Bracing for Winter
It will not be my first New England winter, but it will be my first biking winter. Currently the weather is unusually fall-like but I am trying to wrap my head around approaching cold and snow. After some research and talking to people it sounds like I am supposed to buy a lot of stuff until I look like this:
However what I have learned so far in my years of biking is that no matter what I always take the wrong advice and I always buy the wrong stuff.
So I have been very concerned about researching, being cautious, and making the best decision about the right gear for my commute style. I expected a long process ahead of me. I made a trip to the local sports equipment store to review my options starting with gloves. However I discovered that my gear decisions may not be that hard after all.
Apparently they don’t expect women to go outdoors until spring.
Hi,
I bike to work in regular winter clothes (wool, tweed, cachemere or even heavy cotton); I give special attention to keeping my head, hands and feet warm (wool cap, wool socks, winter gloves for bikes).
But, other than that, no need to over-stuff yourself – i totally subscribe to what was said: ‘You warm up as you ride, just as a car engine does’.
However your metabolism important – help it, by helping yourself to a larger breakfast than usual (or a more complete one, including fruit especially) . It really matters in winter.
Have a cup of tea, hot chocolate (i’m sure you’d like that) , or a few spoons of honey at destination. Your throat will thank you 🙂
Avoid overheating and taking in too much cold air in your lungs of course.
Note: I’m a guy, from E Europe – Bucharest, Romania.
Nice blog – a regular read for me, along with Lovely Bycicle (thanks Velouria for recommending this)
You guys are doing a good job, and showing the better side of the US of A
Definately get the mask. I had a long commute one winter and got frostbite on my nose. Not only was the skin damage very uncomfortable, the fact that the tip of my nose had a red “glow” to it let to the inevitable associations to a certain reindeer given the holiday season.
Now you know how men feel when shopping for shoes. Or clothes. The typical mall has 400 options for women’s clothing and shoes, and 1 sad, lonely and overpriced men’s clothing store. (Adult men, not logo-wearing fratboys.) But in addition to all the other suggestions here, I’d say that any good pair of slim cross-country ski gloves will do the trick in most temperatures.
The challenge of cold-weather riding (other than not falling on ice) isn’t so much staying warm — it’s keeping from overheating and soaking your clothes. My short ride involves some steep hills and getting there without breaking a sweat is a real challenge.
I find it easier to ride in regular clothes in the winter than spring and summer, since i don’t feel like I’m sweating to death. A windbreaker and the winter beard (you weren’t kidding about that, it makes a difference!), are the main additions to my cold-weather riding gear.
Probably the handiest cold-weather accessory I’ve got is this thing called a Buff. It’s just a tube of slightly stretchy fabric about the size and weight of a bandanna, but it’s thin enough to wear under my helmet and keep my ears covered when it’s cold, and I can reconfigure it like a balaclava if I need to. I got it as a giveaway at a bike race years ago, but I’m pretty sure you can buy them in some shops or online.
I have one made of stretchy fleece, called turtle fur. Also known as a neck gaiter. Great stuff.
Every time I see the word balaclava, I think of baklava, and then I get hungry. I love baklava.
Well, I tried wearing a baklava under my helmet one winter, but it didn’t end well.
If I tried wearing a baklava anywhere near my face, it wouldn’t last very long 🙂
I hate that about big “outdoor” shops. Either they have nothing in women’s sizes, or it’s pink/ floral embroidered.
Gloves and glasses are the only really critical piece that I find I need to be mindful of on the bike, although I am still struggling to find glasses that a) are clear for use at night b) aren’t safety glasses. Nerd chic has its limits.
Wool socks and stockings are great, as are leather boots. I am a big fan of Earbags, which sounds kind of like an indie band or something a plastic surgeon would encourage you to feel self-conscious about, but are actually little fleece “pods” which fit over your ears. Charlotte of Chic Cyclist introduced me to them, and my ears are thankful. They kept running away though, so I leashed them to my helmet straps with thread and snaps, which works well.
Finally , and I’m sure you understand this on your own, just because you’re “cycling through the winter” now, doesn’t mean that you have to ride on the days when there’s 6″ of snow, or when it’s 6 degrees, or when you just can’t face the 33 degree rain. The first year I cycled in Boston, I stopped in December. The second, I stopped in January, and started in March, and now I go pretty much straight through. Over time I could figure out what worked for me, which is the best way to gear up.
