How cold is too cold?

KevinMcC

Aloha lads and lasses, need some help from you good people.

Being Scottish I am used to the cold. Working in asda freezer section in winter when I was a student helped me develop a carefree attitude to the cold even further, especially since I hated wearing the fleeces they gave you.

So anyway, I don,t mind the cold so much but this morning went out for a quick blast before work, its single figures with drizzle and a bitch of a breeze (wouldn't dignify it by calling it a wind but annoying none the less). Everyone going the other way wearing layers, long sleeves, leggings, gloves and stuff I am smiling cheerily with shorts and a short sleeve shirt, no base layer, no gloves and no sense.

Apart from the obvious risk of cold flu and such, is there any reason why I shouldn't carry on being silly and not wrapping up more if it doesn't bother me? Does the cold affect how well muscle,lungs and stuff work?

Only disadvantage I feel is that I look a bit like batman when he had the rubber nipples on the batsuit and I aint going to be attracting any ladies since the chap downstairs goes into hibernation!

holmeboy

Yeah I'm Scottish too, and went out for 40 miles after work, Wearing only shorts and a waterproof over cycling top. It was breezy and got a bit cold as the sun went down, was thinking about all the extra stuff I'll have to put on soon. I don't think it being cooler will affect you too much as long as you feel ok, but I think eventually, it's when you start to feel cold, that it'll affect performance. 8)

drummondjhn

rather be to cold than to warm but i am also Scottish

Pokerface

I used to live in Montreal, Canada - and ride my bike to work in the winter. Worked a night shift so going to work at 11:00 at night made the journey even colder. No kidding - MINUS 50 degrees some days with the wind chill.

But, after the first 5 minutes, body warmed up and always had a good sweat on by the time I got to work.


It's never too cold to ride, but make sure you have enough warm clothes on. Better to be too hot than too cold. Your body will let you know when you should be wearing more.

Only thing I can think of - is if you don't wear enough clothing, your immune system may become weakened over time, making you susceptible to colds, infections, etc.

Bhima

I've been going out at 2am for the past week now. It's about 10 degrees out there and I'm always warmed up 3 miles in. Just went out tonight forgetting that my shoes were still wet from earlier though, so my socks/feet instantly got wet and were starting to go numb after 45 minutes, while the rest of me was boiling hot. Lucky I was only doing a 20 mile loop, but it's something to remember.

The past few nights have been great though.

In order of importance, these are essential:

- Gloves & Thick socks. Make sure they're COMPLETELY dry or you're finished!
- Eyewear to stop you crying your eyes out. Clear lenses are good for night time.
- Vaseline on your face. Attracts dirt though.
- Another layer underneath your long-sleeve winter jersey.
- Tights over your shorts.
- Dry bike (saddle/handlebars)

...and for the record, i'm half Scottish.

FCE2007

I've worked in cold storage for over 30 years and have not seen any benefit.
When it's cold, it's cold.

I'm not Scottish.

Slimbods

Bhima wrote:

In order of importance, these are essential:

Ear warmers 1st!

bompington

Lot of posts about winter cycling all of a sudden, must be the weather. Can't say I've noticed much change for weeks round here..

I'm not actually Scottish, but I've lived here most of my adult life and by now can bull**** like a native... so I need to point out that what Pokerface, and indeed a lot of people, may not realise, is that -50° in Canada is actually a lot warmer than -10° in Scotland, due to the peculiarity of atmospheric conditions. My favourite pain-inducer is the 2k / 100m descent that comes 3 minutes into my morning commute - ear-tingling, eye-watering, finger-numbing pain. Keep pedalling to try and warm up and the wind just gets stronger!

There are, of course, a lot of old wives' tales (as in "you'll catch a chill"), together with even more of the modern equivalent, Sports "Science": attempting to cut through the fog of long cherished theories is quite hard. For instance I believe, and I would welcome (evidence backed) correction if I'm wrong, that getting cold does not give you a cold - but hard exercise does depress your immune system for a period, even though on the whole being fitter improves it.

