyage cool is better. There's nothing worse then putting on wet clothing then heading out into five degree weather.
In the kinds of temperatures you are riding in, I don't worry much about my hands, legs or feet. I focus on keeping my core warm enough. Try a windproof coat, perhaps with a sweater or fleece if it won't keep you warm enough. Wear a light hat and gloves. I like to use knit hat and gloves (which let wind through to remove perspiration) in the 40's.
30's usually call for cloth gloves. Somewhere around 20 degrees is my windproof glove line. Somewhere around 0 degrees is my windproof pant line. After that, you're just cold.
The most important point is if you get hot, you have to wear less.
I am thinking you right Jill. Better to be warm and sweaty...
By the way -- your pictures look very good.
The Canon stuff (zoomex ... whatever it is.) is the best for converting the raw format. In technical terms the raw format is better; because it collects more information. One stop or so more.
I would shoot everything in raw format in the largest size and save it that way. convert them all to jpegs. Archive both to CDs.
Jeanne -- I like the idea of fleecy winter tights -- I suppose I am actually in the one place in the world where I can actually wear those -- without fear of getting abused. The tucking everything in helped this morning on the way in to work.
Suthsc -- I appreciate what your saying -- it's always a balancing act. I never change -- so I tend towards being a shade cooler -- or running a bit slower so as to avoid getting really saturated.
Shawn, I'm not in Colorado. I live near Santa Cruz and work in Menlo Park.
Neoprene is a bit extreme for 46°, I think, and the stuff rubs me raw. Something fleecy is good, and you can even ride with it under your jeans if you want.
Hi Fritz, I didn't mean to imply you lived in Colorado, only that you happenned to be in Colorado at the time of my post, and therefore qualified coldness wise.
I like the idea about the fleece. I am going to try to find some fleecy tights -- as Jeanne suggested.
I am really tring to keep my feet dry. So am wondering now how every one else does it? I think you are right Fritz that the neoprene is too extreme, but what are the alternatives?
For the light rain we get here, a front fender with mudflap works well to keep your feet dry, believe it or not. Don't get the cheap kind that snap into place -- those are worthless. A proper fender that wraps around the front tire and a flexible mudflap attached to the bottom is the best. Beware that they're usually a pain in the neck to install. Most of the wet on your feet is spray thrown up by the front tire.
If your feet are still too wet, then you may need to move to the other solutions (bread bags, plastic trash bags, Sealz Skins, booties, and neoprene).
Since I added the fenders -- my feet haven't gotten nearly as wet. When it really rains -- they get wet, however. I am thinking I may break down and buy a pair of these.
Jill -- once you figure out how to convert the images -- I would reccomend shooting all you photos in raw format and learning how to manipulate them for better quality.
Do you wear bike shoes or street shoes while riding? If street shoes, did you see the "DIY Shoe Cover" post?
Fritz, I like the DIY shoe cover post. .. I am using the spd pedals because I like the recessed cleat and the "wearability" of the shoes. I can see my way to sewing a set of shoe covers -- Then Again I could go back to my toe clips, wrap my sneakers in newspaper, and get some overshoes.
I am not going to wear grocery bags on my feet though.
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