How cold is too cold?

pware

Hi,

I "popped" out on my new bike today, just as it started to very lightly snow again.

Having not used a bike in a while, I wasn't really that surprised at the level of (un)fitness I had, but what I did notice much more was the cold pain in my ears, and breathlessness I had in just 20mins. After the short ride I had very near asmatic coughing.

I know the cold air is no good for your lungs, especially when working hard, but it meant that I had to stop my first ride of the year. My ears took a good few minutes to warm up and stop hurting as well.

Is it just because I am not used to the cold air and unfit? Or do people just not go out in 3 degree weather with wind chill?

Maybe I should just wait until its more like 10 degrees and no wind??!!!

Thanks for your thoughts,
Phil.

Bronzie

Good clothing selection is the key to staying warm which will allow you to ride comfortably even when it's some way below freezing. On my 4 hour ride in the snow showers yesterday, I wore:
- themal base vest
- windtex thermal jacket
- padded shorts & Roubaix bibtights
- neoprene overshoes
- thin gloves under windtex gloves
- ski headband under my helmet (for the ears and forehead)

I was toasty warm the whole ride and it was a long way from being the coldest weather I've ridden in. The air may feel sharp on your lungs to start with, but I find you get used to it after a while.

homercles

I was out today and got caught in some of the snow - got some funny looks from people out on the streets, I can tell you!

I think with cold weather it's horses for courses really. I commute pretty much every day regardless of weather and tend to find these days that I don't need a skull cap or similar under my helmet, while today most people I saw out seemed to have hats avec helmet etc. Think I'm just used to it these days - I tend not to notice the cold within a mile or two of starting.

As for breathing, the cold air certainly does tend to hit my lungs a bit more. I think you just have to allow for it and go a bit less hard if you're not feeling so strong. It was probably about 5-6c here and I still managed to avg over 17mph across nearly 30 miles today, so it's by no means debilitating.

Gear...

Base layer, with breathable t over the top
Windproof jacket
Shorts and tights
Overshoes
Seal Skinz road gloves
Giro Xen helmet

redddraggon

Bronzie wrote:

On my 4 hour ride in the snow showers yesterday, I wore:
- themal base vest
- windtex thermal jacket
- padded shorts & Roubaix bibtights
- neoprene overshoes
- thin gloves under windtex gloves
- ski headband under my helmet (for the ears and forehead)

I was toasty warm the whole ride

Bloody hell, I would have been suffering from overheating wearing all that. Yesterday all I had on was arm warmers, SS jersey, gilet, 3/4 tights and normal mitts. I don't suffer from the cold much though, and warm up very quickly - the only problem I had yesterday was that I couldn't keep my arm warmers all the way up, so I had an inch of bare skin on my upper arms.

After having been away with the army in the winter, sleeping outside when there's snow on the ground - I've seen being cold in a totally different light. I don't have any problem in the cold when I'm doing physical activities, except maybe my hands (but that's easily solved by wearing full finger gloves).

Bronzie

Breed 'em tough ooop North!

feel

Phil, I would guess that you were probably pushing it a little too hard for your fitness and the cold. Firstly wear something that covers your ears ( i just wear a woolly hat), and secondly when its very cold keep the exertion down to a level where you can breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth that gives the cold air a chance to warm before it gets to your lungs. Keep the major lung busting speed trips for warmer days.

meagain

When possible breathing through the nose helps warm the air before reaches lungs. Being near-shaven- headed I wear a thin hat under a helmet - I HATE cold ears. Don't really have cycle-specific kit, so sleeveless T-shirt, long sleeved T-shirt, summer cycle shirt, long sleeved fleece, waterproof breatheable jacket (TK Max, 25 quid), lined football longs (a couple of quid, charity shop) and old walking boots. Padded mtb gloves I got off ebay for a fiver a few years ago.
Seems OK down to 0 and 20mph wind. But then with a fixed I HAVE to keep pedalling!

guinea

I cycled about 80 miles today. The first 35 were in dry conditions with almost no wind and a temperature of 0C. I was cold for about 5 minutes until I warmed up. Only on the fast sections did I get chilly fingers and toes.

The next 45 miles were in snow, rain, sleet and hail. To be honest it wasn't too bad. My fingers got cold as my gloves got damp, but the rest of me was fine.

