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Weight Loss Forum / Low Carb / December 2004BURN FAT FAST - Winter Bicycling Does It
Sports in the Winter: Most bicyclists are warm weather wimps. They hang their bikes up in the Fall. A growing number of bikers like to extend their bicycling through the winter, and don't like to spend a lot of money on expensive bicycling bibs, expensive bike jerseys, expensive bike shoes, expensive ..... fashionable clothing of all sorts. You can stay warm outdoors in the winter for not too much money. Runners run through the winter in all states in the USA and further north. These runners don't run to feel cold.... they have learned to dress to stay warm and dry. The biggest problem is to get rid of sweat (perspiration) and not soak the clothes through, which will make you cold. Skiers don't even think of skiing until it is cold enough to snow or make snow. They have clothes that are designed to keep them warm. Skiers need to stay warm not only when actively skiing (easy, you are burning up calories like a small stove), but for those rides up the mountain in cold ski lift chairs. That is when you get cold, when you are just sitting. LINKS TO INFORMATION Here are some links to winter sports clothing, including bicycling... Fairbanks Alaska Cycling Club [GOOD] http://www.fairbankscycleclub.org/Winter/ A Forum on Winter Bicycling [GOOD] http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?forumid=53 http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Recreation/wintercycling.htm Recreational Equipment Incorporated REI http://www.rei.com/online/store/LearnShareDetailArticlesList?categoryId=Cycling& url=rei/learn/cycle/howbclothf.jsp&vcat=REI_EXPERT_ADVICE_CYCLING http://www.rei.com/online/rei/learn/noDetail.jsp?URL=rei/learn/crosstrain/howclo thesf.jsp#outdoor CyclingSite.com http://www.cyclingsite.com/lists_articles/weatherization.htm Team Estrogen - a women's bicycling store.... (expensive) http://www.teamestrogen.com/winterclothing.asp http://www.allweathersports.com/winter/winter.html Bicycling Federation of Wisconson - "Loving Winter" http://www.bfw.org/new_bfw/articles/lovingwinter.php http://www.bikeline.com/feature/Winter%20Clothing/winter%20clothing.htm http://www.bikewinter.org/main.php http://www.bikewinter.org/tipsAndResources/ginstips.php Utah Winter Mountain Biking [GOOD] http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/winter.htm Some Chit Chat on bicycling newsgroups about winter bicycling Top 100 Reasons To Ride In The WINTER http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=62294 Women's Tights Recommendations http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=75490 One Windbreaker To Rule Them All http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=78095 Let's Bike All Year Long http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=78327 NEED MOMMY... How To Dress? http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=38601 FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS For Winter Biking http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=75618 ----------------------------------------------- >>anyone who knows, please refer me to a site that gives >>>> comprehensive reviews about cycling cloths. > >> www.icebike.com For cycling related information on cold weather gear, this is the best source. ------------------------------ Certainly, as someone who skied in New England for many years, I don't understand the fuss people make about winter cycling. We commonly skied all day in conditions much colder than the worst winter ride, and those rides are usually only a couple of hours. My bike club has seen a striking increase in the popularity of winter cycling. We have a Saturday morning ride that just celebrated a 400 week unbroken streak. The coldest ride was -1F last year. Saturday's ride was the coldest so far this year, 18F at the start. We had ~70 riders. We were led out by Mark McCormack, pro cyclist, winner 2003 USPro road race championships & NE cyclecross champion -- clearly a guy comfortable riding in the cold. We split into several groups, the fastest averaging over 20 mph on a rolling course. At the post-ride party, I got the attendance award (as I have every year). I remember back at the start of this series when the common wisdom was hanging up the bikes for the winter. Being a newbie, and ex-skier, I didn't get it, so I just kept riding; over time, more & more people have been joining in, discovering that it's really a lot of fun. I think the challenge of figuring out how to dress for the variety of winter conditions makes it more interesting. ----------------- If you have the right gear it isn't that difficult to be comfortable riding in the winter. In