Sounds to me like the women’s glove department got picked over by all the women cyclists, while the men are procrastinating their purchases (big surprise there!) And the only one left was pink? Of course!
Most women do have more slender hands, but not all. My daughter’s hands and mine are almost exactly the same size, only her fingers are slenderer.
My daughter claims she is allergic to pink. Given her reaction to any pink in her vicinity, I have to believe her.
Hat or under-helmet sock. Variety of gloves for cool to liquid nitrogen conditions. Don’t need 40 layers, only 3 – base, mid and top. Top should shed wind and rain. Mid is for insulation, and base is to wick away moisture so you don’t get clammy. I’ve swung in wind-chilled chairlifts at -10F in nothing more, just adjusted that mid layer so it was thicker.
Nooooooo! If you go out dressed like that you will most likely overheat on even the coldest winter day in boston. I’ve gone through a few boston winters on bike and I can tell you the most common mistake made by people new to winter biking is overdressing.
A winter-weight baselayer like something from underarmor or smartwool and a light, water resistant jacket (aka ‘shell’) will suffice for most days. You want to wear stuff what will keep you warm but still breathe. Generally avoid waterPROOF materials as they will not breathe. I’m not sure if it is common knowledge or not but wool is a great fabric because insulates well even when wet, and is somewhat resistant to developing funky smells.
If you are properly dressed, you will be a little cold when you first hop on your bike. Don’t fear it. After a few minutes the heat you generate biking will keep you warm and toasty!
“If you are properly dressed, you will be a little cold when you first hop on your bike. Don’t fear it. After a few minutes the heat you generate biking will keep you warm and toasty!”
That is the most important advice. 😀
The second picture is hilarious! I love it!
As many have already commented, most hiking gear is perfect for winter riding.
Icebreaker/merinowool baselayer combined with a waterproof jacket with pit-zips can help to keep you comfortable.
I do however feel that cycling specific gloves can make quite a difference. After trying various so-called “warm” skiinggloves I just went back to my windproof cycling gloves with a layer underneath. Excellent grip, a good fit and with nice reflective parts.
I hardly use the other 5 pairs I have, some as expensive as €120,-
In deep winter I love the windstopper Storm Buffs. You can either wear them reversed as a windproof lined beanie, or as a scarf you can put in front of your face. Needless to say, I have two of them.
In the end I am always surprised how fast you can get used to cold temperatures, especially if the weather allows you to ease into it. At the end of winter I can ride gloveless in freezing temperatures. When I try that at the beginning of winter I’ll be using pertroleum jelly for weeks afterwards. 😛
I just had to add this video:
That is all you need to wear in freezing temperatures. With the expection of severe cold though. At -10C + severe wind is enough reason to look like the first picture. 😉
Whatever sport they come from – the one essential for me is a proper snot rag (not very lady like i know, but hey ho)
Winter Cycling Tip # 53: Pick one glove to wipe your nose, and one glove to wipe off your sunglasses/goggles. REMEMBER WHICH IS WHICH!
I like your view on things
I just found myself in the bizarro version of this strip. I needed a new helmet and the “women’s” version was $20 cheaper and only differed from a “men’s” because it came in a pink box. I’m sure the fact that I have tiny tiny head and helped too.
And I wish that face masks came in a color besides *black*!
Some tips from Minneapolis (we’re expecting a high of 3 F this weekend).
1. A baklava–with goggles for very cold /rain/snow (ski goggles work great)
2. Mittens, not gloves. Individual fingers don’t generate enough heat by themselves.
3. Warm boots/two sock layers (one wicking)
4. Don’t worry much about the body–pay attention to feet, hands, and head. (way too many layers)
5. Studded tires are worth the price (at least where there is a fair amount of ice/snow.
I don’t understand bike-specific winter clothing (for commuting; it makes sense for training). I REALLY don’t understand “lobster gloves.” Are your hands actually more useful than with regular mittens? I will sing the virtues of a ski helmet over a regular bike helmet. People prop their summer bike helmets on top of so many hats and balaclavas that I wonder whether they would still work as intended in a fall (and all of my falls have been in winter, usually because DCR scoffs at the idea of keeping the SW Corridor ice-free). A ski helmet has the insulation built in, and works perfectly with ski goggles, which are a delight to use on the coldest and windiest days.