I wore Gore bib tights over shorts, a top made of polyester (cobwebs and static) and a juacket with a fluffy lining. I also had some over shoes. I thought earlier in the year that the jacket had seen its last trip, but it has been out quite a lot recently.

geoff_ss

Winter night time motorcycling is the coldest I've ever been. In 1963, after a sporty ride through the snow from Nottingham back to my digs in Coventry in the early hours of the morning it took me over 10 minutes to get my hands warm enough to get my key out to open the door. I've never been that cold on a pedal cycle. There was a cold winter in the 70s when the temperature was still -10C at mid-day and I commuted 27 miles every day and never gave it a thought.

Of course, that was then - I went out today and 40 kms was enough. My circulation has deteriorated somewhat and I don't feel the same need to develop my character.

Geoff

pware

Thanks for all the feed back,

Yeah, I think I was just trying too hard and taking in gulps of cold air before I had chance to warm up at all... I mean, 20 min ride?

I was quite warm bodywise, although I think I will definitely invest in a gilet or wind proof jacket. Didn't think about putting a ski headband/Thermolite hat under the helmet for my ears!

Even if its cold, I'll be going out, but taking it much more easier before I warm up/ get used to the cold air in my lungs.

Feel, top quote btw. Love that film.

Cheers,
Phil.

on the road

I went out yesterday, the temperature was 7C so quite warm by your standard, but I still wore a hat.

meagain

"Of course, that was then - I went out today and 40 kms was enough. My circulation has deteriorated somewhat and I don't feel the same need to develop my character."

How true! Especially on the PTW. Tamar Club's November Ball 'N' Chain Rally at Princetown in the snow....cold enough when I was a lot younger, now I suspect I'd just die!

cannyscott

ive been commuting at at 2am recently when the temperature has been a little above 0c .couldnt have done this without my balaclava .i get some funny looks sometimes but dont care as my face is lovely and warm .i where thermal longs a long sleeve top and a gore paclite .just bought some overshoes as the frozen toes were just to much.i find this keeps me just right.

oldwelshman

It is not just the temperature but also the wind.
On saturday I went out and it was about 4 degrees but very windy.
As I was doing route with many climbs I wore base layer, jersey then assos jacket, knee warmers and bib tights, hat and face mask, and winter gloves.
I also took a windproof jacket in pocket just in case.
On the decents I could still feel it due to high wind, I reckon doing 30mph downhill mad windchill of about minus 8.
On the last climb I did, which is about 1000 feet, I saw some idiot who must have just bought a new BTB and he had normal cycling shorts on and a short sleeve T shirt
He would have got hyperthermia if he was up there more than 20 minutes.
I worry more about ice, I don't go out if icy!!

a_n_t

I descended the cat and fiddle today in a blizzard! Wasn't that good tbh but ah well, it builds character i guess!

geoff_ss

a_n_t wrote:

I descended the cat and fiddle today in a blizzard! Wasn't that good tbh but ah well, it builds character i guess!

As I said - my character is already built. I have to put up with how it's turned out. Or perhaps more accurately my wife has to put up with how it's turned out

Geoff

jamesblodgett

when it gets too cold and snowy here, we go skiing.


BTW, if you can still ride your road bike down the hill, it's not a blizzard!

jefferee

I tend to draw the line at 0 F, or - 18 C.

But I take the bus instead of the bike fairly frequently in slippery/icy/slushy conditions when I don't feel I can rely on drivers to act reasonably and safely given the conditions.

dennisn

Once I was out running in -0 degrees(F) weather. The next day my lipsfelt as if
someone had peeled the skin right off them. I hadn't used any lip balm and I think the really
cold air just sort of burned or froze them. Anybody ever had anything similar happen to
them???

Dennis Noward

hodsgod

Is cold weather a problem for lungs?? I don't think so. I have played football for many years as have hundreds of thousands, and I never heard the cold being bad for the lungs.

Personally I dont cycle below 5ish degrees. It makes my ears too cold.

pware

Cold weather can be a serious problem with people who have respiratory problems, like asthma. It sounds like you have been exercising for many years in the cold and have no problems with it.

I did have asthma when I was much younger, and yesterday, working hard, being unfit, in the cold weather obviously had quite an effect on me and my lungs, as I felt it tight and difficult to breathe afterwards.

I do quite a bit of hiking, in the freezing cold, but yesterdays ride was completely different, not used to that type of exercise, and basically over did it!