Swichio Blog Winter Riding Guide

A while back, Swichio Ambassador, Marv Cline, wrote this guide to help motivate our tri club members to get out and do some winter training. It worked! A huge group of riders got out there and now the club has a huge weekly winter training group ride. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear (or the wrong gear). This group is based in Virginia so our tolerance is a little lower for cold weather. You may have to determine "your own range" as Marv describes below. Whatever your range is, this is a great guide to help determine what gear to wear on your next winter ride!<Picture from the Twin Cities Bicycle Club (TCBC) in MN annual Polar Bear Ride on New Year's Day 2014. >Winter is here. Well you don't need me to inform of this obvious fact! But you can still get out and ride your bike. This time of the year represents to most of us an end of the race season and a major shift in how we go about workouts till the end of winter or early spring. It is also the time of year that, understandably, cyclists and triathletes park their rigs inside for a few months and surrenders their bike workouts to the trainer. Nothing wrong with that! I do a few times per week. I assert that in Central Virginia however, it really doesn't get too cold for outdoor cycling given sufficient equipment, apparel, and awareness on how to prepare for it, you can actually ride outside through the entire winter! It's feasible! Winter cycling is more enjoyable than many might imagine and I would like to encourage everyone to give it a try. The objective of this article is to serve as a basic guide; to enlighten how really feasible winter cycling is and take away some fears there may be of riding in colder temperatures. Since most people go to work when sunlight is just appearing in the morning and arrive home when there isn't much left, outdoor cycling in the winter becomes mostly a weekend event. Personally, I believe it is also best ventured in a group setting than a solo one. Then the weekend presents us greater opportunities to gather with friends for some long winter rides. And there's safety in numbers right? It only takes a basic understanding of how to get equipped to ride at various temperature ranges and determining what those ranges are for you. Given experimentation with gear and apparel, and how you layer it on at various temperatures, you might find it much more feasible and enjoyable than you previously assumed.Cold is relative. A definition of how cold it is outside differs from one person to another, more or less, and perhaps relative to where you grew up or place you lived for a significant period of time. I grew up in southeast Ohio where we enjoyed all four distinct seasons. Living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota for over four years however, was a whole new level of cold. A frigid -20 degrees during the entire month of January cold! But despite its drastically cold winters, Minneapolis was rated the number one bike-friendly city in the U.S. by Bicycling Magazine. It was not uncommon to see people there ride with temperatures in the teens, and even single digits! Some locals, however crazy made it a lifestyle to commute by bike year-round. The coldest I ever braved on the bike there was around 15 degrees or thereabouts. Riding in that low range seemed more an effort to maintain body temperature than getting in a worthwhile bike workout (but that's just me). Ultimately I concluded my ideal low end temperature for winter cycling to be around 25 degrees. So...cold is relative. Looking at the upper end of the scale, at about 65 degrees I may be donning arm warmers but comfortable in shorts down to 60 degrees. And so...there we have it; our upper and lower temperature range for effective winter cycling! That is, at least the range we will examine here and the scope this guide is focused upon; 65 - 25 degrees. Sure, you may wish to ride colder, some people do, I need to draw the line somewhere.What is your range? Now that we have established an upper and lower end temperature range, we will need to break it down into component levels for discussion. We'll use the below table as a guide for how to get equipped, how to prepare, what to expect, and what to wear for winter cycling. This is my range, yours may be different. Only you can determine that through experience and experimentation. CoolVery CoolColdVery Cold 65-55 Degrees 54-44 Degrees 43-34 Degrees 33-25 Degrees Getting started. So then, just how do cyclists and triathletes handle the colder temperatures when riding in the winter? Getting ourselves equipped, prepared, and some experience is the best way to get the most out of winter