# 13(F) this morning...



## Andy M-S (Feb 3, 2004)

So, what's your coldest commute so far this fall? Earlier this week I rode in shorts, but today it's c-c-cold! Needed my lights, too. Those nice little puddles of water that yesterday, with temps in the high 30s, my fenders handled nicely? They're now nice little frozen lakes, which, fortunately, show up with good lighting.

That's the morning report from the midwest coast...I hope it's warmer wherever _you_ are!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

It was almost hot this morning, I was way overdressed. Things will change soon, by Saturday the high temps will be 10-15 degrees below the low temp this morning.

I WANT SNOW!!!


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## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

*Northern Colorado checking in*

I ride 10 miles from Windsor to Ft Collins. My coldest commute so far this year is 14 degrees. I was pretty warm that day, so I don't think single digits would be that bad.

It was -2 this morning, with snow packed roads, I drove in.

I'm new to the commuting thing, only been at it for 4 months. Is it bad to have reached the point where you feel guilty driving a car to work?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*It's been an absurdly warm fall*

here in the northeast. The coldest I've seen is about 28, but this morning it was 55, heading for 65 this afternoon! I think that's about the end of it, though, as you midwesterners will be sending us the real stuff soon. My wife and I are flying to Minnesota tomorrow to visit our daughter who's in college there, and I just checked the temperature where she is. Six degrees F!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Nope, it is a good thing.*



godot said:


> ....... Is it bad to have reached the point where you feel guilty driving a car to work?


We have gotten to the point were we pretty much do not drive to work and rarely any other time (I for one have never driven to work in DC although every so often I walk in just to remind myself that I can do it). Miss M has a reserved parking spot at her job (rare indeed in DC)-she doesn't even know where the thing is (I wonder if anyone uses it or it just sits empty all the time).


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

godot said:


> I'm new to the commuting thing, only been at it for 4 months. Is it bad to have reached the point where you feel guilty driving a car to work?


I agree with MB1, not a bad thing in any way.

I don't ride in when the roads are snowy either, just too much danger of some idiot in an auto losing control and taking me with them, and I have no desire at all to be lying in a ditch underneath a car.

My coldest this year is none degrees +/- 2deg in Longmont, CO.

EM


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## Meat Foot (Jul 13, 2005)

Andy M-S said:


> So, what's your coldest commute so far this fall?


Welllllll, here in the PNWet it was 30 yesterday and dry. That is the coldest it has been for me, for commuting purposes. The top 1/3 of my H2O bottle was solid when I reached for it to try and suck out some nectar.  My commute is only 45 minutes each way or so.:thumbsup:


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

Andy M-S said:


> So, what's your coldest commute so far this fall?


30 degrees in San Jose, CA. Pretty cold for this part of the country. Had to dig around
to find my warm gloves and shoe covers.


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## Andy M-S (Feb 3, 2004)

*Shoe covers??*



wipeout said:


> 30 degrees in San Jose, CA. Pretty cold for this part of the country. Had to dig around
> to find my warm gloves and shoe covers.


Jeez. It was 28 when I left work for home on Friday, so I just put most of my warm gear (including shoe covers) in my bag...


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## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

*8 degrees...*

this AM in Madison, WI....wind was at my back though on my way into work. i was nice and toasty though. warm gear makes all the difference.


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

Probably around -10C has been the coldest so far. We had received 30 cm of snow about 6 weeks ago, and the bicycle paths were fantastic. Plowed with hard packed snow and no ice. Then we got unseasonably mild temperatures about 0C and it disappeared in a week. Like MB, I WANT SNOW TOO!
Cheers, Wayne


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

*Your Bag???*



Andy M-S said:


> Jeez. It was 28 when I left work for home on Friday, so I just put most of my warm gear (including shoe covers) in my bag...


How did your bag like the covers?


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## lancezneighbor (May 4, 2002)

*17 on Thursday*

I think I'll be ok down to about ten. I just moved back to Albuquerque after being in Austin for 14 years so it's a chilly adjustment. And my hands and feet get very cold.  It's a nice feeling to ride in when it's cold though.


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## Steve-O (Jan 28, 2004)

*17F to 19F in Reno - Also a question for y'all*

I've been commuting to work for the last seven years. When it gets below 20F that's when I ditch the hat and use a balaclava. While this covers my ears and the sides of my face my nose, exposed forehead, and upper cheeks still get cold. Usually the skin starts to hurt then numbs out, then has a tingling feeling as I thaw out sitting at my desk. Several years ago I pushed it too hard for too long on a cold day and even got some mild frostbite. My face was itchy and skin flaked off after a while.... NOT GOOD!

