Cold cycling questions

suzyb

The past couple of rides I've found my chest get quite painful, presumably due to breathing in the freezing cold air. Would wearing a buff and pulling it up over my mouth solve that.

Also when I got back in and went for a shower patches on the tops of my legs got really red and a bit sore. Will that have anything to do with going from the cold to the warm so quickly.

Kieran_Burns

suzyb wrote:

The past couple of rides I've found my chest get quite painful, presumably due to breathing in the freezing cold air. Would wearing a buff and pulling it up over my mouth solve that.

Also when I got back in and went for a shower patches on the tops of my legs got really red and a bit sore. Will that have anything to do with going from the cold to the warm so quickly.

1. Not a whole hell of a lot - keeps your face warmer though
2. Yup. Wear warmer legwear - I added a layer and it cured the issue/

rolf_f

I wear Shutt Roubaix tights over bib shorts - if there is one part of me that is always (in the cold) at the right temperature it is my legs. As for top half - there are two bib layers under a base layer, a softshell and a fluoro jacket. Today I was too warm rather than too cold.

Buff over face makes breathing a bit awkward on climbs. I usually wear one around my neck to stop draughts getting in, one semi balaclava style (back of head to chin) and an Aldi fleecy under helmet cap to leave eyes to mouth uncovered. That's generally fine for me.

cyclopsbiker

I am asthmatic and find that wearing a buff over my mouth/nose helps to warm the air a little bit before breathing it in. you should find it does help a bit, why not give it a go

suzyb

I had lycra shorts on under baggies and thought that would be warm enough

I was hoping to avoid having to hunt for a pair of tights that would fit me but I don't want to do myself a mischief by not dressing warmly enough so I guess the hunt is on.

cyclopsbiker

just wear normal tights, wooly or otherwise, that'll add a layer under the lycra and baggies

nich

About the breathing in of cold air..I use a Respro pollution mask. It has the added benefit that it warms my face, and stops me breathing in cold air. It makes quite a big difference, something I didn't think about when I brought it. If your commute is quite long though, the filters get blocked up with moisture 'n stuff

londonlivvy

I've no personal experience of this company but am told their kit is good and available in a wide range of sizes
http://www.corinnedennis.co.uk/longs.html?gender=1

Looks reasonably priced too so may be worth a go.

pshore

suzyb wrote:

The past couple of rides I've found my chest get quite painful, presumably due to breathing in the freezing cold air. Would wearing a buff and pulling it up over my mouth solve that.

Also when I got back in and went for a shower patches on the tops of my legs got really red and a bit sore. Will that have anything to do with going from the cold to the warm so quickly.

I believe one of the purposes of the throat is to warm air before it gets to the lungs. If your body is cold then perhaps there is not enough warmth in your throat to do its job properly.

Definitely wear more. For -2 degrees I wear cycle shorts, thermal long johns, then long trousers. Up top I have sports t-shirt, merino long sleeve, windproof coat. Then I have a neck tube, then hat. I am very toasty after 10-15 mins.

suzyb

That's the site I was trying to remember earlier.

Thanks

notsoblue

pshore wrote:

suzyb wrote:

The past couple of rides I've found my chest get quite painful, presumably due to breathing in the freezing cold air. Would wearing a buff and pulling it up over my mouth solve that.

Also when I got back in and went for a shower patches on the tops of my legs got really red and a bit sore. Will that have anything to do with going from the cold to the warm so quickly.

I believe one of the purposes of the throat is to warm air before it gets to the lungs. If your body is cold then perhaps there is not enough warmth in your throat to do its job properly.

Definitely wear more. For -2 degrees I wear cycle shorts, thermal long johns, then long trousers. Up top I have sports t-shirt, merino long sleeve, windproof coat. Then I have a neck tube, then hat. I am very toasty after 10-15 mins.

Not so sure about the throat, but the nose is a heat exchanger in some species:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Af7I ... ng&f=false

Perhaps you should just breath through your nose more?

meanredspider

notsoblue wrote:

Perhaps you should just breath through your nose more?

