Yes We Can (Ride when it is really cold out)

OK, so maybe it wasn't really cold out, but it was plenty cold enough. It has not been a good week for weather in Appleton. Early in the week there was lots of rain and wind, with cooler temperatures. Thursday was the best day--low 40's with some wind, but you could ride. Friday was dry with no wind, but a high of only 36. Still, you can ride when its 36 and I did. Today, Saturday, I think the high was 34. During my ride the temp was between 31 and 34. But what really gets you is that 15-20 mph wind out of the Northeast. That equates to windchills anywhere from 19-24 degrees F. Cold.

It is my desire to do the Great Lakes 200 km Brevet on April 25th, so just 4 weeks away. While I've been able to train the last couple weekends, there just aren't a lot of miles in my legs yet, and if you are going to do a 200 km ride in a month, you better get some base miles in and build some endurance. So cold as it was, I headed out.

I wound up doing 34.6 miles. The first 25 miles or so I was actually fine and didn't really feel cold. I t the 26 mile point, I dropped into Recyclist to see my buddies there. When I cam back out, it was just 8 miles home, but it seemed to get a lot colder while I was in there.

Anyway, the point is, you can ride if you prepare for it. The worst part is actually sitting in your house before the ride thinking about how cold it is. If you can get out there, and get through those first 3-5 miles, usually you are OK. On a cold day like today, the extremities will get cold, so you have to manage that, but it is possible to get a good ride in. As cold as it was today, I don't feel like 34.6 miles is anything to be ashamed of. And a couple years ago, I did a 200 km brevet in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and I doubt the air temp ever got over 38 all day (fortunately there was no wind that day).

You always hear people say you can ride if you dress for it. But no one ever says what they do to dress for it. So I'm going to do that here. Today, this is what I wore

• A long sleeve base layer
• A long sleeve wool jersey from Portland Cyclewear
• An outer cycling jacket from Sporthill. These can also be used for Nordic skiing, and are nice because the front is windproof but the back allows you to breath
• Pearl Izumi Ultra Sensor shorts (same shorts I always wear)
  
• Pearl Izumi Leg Warmers
• Pearl Izumi Tights over the shorts and Leg Warmers
• Wool socks
• Toe Warmers
• Pearl Izumi glove liners
• Pearl Izumi Gavia gloves
• Pearl Izumi Thermafleece headband
• A Beanie type cycling cap under my helmet
  

I'm sure there is other gear out there that works well, that is just the collection I have acquired over the years. One thing I would like to get is some good winter tights. Wearing tights over shorts is not optimal.

When dressing for the cold, pay special attention to the extremities. For me, its always my fingers that get cold first. Having the glove liners actually really helps. It creates another dead air space. I also really like the Gavia gloves. They have a long cuff that will go over your jersey or jacket and prevent any wind from getting onto your wrists.

Some sort of thermal headband to cover your ears is a must too. I put the beanie over the headband and under my helmet, and my head wasn't cold at all.

One final piece of advice. When shopping for winter cycling gear, consider buying things like jackets a size larger than you normally would. First, in the winter you are riding less, so you may not be as fit and trim as normal. Second, remember you are going to be layering all this gear over other gear. You don't want your clothing so tight you can't move. On the other hand, be sure its not too loose or you defeat the whole purpose of layering by not creating dead air spaces.

Anyway, Appleton is supposed to get 3 inches of snow tonight, so its good I got a ride in today.