cycling and to ward off potential injury and illness. Best place to start perhaps is with what you may already have in your closet. If you don't have a complete wardrobe of winter cycling apparel, no worries as you may already have some inventory of items to get started, particularly if you participate in other sports during the winter such as skiing, hiking, or running, etc. Those items such as running tights, caps, full finger gloves, etc. may be enough to get you going. Of course this time of year your local bike shop will carry everything you need to get you set up! What to wear? When preparing for your first or next winter ride, carefully consider what you are planning to wear before you step outside. Start with layers. We all know this principle. Choose your clothing so that you can adjust accordingly to the level of exertion, changes in temperatures over the course of your ride, and basically how you are feeling. Arm and leg warmers can come on and off as needed during the ride. Zippered clothing help you regulate your body as the temperature warms. The goal however should always be to keep your core warm! Common reaction for those new to winter cycling when the temps approach the "cold" level is to put on the heaviest weight gloves available while ill protecting their core. The body will sense being cold and mass oxygen carrying blood to your core (at the expense of the extremities) in order to protect your vitals. Layer the core, keep it warm and dry, and the hands and feet will be better off, and perhaps not needing the big gloves just yet. Dress not for the temperature at the start of the ride but rather at its half way point, or about an hour in. Know if the temperature is going to warm up, how fast, or if it will be dropping are other important considerations. What to expect? Another benefit to winter cycling with a group is it requires you to step outside your warm house, load your bike and gear, and drive to the ride start site. This will afford you more time to acclimate to the outdoor temperatures than just stepping out of your house and onto the bike. Plus you may then find you are overdressed or underdressed and can make last minute adjustments. Right before you roll out, you should feel cool, not toasty warm. Oftentimes I have asked people before a winter ride if anybody was warm. Those that replied yes; I would inform they were most likely overdressed. Once you get going you may feel colder than you like. It is typically the cold sensation in your face and fingers mostly that may be telling you "oh no, what have you gotten us into?!" Don't bail too early! It will likely take between 10 to 15 minutes for you to warm and circulation to catch up.Putting it together. Below is a list of suggested gear and apparel combinations for winter cycling at the various temperature ranges discussed previously. I adhere to these combinations fairly closely. But nevertheless, it will be through your own experimentation over time and making slight modifications to determine your needs and comfort.Cool 65-55 Degrees Upper body: Single layer. Short sleeve jersey with arm warmers. Long sleeve jersey when cooler.Lower body: Shorts down to 60 degrees. Add leg warmers below 60 degrees or knickers.Hands & Feet: Fingerless gloves. Regular socks and toe covers at lower end.Head: Just a helmet and glasses. Light-weight wicking skull cap if desired.Very Cool: 54-44 degrees Upper body: Two layers. Long sleeve jersey with sleeveless base. Long sleeve base at lower end.Lower body: Thin / mid-weight riding tights under or over the shorts.Hands & Feet: Light / mid-weight full finger gloves. Wool socks. Toe covers / Lycra booties.Head: Ear band or light cap.Cold: 43-34 degrees Upper body: Two - three layers. Long sleeve jersey with long sleeve base. Third layer needed at lower end temps: sleeveless base under jersey or a wind vest or jacket.Lower body: Mid-weight riding tights under or over shorts. Wind-proof front panel tights or fleece-lined tights at lower end.Hands & Feet: Heavier weight gloves at lower end. Mid-weight or heavier weight wool socks. Neoprene booties or Gore-Tex lined road cycling boots.Head: Light to mid-weight cap. Tip: add a helmet cover to block wind through the vents.Very Cold: 33-25 degrees Upper body: Three layers. Long sleeve jersey with long sleeve base. Wind-proof Jacket.Lower body: Mid-weight riding tights under or over shorts or fleece lined bib-tights. Wind-proof front paneled tights or fleece-lined tights at lower end.Hands & Feet: Heavy weight or wind stopper gloves or glove liners under heavy weight gloves. "Lobster-style" gloves if poor circulation an issue. Heavier weight wool socks. Neoprene booties or Gore-Tex lined