the past 25 years that I've been riding through the winter the improvement in winter clothing for cycling has been amazing. My 6 mile ride into work today in 12F weather was comfortable, and I believe pretty much any cyclist who would do the same ride with the same gear would agree. It's no big deal. I'll agree with other posters that your road speed is lower in the winter for similar effort, but you can be comfortable. Madison, WI USA ----------------------- >I commute all year round by bike, but I worry about icy conditions. >> -- Have you tried the Nokian Hakkepeliitta studded tyre? It is very good on ice. More rolling resistance than a slick high pressure tyre but this "feature" will help keep you warm in the winter . ------------------------------ I've considered it, but it's not worth it. It is hardly ever icy here - once or twice a year - and the roads are well gritted. On my commute we are literally talking about dismounting and walking for thirty feet in order to avoid the risk of a fall. ------------------------- >OTOH, it seems like I read somewhere that optimal body performance happens >>somewhere in the mid fifties. I've heard that runners do best with the temperature in the mid 50s and high humidity. In other words, a cool misty day. ------------------------------ >> I have been too cold to ride more than about 1.5 hr (normally I like >> to ride 2-3 hrs). The weather is only about mid 50's, but a 20 mph >> wind chill just makes me want to come in after an hour or so. What is >> the best way to dress for this? Lotta layers, with polypro base, wool and/or fleece for air trapping insulation and a shell for wind blocking. I was out last night with the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia for the annual Christmas lights ride. The ride was 15 miles at an avg rolling speed of 8 mph - so no opportunity to build up heat.I was comfy in a poly pro base layer, light wool sweater, 200 fleece jacket, cheap nylon vest with mesh sides and back, Smartwool cap, gortex gloves with silk liners and wool socks. I added a smartwool gaiter for ride home after supper. Temps were in the 20's and I was toasty. If it had been cooler, I'd add polypro long underwear under my nylon zip offs. Philadelphia, PA ------------ Begin by covering your head. I use a 'balaclava', a cheap but effective substitue for which is a painter's 'Spray Sock' (about 3 bucks). Next is a shower cap (hotel type) which are as thin a a sandwich bag, weigh less than a feather, and cost about 1 buck for 6 of them. This can be used to cover the airholes in your helmet or put over the balaclava. After this I put a large sheet of paper, cut from a grocery store sack, in front of my chest, under my outermost garment. These few, _CHEAP_, tricks will make a LOT of difference to your comfort level. ----------------------- I read here the suggestion of wearing a shower cap over a helmet in the rain. I would like to now report my experience in trying this, for the benefit of all who have considered it. There are three factors: 1. Effectiveness in keeping head dry. It performed marvelously. I have a cheap helmet with only a few vents, so rain leaking in wasn't a huge problem, but it was still noticeably drier to use the shower cap. I could also put the shower cap over the seat while it was sitting on the bike rack on the bus (elastic kept it on, even at freeway speeds) or when walking the bike, and keep the seat dry as well. 2. Noise. I didn't expect this. At about 30 mph the thing started to flap noisily. At 35 mph + the thing was going thwappa-thwappa-thwappa so loud all normal auditory cues were completely obliterated. I do not recommend wearing a shower cap if you have a lot of steep hills to descend for safety reasons. 3. Dweeb factor. You gotta admit, wearing a shower cap in public, even for a good reason, makes you look totally ridiculous. I don't mind looking totally ridiculous, so I was able to cope. However, when I got to my children's school, I took it off. It's one thing for me to humiliate myself, another to humiliate my children. They still think it is cool to have mom meet them at school on the bike. It might be another thing to have mom meet them at school on a bike wearing a shower cap. Conclusion: considering that ... a. I got the shower cap free with my night at the Ramada Inn b. its weight and size is negligible ... I think that keeping it in my bike bag is worth it for those rainy-day commuter trips. ----------------- > Skiers don't even think of skiing until it is cold enough to snow or > make snow. how would they ski if there wasn't any snow? >> Skiers don't even think of skiing until it is cold enough to snow or >> make snow. > > how would they ski if there wasn't any snow? Why