# How cold is too cold for you to commute?



## Treker (Nov 7, 2007)

This question is mainly for those of you that commute in a northern city. Just how cold is too cold for you to commute? This is my first winter commuting, and when I woke up this morning it was 5 degrees F with a pretty strong wind, so I decided to drive today. I was going to try 17 degrees F, which is what weather.com was forecasting last night, but 5 degrees F is just a little too much for me. FYI, I have ridden down to 23 degrees F so far this season and that was not bad. I might try it at this temp later this season without the wind, I just didn't want to jump in this morning.

Later,


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## rellimreeb (Jul 29, 2007)

Treker said:


> This question is mainly for those of you that commute in a northern city. Just how cold is too cold for you to commute? This is my first winter commuting, and when I woke up this morning it was 5 degrees F with a pretty strong wind, so I decided to drive today. I was going to try 17 degrees F, which is what weather.com was forecasting last night, but 5 degrees F is just a little too much for me. FYI, I have ridden down to 23 degrees F so far this season and that was not bad. I might try it at this temp later this season without the wind, I just didn't want to jump in this morning.
> 
> Later,


23 degrees, no problem. 


5 degrees and wind - no way.


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

*For me it's never too cold*

Our winters here have patches of extreme cold which can be -30 Celsius with windchill (-22 F). Typically it is around -5 to -10 (14 to 23 F). I ride everyday regardless of the cold. I just dress for the temperature. I may look like the Michelin Man on my bike but I stay warm. 

For me it isn't the cold that gets to me, its the amount of snow that can be dropped in a snowfall that makes navigating very difficult. Those are the days I sometimes contemplate taking transit but so far I haven't. 

I should add my commute in the winter is quite short and only takes me fifteen to twenty minutes, which certainly makes extreme temperatures easier to navigate. If it was longer I would be rethinking the whole thing.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.

Actually I find the toughest weather for commuting is when it is near freezing or just below and raining. The water splashed from the road tends to freeze on your drivetrain, rims and brakes and ice can build up under your fenders. Now that is ugly.

Just plain old cold and wind aren't really that much of a problem. Once you get your outer layer right you can just keep adding inner layers for any temp as cold as you want to go.

That being said; I don't recall it ever being much below 0 degrees F around here. No where near cold enough to keep us off our bikes.


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## FrontRanger (May 19, 2004)

I would think it is a matter of distance as well. My commute into the office (only go in one day a week) takes almost two hours. No way I could do 2 hours in sub zero temps.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

For me, it's all about the wind- I can ride comfortably down to about 0 if there's no wind. But this morning it was 23 degrees with a steady 20 mph wind and it was almost too cold. There's something really disheartening about a headwind when it's cold.


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## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

Only thing that stops me is snow/ice on the ground. I treat those days as a forced break, and either hit the ERG machine after I lift, or jog on the treadmill at home with a basketball game on. 

I suppose I could go with studded tires, but I prefer not to since I only have one bike, and my real concern comes not from myself falling, but getting nailed by an idiot driver (and they're almost all idiot drivers when it snows in Northern Virginia.)

Everything else can be handled with smart layering and common sense.


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

That's my weather today. You a twin cities rider ?


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

Well....duh just read you signature line. I'm in Bloomington.

Scot


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## dir-t (Oct 14, 2005)

I'm still figuring that out. I'm quite comfy down to 15F. Below that I add a thin fleece jacket in place of my thin wool base layer. 

Once it gets down around 0F I have a problem where my eyes freeze and so far I've been reluctant to wear ski goggles for my bike ride. Luckily I rarely have to work on days when it's that cold (purely coincidental).

My coldest commute was -2F.


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

It's not the cold, it's whether ice on the road is rideable or not. The commute home was 37 degrees with hard rain and wind. It was cold to start, but fine once I rode a mile or so. As MB1 said, clothes make all the difference.


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## singlecross (Nov 1, 2006)

Last winter my coldest commute was -3 F at 9pm for 17 miles. The nice thing is that as it gets colder, the air can't hold much moisture so its a dry cold. I agree with MB1 in that I'd rather have a dry cold commute than a wet one at 20-30 F. At about 0 F I need to start putting Dermatone or Vaseline on my cheeks & nose to ward off frostbite, so that's when I start to question riding.

singlecross


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## Treker (Nov 7, 2007)

Scot_Gore said:


> Well....duh just read you signature line. I'm in Bloomington.
> 
> Scot


One of my regular rides is from my home in Savage up the old Bloomington Ferry Road and over the new foot/cycling bridge into SW Bloomington. I then ride over to the QBP warehouse and then take a little jaunt through the Highland Park Preserve, and then turn around and come back home. It's about 26 miles or so round trip.

Later,


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## blackhat (Jan 2, 2003)

Treker said:


> One of my regular rides is from my home in Savage up the old Bloomington Ferry Road and over the new foot/cycling bridge into SW Bloomington. I then ride over to the QBP warehouse and then take a little jaunt through the Highland Park Preserve, and then turn around and come back home. It's about 26 miles or so round trip.
> 
> Later,



never too cold to commute, sometimes too cold to train. layers, fenders and a balaclava with goggles will get you by. when I was up in the TC, I used to ride through your fair city between eagan and eden prairie if I took the bridge by the river bottoms. more often I'd use the old cedar bridge when it was passable.