How do you guys in the really cold weather keep the exposed skin on your face from getting cold? Any suggestions would be appreciated..


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## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

*i take the bus...*



Steve-O said:


> I've been commuting to work for the last seven years. When it gets below 20F that's when I ditch the hat and use a balaclava. While this covers my ears and the sides of my face my nose, exposed forehead, and upper cheeks still get cold. Usually the skin starts to hurt then numbs out, then has a tingling feeling as I thaw out sitting at my desk. Several years ago I pushed it too hard for too long on a cold day and even got some mild frostbite. My face was itchy and skin flaked off after a while.... NOT GOOD!
> 
> How do you guys in the really cold weather keep the exposed skin on your face from getting cold? Any suggestions would be appreciated..


when it gets below 5 F. my eye sockets start to hurt at 5 F and its just not worth it to me to ride on those days.


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## Steve-O (Jan 28, 2004)

*No Bus*

No easy bus route near my house. We're a one car household thus if I don't ride then I gotta' convince Mrs. Steve-O to roll out of bed and shuttle me to work... I like the challenge but not the prospect of frostbite :blush2:


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## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

*me too...*

we're also a 1-car household. i guess my comment wasn't totally true. when it's that cold out 9/10 the misses takes me to work. the other 1/10 i take the bus. i hate public transportation! plus, i'm not fond of those that ride the bus i would take...but that's another story.


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## HokieRider (Oct 6, 2005)

Steve-O said:


> How do you guys in the really cold weather keep the exposed skin on your face from getting cold? Any suggestions would be appreciated..


I put a thin layer of vaseline on my face to keep the wind at bay a bit. Works pretty well as long as you can clean it off as soon as your done. Otherwise it will clog your pores pretty badly. Works when running too.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*I just lay on the moisturizer.*

The stuff is pretty thick and has a bit of sun block too. I don't think I have ever ridden much below 0-F so I don't know about real cold.


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## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

*getting colder...3 deg F!*

this morning was my coldest ride ever. been commuting for over a year now and last winter i would get a ride with the wife or take the bus when it got below 8-10 deg F. not this year! i'm determined to ride in whatever cold mother nature gives me (disclaimer: i run 700x23s, so when there's snow/ice and no bare pavement my brain kicks in and says don't ride!)

when it's this cold or sub 15 deg i wear my balaclava and this causes my glasses to fog when i stop at a light. usually i just take the glasses off to avoid this problem. well today, they fogged up a little before i could get them off at the light and then instead of becoming fog-free after a few seconds they ICED OVER! :mad2: 

after thursday it's supposed to warm up...i can't wait!


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Balaclava*



Steve-O said:


> IWhen it gets below 20F that's when I ditch the hat and use a balaclava. While this covers my ears and the sides of my face my nose, exposed forehead, and upper cheeks still get cold.
> How do you guys in the really cold weather keep the exposed skin on your face from getting cold? Any suggestions would be appreciated..


 I wear a balaclava, too, and commute down to around 10F. Mine can be pulled up to cover most of the face, including forehead and nose, so the glasses block most of the rest. Does your balaclava have an unusually large opening, or have you tried fitting it that way? Most can be fitted to cover those areas. 

Some are designed to be more effective full face-masks, with vents to let your breath out, etc. It sounds like your skin is especially sensitive to cold, so you might want to check something like this.








https://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47927115&parent_category_rn=40003705&vcat=REI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC


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## Andy M-S (Feb 3, 2004)

*8 or 9 this AM*

I used to use balaclavas, but right now I'm using a Lecter mask and a skull cap. The combination covers my ears nicely, and gives me better adjustability (though the balaclava pictured above looks very good in that respect).

One thing I've found lately is that if I wear the Lecter mask, my (prescription) glasses tend to fog badly. Pulling it down so that my nose peeks out over the top and my mouth uses the nose port seems to work well, and so far my nose hasn't frozen and fallen off. Looks weird but works well.

Why can't someone make a mask or balaclava equipped with valves so that when you exhale, the exhaust exits via ports on the side/back of the mask instead of out the front? It would be slightly more complicated, but it would get rid of the problem of foggy glasses forever!


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

godot said:


> I ride 10 miles from Windsor to Ft Collins. My coldest commute so far this year is 14 degrees. I was pretty warm that day, so I don't think single digits would be that bad.
> 
> It was -2 this morning, with snow packed roads, I drove in.
> 
> I'm new to the commuting thing, only been at it for 4 months. Is it bad to have reached the point where you feel guilty driving a car to work?


