why are fingers not like ears?

neeb

If I go out for a ride in temperatures of 0-5C, my fingers start out perfectly warm and toasty, but my ears feel really cold at first. Then after 30 minutes or an hour, my ears feel perfectly OK despite having no covering (I daresay they are glowing nicely but it doesn't seem unpleasant), while the ends of my fingers are like little ice cubes despite multiple layers of gloves. I don't get it.

arran77

Well you'd have a job scratching your arse if your fingers were like ears

neeb

arran77 wrote:

Well you'd have a job scratching your ars* if your fingers were like ears

If my fingers were like ears I don't think I'd be scratching my arse with them, I could end up deafening myself if I farted..

team47b

Aerodynamics - your nose gets cold first as it cuts through the air but your ears are side on, unless you have really sticky out ears which will get more cold air and affect your drag coefficient, need to photograph your head in a wind tunnel and see the slip stream around your head, your fingers are flat to the wind.

Or you're an elephant.

That can ride a bike.

and type.

and have fingers.

rolf_f

I think it is down to crap design. It's harder to get the blood to your extremities and the consequences of them getting too cold are serious - so the body makes it feel very unpleasant when they do get cold to encourage you to warm them up. If your head is getting cold, the last thing you need to worry about are ears. This is all probably crap but I liked saying it!

I find it interesting how cold affects people differently though. There are the sort who find gloves actually keep their fingers warm (not sure they are actually real humans) whereas I suffer whatever I wear - yet I'm not that fussed about keeping my head super warm. I don't need to cycle around doing Dick Turpin impressions yet a lot of people do - I can't work out how they are actually breathing when all you can see of their face is their eyes.