It is certainly true that cold muscles are weaker and less efficient, how much this affects you depends on how cold you get (mostly your legs, I guess): if you can keep up a work rate that generates enough heat, then you're warm enough. Personally I find that even as I get older, if I have the choice between too cold or too warm, I still go for too cold, but there isn't really any need to be too cold, you can choose how hot or cold you want to be!

My lifesavers are simple & cheap: Ron Hill tracksters over shorts, decent gloves, overshoes (new to me this week - revelation!), cheap water/wind proof jacket, and a buff worn as a scarf - pull it over chin for cold starts, over everything except eyes for really blistering descents into those frost hollows. Total cost of my current "winter kit" (i.e. over and above jersey, shorts & shoes) is about £90, most of that is the jacket. This sort of get-up has kept me alive and frostbite-free, if only just without the overshoes, down to -7° is the best yet.

Of course how you climb, or even worse descend, on black ice is another issue altogether...

Anonymous

When it's really bad I put plastic bags over my feet before I put my shoes on...

freehub

Bhima wrote:

I've been going out at 2am for the past week now. It's about 10 degrees out there and I'm always warmed up 3 miles in. Just went out tonight forgetting that my shoes were still wet from earlier though, so my socks/feet instantly got wet and were starting to go numb after 45 minutes, while the rest of me was boiling hot. Lucky I was only doing a 20 mile loop, but it's something to remember.

The past few nights have been great though.

In order of importance, these are essential:

- Gloves & Thick socks. Make sure they're COMPLETELY dry or you're finished!
- Eyewear to stop you crying your eyes out. Clear lenses are good for night time.
- Vaseline on your face. Attracts dirt though.
- Another layer underneath your long-sleeve winter jersey.
- Tights over your shorts.
- Dry bike (saddle/handlebars)

...and for the record, i'm half Scottish.

10 degrees is not cold, wait untill you are going out and ice is forming on your bike and in your bottles 8)

As far as I know, my family is from york but I believe there is abit of liverpool in there.

pangolin

bompington wrote:

Of course how you climb, or even worse descend, on black ice is another issue altogether...

I find descending on black ice extremely easy. Doing it while staying on the bike, however, is a different story.

Good call on the clothes though, similar to what I wear. Just ordered some Ronhill's from reccomendations here so have high (warm) hopes for this winter.

nasahapley

Bhima wrote:

In order of importance, these are essential:

- Gloves & Thick socks. Make sure they're COMPLETELY dry or you're finished!
- Eyewear to stop you crying your eyes out. Clear lenses are good for night time.
- Vaseline on your face. Attracts dirt though.
- Another layer underneath your long-sleeve winter jersey.
- Tights over your shorts.
- Dry bike (saddle/handlebars)

Sorry mate, but you're saying that when the weather gets cold, of more importance than putting on extra layers is putting vaseline on your face? Reckon I'll be ignoring that particular pearl of wisdom.

Kudos for getting out at 2 in the morning though, no way on god's green earth I'd be keen enough for that!

freehub

I notice in races some people oil there legs.

Bhima

nasahapley wrote:

Sorry mate, but you're saying that when the weather gets cold, of more importance than putting on extra layers is putting vaseline on your face? Reckon I'll be ignoring that particular pearl of wisdom.

The extra layers become useless once warmed up, they just stop you chilling to death in the first 10 minutes in my opinion.

knedlicky

I find thick winter gloves with fingers, and several layers on the upper body, especially a long-sleeved thermal functional vest as first layer, the most important.
You’re more likely to get problems like chills from being caught too long wet (and cold) than from getting very cold but staying dry, and when it’s cold, the legs take longer to warm up and then cool down very quickly if you pause, so you should restrict stopping underway to a minimum.
You may need to eat more if not adequately dressed, because most of what you eat every day (provided you don’t over-eat) is used to keep the body warm, not for energy for activities.

Here’s two relevant websites :
http://icebiking.yukishigure.com/english/tips.html
http://www.icebike.org/