rollerskis of course.... http://www.xcskiworld.com/training/rollerguide.htm Rob I went bicycling yesterday in about 20F weather...but pretty different from what is described below! I was wearing jeans and long underwear, shirt, wool sweater, socks with tennis shoes, polar fleece jacket, waterproof jacket, gloves, scarf, hat, and ear-covers. No helmet (no one in Holland wears them except for children of other expats), and I was COLD. It wasn't raining, but it was pretty windy. Sort of a different sport from what I picture to be "cool" bicyclists as you've described. Of course, on my trip I got on a giant Dutch bike and took all of the glass and paper recycling to the center in our neighborhood. There was nothing remotely cool about what I was doing - or how I looked while doing it. :) I could probably take some of the advice you've given to help stay warm while letting sweat out, which sounds like it would be much more comfortable than what I always do. S t a c i > Sports in the Winter: > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Recreational Equipment Incorporated REI http://www.rei.com/online/store/LearnShareDetailArticlesList?categoryId=Cycling& url=rei/learn/cycle/howbclothf.jsp&vcat=REI_EXPERT_ADVICE_CYCLING http://www.rei.com/online/rei/learn/noDetail.jsp?URL=rei/learn/crosstrain/howclo thesf.jsp#outdoor > CyclingSite.com > http://www.cyclingsite.com/lists_articles/weatherization.htm [quoted text clipped - 176 lines] > > ----------------- > I went bicycling yesterday in about 20F weather...but pretty different from > what is described below! I was wearing jeans and long underwear, shirt, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > S t a c i With jeans and long underwear, your legs would likely get cold in a good breeze, and that would cool off the whole body. I was ridng at about 22 F yesterday with long underwear and cotton cord pants --- looked nice, but it was borderline cold when the wind kicked up to gusts of 25 MPH. Oh, light long underwear, fleece shirt and windproof shell with the armpit zippers open for ventilation. I used to poke fun at these "armpit zips". Then I finally got a snowboarder "fashion" coat cheap which had these zippers. I was sold on the importance the first time I unzipped those zippers after getting a little warm riding. No more poking fun at this formerly foolish style. My mistake on the cord pamts, I misread the thermometer before I left, and was too lazy to have gotten into some better pants, of which I have several. Good synthetic underwear, middle weight or even light weight, ( polyester or polypropylene , NOT cotton) would have done well under good windpants, for example. There are lots of expensive "cool" biking outfits one can buy, but not all of us can afford them. I have read of some very nice biking tights for $200 USD........ but most of us can't afford that expensive way of dressing. Construction workers work outdoors through the winter, and none of them have expensive "work outfits" of custom made, high fashion, work clothes. Winter runners, cross country skiers, snow shoers, ice fishermen.... most often buy affordable clothing to enjoy the outdoors and stay warm. For the last few years, I have worn athletic shoes and WOOL socks with no problems for the feet. This year, I am using my old hiking boots (waterproofed with "snowseal")and wool socks. Warmer feet and much better crunching of the snow. It is amazing what you can find in the discount clothing stores. Hope that the information in the links helps you stay warm, and stay fit. Jim >>Sports in the Winter: >> [quoted text clipped - 267 lines] >> >>-----------------  Signature............................... Keepsake gift for young girls. Unique and personal one-of-a-kind. Builds strong minds 12 ways. Guaranteed satisfaction - courteous money back - keep bonus gifts http://www.alicebook.com > I went bicycling yesterday in about 20F weather...but pretty different > from [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > S t a c i I just went this morning. It was about 20F out and I rode in the dark the entire time. Even though my feet had three pairs of socks on them, a pair of shoes, toe booties, and regular booties, they are still cold two hours after the ride. My hands, with one thick liner and lobster gloves were also cold. My body, with 4 layers on both top and bottom and three layers (not including helmet, which has a plastic bag taped around it to cover the holes AND a goretex cover) on my head was cold during about the first 1/3 of my ride, as it's mainly downhill. I finally start to sweat when I get to the last 1/3 of my ride, which is all uphill. SignatureBob in CT You ride too slow. SignatureEat less, exercise more. -- MFW -- > >> I went bicycling