Cold Weather Riding Tips
Borrowed this list from the CommuterDude blog. A bit late, but always useful tips for winter riding. Other winter riding tips courtesy of Urban Velo as well.
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Jan
12
2010
12
2010
I’d like to add some about shoes. If you’re wearing regular road shoes for clipless, your feet are pretty much going to get cold on a ride over 2 hours in sub-20 weather unless you’re wearing a neoprene sock over your base layer sock. For me, it isn’t cold enough for long enough here to warrant getting winter shoes, I just wear hiking boots that don’t let much wind in for when it’s colder and flat pedal it. Neoprene shoe covers will keep you much warmer than the thin ones I have heard, but they also don’t let moisture out. Neoprene socks will be very warm but not breathable. But on a cold day, you will lose a lot of heat through the sole and cleat, and this is unavoidable with a road shoe. All this doesn’t matter if you just want to commute on flat pedals. Choose a shoe that doesn’t allow much wind flow. My warmest pair of shoes for walking and my warmest for riding flat pedals are not the same.
For gloves I have some Mammut ones that were warm enough last week. I also sometimes put on a base layer glove, put on the shirts, the put a thin wind proof glove over that. It’s important to keep your wrists well covered. So make sure your shirts/jackets get along well with your gloves. I try to not stretch the base layer.
Wind breaker is more important than bulk for cycling, which is opposite of walking.