For sure - it will help moisturise the dry air too (cold air = dry air). Personally, I can't really see how a buff or any filter will warm the air - unless it's directing it/drawing it over a warm surface on its way in.

jimmypippa

notsoblue wrote:

I believe one of the purposes of the throat is to warm air before it gets to the lungs. If your body is cold then perhaps there is not enough warmth in your throat to do its job properly.

Definitely wear more. For -2 degrees I wear cycle shorts, thermal long johns, then long trousers. Up top I have sports t-shirt, merino long sleeve, windproof coat. Then I have a neck tube, then hat. I am very toasty after 10-15 mins.

Not so sure about the throat, but the nose is a heat exchanger in some species:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Af7I ... ng&f=false

Perhaps you should just breath through your nose more? [/quote]

The large Neanderthal nose is generally considered to have been a cold adaptation.

I can't imagine breathing in with my mouth whilst cycling - forget the cold, it'd get pretty dry and sore. and my buff would get utterly manky if I covered my mouth with it...

suzyb

I can't get enough air in through my nose

Agent57

I do cover my mouth with a Buff if it's really cold, but I also find it makes it harder to breathe in. Hard enough to notice, at least. I also find that I have to pull my lips in over my teeth (like I'm trying to be a gummy old man), because that helps stop the Buff getting sucked in and blocking my mouth even more. All in all, it's a bit of a help, but the downside means I pull it down as soon as I've warmed up.

Blue Meanie

I always dress up up in MTFU before riding in the cold, seems to work.

rjsterry

meanredspider wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Perhaps you should just breath through your nose more?

For sure - it will help moisturise the dry air too (cold air = dry air). Personally, I can't really see how a buff or any filter will warm the air - unless it's directing it/drawing it over a warm surface on its way in.

The warm, moist exhaled air gets partly trapped inside the buff or facemask, which helps to warm fresh air coming in. You could always try going gimpy like MonkeyMonster and me (and a surprising number of other cyclists I might add), but they take some getting used to and can be a world of snot, dribble and sweat on a bad day. They do restrict your breathing a bit, particularly if you get a lot of condensation building up, which you do on a cold day, but then the cold air is restricting your breathing anyway.

meanredspider

rjsterry wrote:

The warm, moist exhaled air gets partly trapped inside the buff or facemask, which helps to warm fresh air coming in.

I believe you

rjsterry

meanredspider wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

The warm, moist exhaled air gets partly trapped inside the buff or facemask, which helps to warm fresh air coming in.

I believe you

That might not be the exact mechanism, but it certainly works one way or t'other.

pshore

If you start googling about this subject, hits often mention "Cold induced asthma". If you think your suffering is abnormal it might be a good idea to visit the quack.

meanredspider

rjsterry wrote:

That might not be the exact mechanism, but it certainly works one way or t'other.

I'm sure it has a bit of an effect but, as a heat-exchanger (and moisture system), I can't imagine it's particularly effective. I tried a buff over my face once just to keep the cold off but it just got soggy and I struggled to breathe through it.

rjsterry

meanredspider wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

That might not be the exact mechanism, but it certainly works one way or t'other.

I'm sure it has a bit of an effect but, as a heat-exchanger (and moisture system), I can't imagine it's particularly effective. I tried a buff over my face once just to keep the cold off but it just got soggy and I struggled to breathe through it.

I'm talking about a proper facemask (bought initially for the filthy London air, but proving useful in the cold also), so it's closely fitted around the face rather than loosely covering it, and has exhaust vents to make breathing out easier. I can see that a buff might not be much better than wrapping a scarf over your face as I used to do when riding in winter in my teens. It does get pretty soggy, in there, but that's a good thing. Part of the problem with very cold air is that it is also generally very dry - being cold, water vapour condenses out.

meanredspider

rjsterry wrote:

cold air is that it is also generally very dry - being cold, water vapour condenses out.

Yup - that bit of it makes some sense. Cold air is very dry &, apparently, is one of the reasons for more colds in the winter than summer. It's why breathing in through your nose, though, helps your lungs. I guess a mask acts as an extension of that system. Keeping it clean, though, must be a bind.

rjsterry

Replaceable filters.