yesterday in about 20F weather...but pretty different [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > 1/3 of my ride, as it's mainly downhill. I finally start to sweat when I > get to the last 1/3 of my ride, which is all uphill. > You ride too slow. Actually, when I'm going downhill, I'm maxing out the speed of the bike. I can't go faster without putting on a bigger front chainring. When going uphill, my HR is near maximum. Additionally, it just snowed here. Even if I could put a bigger chainring on my bike (which is easy to do), I'm not sure that I want to risk falling at 40+ mph on a dark road at 5am in the morning at below freezing temperatures on a relatively untraveled road (at that time). All it takes is one raised icy patch (I have studded tires, so flat ice is no problem) or debris in the road, and I'll be down. Furthermore, while I ride with a 10W headlight, this light output isn't great for high speeds. I also have a 20W bulb, so I could hit it (or have 30W total), but then the riding time plummets. I have over 2 hours with 10W but less than an hour with 30W. Also, any debris, like bottles, tree branches, etc., are harder to see the faster you go. SignatureBob in CT Those are all good points. If you could find a way to hit some uphills sooner it would help in keeping you warmer throughout the ride. SignatureEat less, exercise more. -- MFW -- > >> You ride too slow. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > hours with 10W but less than an hour with 30W. Also, any debris, like > bottles, tree branches, etc., are harder to see the faster you go. > I just went this morning. It was about 20F out and I rode in the dark > the entire time. Even though my feet had three pairs of socks on them, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > finally start to sweat when I get to the last 1/3 of my ride, which is > all uphill. If your shoes aren't oversized, then three pairs of socks will likely cause your feet to be cold because there isn't enough room for the socks, your feet, and warm blood to flow into your feet. Compressed sox aren't as warm ..... much like down insulation is warm until you collapse it from tight outer clothing. Insulation is trapped dead air inside the clothing layers. Also, if you are riding with those metal pedal attachments, the metal is a grand way to suck heat right through the thin sole of a biking shoe. I used to use regular athletic shoes and wool socks - worked ok. Now I use old hiking boots with wool sox. Even warmer. If you don't have your feet get real cold when walking, then there is something about your foot clothing situation that is likely to cause the feet to be cold. All the biking sites appear to recommend 3 layers as adequate for even subzero (F) weather. Constructin workmen, Highway workmen, cross country skiers, runners, ice fishermen, snow mobilers ,,,,,,, are able to enjoy the outdoors without freezing. Since you are a 4 layer guy at 20 F, there is likely to be something about the 4 layers that contributes to your discomfort. Perhaps is it sweating the insulation, perhaps tight compressed ineffective layers, perhaps something else. However, you could be one of those extra cold people, in which case you would be cold just walking or otherwise being outdoors. Can you stand the outdoor cold under any conditions? Other than being in a warm car? If you can just walk in the clothes (with warm walking shoes or boots) and be comfortable, then you have a clue as to the nature of the problem. > I just went this morning. It was about 20F out and I rode in the dark > the entire time. Even though my feet had three pairs of socks on them, > a pair of shoes, toe booties, and regular booties, they are still cold > two hours after the ride. I went this morning too. A cool 73 degrees when I started, of course had to get back home by 9:00 cause it was heating up too much. >> I just went this morning. It was about 20F out and I rode in the dark >> the entire time. Even though my feet had three pairs of socks on [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I went this morning too. A cool 73 degrees when I started, of course > had to get back home by 9:00 cause it was heating up too much. Are you in AZ? I lived there for 15 years. I couldn't take it after a while -- every day was hot and sunny. SignatureBob in CT >>> I just went this morning. It was about 20F out and I rode in the >>> dark the entire time. Even though my feet had three pairs of socks [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Are you in AZ? I lived there for 15 years. I couldn't take it after a > while -- every day was hot and sunny. Thailand, outside of Bangkok.....even worse! ;>) |
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