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Oh, are you in Edmonton? I've been cycling 365 since the bad old days, and it's great to see all the new cyclists out all seasons with the city's commitment to

Oh, are you in Edmonton? I've been cycling 365 since the bad old days, and it's great to see all the new cyclists out all seasons with the city's commitment to keeping the paths clear of snow. Cycling in winter really isn't much more hardcore than walking outside in winter, you just gotta dress for it and slow down a little. Honestly I prefer cold to rain. I look at Vancouver's cyclists and think 'you guys are committed!'

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
Do you have Yeti/Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Harry and the Henderson's type bike? Or skinny tires and determination? The commute is about 45 minutes in the summer, so in the winter that's a long time to be cold.
- CydeWeys 8y ago
  The only cold problems I have with long distance biking in cold weather are caused by poor circulation in my hands and feet. I inevitably get too warm in my core within 15 minutes of commencing biking and start unzipping my outer layer. To keep my head warm, a balaclava and helmet suffices. It's the cold hands that are the worst though; even in thick gloves they still get too cold. I might have to start trying chemical warmers.
  - adrianN 8y ago
    There are gloves with electric heaters that you can charge via micro usb.
    - CydeWeys 8y ago
      Thanks, I should look into that. Hands getting cold is really the biggest problem for me. Those same gloves work fine for warmth when I'm walking, but it's the holding onto handlebars that restricts circulation to the point where they get too cold. Note that this is only really a problem below -5C or so; at "merely" freezing I can manage.
  - blacksmith_tb 8y ago
    I have similar problems, but experimentation suggests that gloves can easily be too tight, esp. at the wrist, and that interferes with circulation. I pretty much always buy XXL gloves now.
- Fricken 8y ago
  Fixed gear, skinny tires. I'd probably be better off with cyclocross tires, but if you're optimizing for what you're going to be riding on 90% of the time, for winter commuting 90% of the time it's dry/wet pavement or hardpack snow. If the fatbikes give people confidence to ride in winter, more power to them, but personally I think it's overkill. For the cold you've got to keep your extremities protected. I've got big dumb loose fitting mitts that slide on and off easily, and really warm socks. For my core, though, sweat is more an issue than freezing your ass off. If you dress to be cozy for the first 5 or 10 minutes of the ride, you'll be sweating once your blood gets flowing.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    Is there a temperature at which you call it quits? Those -30 Edmonton days seem like good days to choose other ways to commute.
    - bluGill 8y ago
      When you are working hard -30 isn't that cold. I haven't biked in that, but I have ice skated - a light sweater was all I needed to be comfortable. Exercise generates a lot of waste heat.
    - Fricken 8y ago
      Below -25c° I start to waffle, but it only gets that cold for maybe 10 days out of the year.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

Do you have Yeti/Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Harry and the Henderson's type bike? Or skinny tires and determination? The commute is about 45 minutes in the summer, so in the winter that's a long time to be cold.

CydeWeys 8y ago
The only cold problems I have with long distance biking in cold weather are caused by poor circulation in my hands and feet. I inevitably get too warm in my core within 15 minutes of commencing biking and start unzipping my outer layer. To keep my head warm, a balaclava and helmet suffices. It's the cold hands that are the worst though; even in thick gloves they still get too cold. I might have to start trying chemical warmers.
- adrianN 8y ago
  There are gloves with electric heaters that you can charge via micro usb.
  - CydeWeys 8y ago
    Thanks, I should look into that. Hands getting cold is really the biggest problem for me. Those same gloves work fine for warmth when I'm walking, but it's the holding onto handlebars that restricts circulation to the point where they get too cold. Note that this is only really a problem below -5C or so; at "merely" freezing I can manage.
- blacksmith_tb 8y ago
  I have similar problems, but experimentation suggests that gloves can easily be too tight, esp. at the wrist, and that interferes with circulation. I pretty much always buy XXL gloves now.
Fricken 8y ago
Fixed gear, skinny tires. I'd probably be better off with cyclocross tires, but if you're optimizing for what you're going to be riding on 90% of the time, for winter commuting 90% of the time it's dry/wet pavement or hardpack snow. If the fatbikes give people confidence to ride in winter, more power to them, but personally I think it's overkill. For the cold you've got to keep your extremities protected. I've got big dumb loose fitting mitts that slide on and off easily, and really warm socks. For my core, though, sweat is more an issue than freezing your ass off. If you dress to be cozy for the first 5 or 10 minutes of the ride, you'll be sweating once your blood gets flowing.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  Is there a temperature at which you call it quits? Those -30 Edmonton days seem like good days to choose other ways to commute.
  - bluGill 8y ago
    When you are working hard -30 isn't that cold. I haven't biked in that, but I have ice skated - a light sweater was all I needed to be comfortable. Exercise generates a lot of waste heat.
  - Fricken 8y ago
    Below -25c° I start to waffle, but it only gets that cold for maybe 10 days out of the year.