I live in Greeley. Did you ride in the other day when it was -17?


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## JeffS (Oct 3, 2006)

The last two days it's been about 27 when I left the house, which has been the coldest days this year.

Friday is supposed to be about 18.

It really doesn't get much colder than that around here. I haven't been commuting long and I'm a little surprised that I don't have to wear more clothes to be warm at these temps. Granted, it's a 10.5 mile commute, not a century.

I could use a little better gloves (finding good gloves in my size can be tough), but other than that I'm good. Now if I could only get prepared (gear and mentally) for cold rain I'd be fine.


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

HokieRider said:


> I put a thin layer of vaseline on my face to keep the wind at bay a bit. Works pretty well as long as you can clean it off as soon as your done. Otherwise it will clog your pores pretty badly. Works when running too.


I use bag balm....sometimes, but have not touched it this year. I grew out a beard for the first time in my life this summer, what a difference. I know, Hokie, won't work for everybody


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## Jeff G (Jul 22, 2005)

*Today was the coldest so far this year*

It's only the first week in December, so it's not to bad yet. I didn't look at the temp on the morning news as I got ready but I think they were calling for an overnight low of 28. 
You always want to start out and be a little cold and then a 1/2 mile or so into your ride you start to warm up. By the time I got to work (12.5 miles one way) I had worked up a little sweat. The high today is supposed to be 50, but by the time i leave for home its dark so the temp will probably be in the mid forties. The whole key to winter ridingis to dress appropriately, since I'm not cold I must be doing something right.


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## Jeff G (Jul 22, 2005)

*Today was the coldest so far this year*

It's only the first week in december, so it's not to bad yet. I didn't look at the temp on the morning news as I got ready but I think they were calling for an overnight low of 28. 
You always want to start out and be a little cold and then a 1/2 mile or so into your ride you start to warm up. By the time I got to work (12.5 miles one way) I had worked up a little sweat. The high today is supposed to be 50, but by the time i leave for home its dark so the temp will probably be in the mid forties. The whole key to winter ridingis to dress appropriately, since I'm not cold I must be doing something right.


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## hardtail6 (Sep 17, 2003)

*ooh that's cold*

I saw 4 on the bank sign last Thursday here in Milwaukee and points west. The digital Thermometer just said "Really [email protected]@kin cold!" The worst part was dodging the ice on bike lanes aka the road shoulder.


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## magicant (Apr 22, 2006)

ummm... it might get down below 60 F this weekend.


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

Scot_Gore said:


> I use bag balm....sometimes, but have not touched it this year. I grew out a beard for the first time in my life this summer, what a difference. I know, Hokie, won't work for everybody


Bag Balm on the face? Besides looking freaky, wouldn't that create a holy mess?


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## Andy M-S (Feb 3, 2004)

*50's today.* A little rain, but into each life it must fall...

WHERE'S WINTER, ALREADY??


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## rule (Dec 2, 2004)

16 so far this year


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*30*



Andy M-S said:


> So, what's your coldest commute so far this fall? Earlier this week I rode in shorts, but today it's c-c-cold! Needed my lights, too. Those nice little puddles of water that yesterday, with temps in the high 30s, my fenders handled nicely? They're now nice little frozen lakes, which, fortunately, show up with good lighting.
> 
> That's the morning report from the midwest coast...I hope it's warmer wherever _you_ are!


Here in Fresno, it rarely is under 30 F. This morning, it was 33 when I left home. At that temp, it really only feels cold for a couple of miles, then I am hot by the time I get half way. Seems like it's a balancing act, early vs. later in the ride (13 miles / 45-60 minutes). 

Wet AND cold has not hit me, yet. That might change things a lot. I carry rain gear with me at all times, though.

As to guilt, as someone mentioned, I don't feel guilty on driving days, but I do feel frustrated driving in traffic. I'd much rather be riding in my bike lane than doing the stop and go on the freeway.


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## bsaunder (Oct 27, 2004)

coldest for me so far was ~11F. Not sure how you guys ride with balaclavas on, too warm for me unless below 0F. Then again maybe my face and neck are just used to it from downhill skiing all these years.

I've been semi hit and miss lately for my commute as my route can get quite icy, so on those days I drive (and dream of the cyclocross bike with studded tires I want to build up). It is weird riding in with heavy winter gear on and then going for my lunch ride in practically a T-shirt and shorts the same day...


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