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## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

Treker said:


> This question is mainly for those of you that commute in a northern city. Just how cold is too cold for you to commute? This is my first winter commuting, and when I woke up this morning it was 5 degrees F with a pretty strong wind, so I decided to drive today. I was going to try 17 degrees F, which is what weather.com was forecasting last night, but 5 degrees F is just a little too much for me. FYI, I have ridden down to 23 degrees F so far this season and that was not bad. I might try it at this temp later this season without the wind, I just didn't want to jump in this morning.
> 
> Later,


My motto used to be "if it's too cold for you to ride? That means you are not layer up properly".

Until this event took place. I was out riding in the temp of -10 F several years ago.
Suddenly I had a flat tire. It took a much longer to change the tube which was really hard and stiff. By the time I finished, I started to shake and got really cold.
And then I got really dizzy and fell to the ground.
Luckly, a passing motorist call 911 and I was admitted in to a local hospital with hypothermia.

Since that day, I stopped riding outdoor when the temp drops below 15 F....


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## Treker (Nov 7, 2007)

Last fall I bought all of the winter cycling clothing off of a guy here in the Twin Cities that was moving to a warmer climate. I think he must have ridden all winter since he had the clothes for it. So I guess that means that I now have all the clothes for it too. I know that I will try riding in temps like we have here today, but I think I just need to get over the mental hurdle. It seems to me it is as much a state of mind as it is a matter of having the right clothes. But obviously you have to have both because without the right clothes the state of mind will certainly go down hill in a hurry. 

As far as snow and rain goes, I think I am personally going to draw the line there. I certainly plan to ride after it snows, but plan to wait until the roads have cleared a bit before venturing out. But as this is my first year commuting, I am still testing my own limits and what I am willing to tolerate. So far, I have tolerated more than I thought I would, so it has been good for me.

Later,


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

Treker said:


> One of my regular rides is from my home in Savage up the old Bloomington Ferry Road and over the new foot/cycling bridge into SW Bloomington. I then ride over to the QBP warehouse and then take a little jaunt through the Highland Park Preserve, and then turn around and come back home. It's about 26 miles or so round trip.
> 
> Later,


I hope you know that you can turn up (private) Hampshire Ave into the Bethany Campus off Auto Club Road, jump 5 feet of sidewalk and your onto the deadend portion of Hampshire that goes straight up into the Park by QBP. It's a easy, direct and little trafficed way from the river to the park. 

I live at 9500 block almost adjacent to the Park. I grew up in Burnsville and use to ride through Savage to Prior Lake to borrow my parents boat as a kid. This was a long time ago, much of 42 through Savage was a dirt road at the time.

Scot


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## Eiron (Sep 9, 2006)

FrontRanger said:


> I would think it is a matter of distance as well. My commute into the office (only go in one day a week) takes almost two hours. No way I could do 2 hours in sub zero temps.


These are really the determining factors for lo-temp riding:
Time & Distance

I rode year round in Boulder, CO for 10 yrs (my bike was our 2nd car). My longest commute was maybe 8 miles thru town, so even the worst winter riding took no more than 1-1/2 hrs. I've acquired an amazing array of clothing & protective gear, both store-bought & self-made. I'd usually fall on the ice an average of once per year. But that was living & working in the same town, & my coldest commute under those conditions was -6°F. I carried a can of lock de-icer for frozen drivetrains. And if you flat, you can walk the rest of the way & still survive.

Now I work more than 40 miles away from home. There are no cleared routes for bicycles when it snows, & it takes me 2-1/2 hrs to ride each way in good weather. MB-1's comments about freezing slush become greatly magnified over these distances. And cpark's experience is not one I care to try out.

If I ever get the opportunity to work within 20 miles of home again, I'll probably ride 90% of the time. Within 10 miles & it'll be 100%.


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## Treker (Nov 7, 2007)

Scot_Gore said:


> I hope you know that you can turn up (private) Hampshire Ave into the Bethany Campus off Auto Club Road, jump 5 feet of sidewalk and your onto the deadend portion of Hampshire that goes straight up into the Park by QBP. It's a easy, direct and little trafficed way from the river to the park.
> 
> I live at 9500 block almost adjacent to the Park. I grew up in Burnsville and use to ride through Savage to Prior Lake to borrow my parents boat as a kid. This was a long time ago, much of 42 through Savage was a dirt road at the time.
> 
> Scot


Hi Scot,

No, I didn't know about that route. I'll have to try it the next time I ride over there.

BTW, the company I work for used to have it's old headquarters at the dead end of Hampshire Ave. South right at the trailhead into Highland Park. In fact, QBP purchased our old building, demolished it, and then extended their warehouse onto our old property. I guess that's why I still like to ride over there. 

Our company moved to Savage a few years back which made my commute quite a bit shorter. My commute is now just shy of 5 miles each way, which is one reason I decided to try it on a bike instead of in a car. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Later,


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

> There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.


+1 "det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær"



> For me, it's all about the wind- I can ride comfortably down to about 0 if there's no wind. But this morning it was 23 degrees with a steady 20 mph wind and it was almost too cold. There's something really disheartening about a headwind when it's cold.


It was a little bit colder for me (on the isthmus @ 5:30) and it royally sucked. Wind is easily taken car of with a wind stopper fleece and/or a mountain hardwear shell, however, there is no cure for a headwind.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

blackhat said:


> never too cold to commute, sometimes too cold to train.......


That is a good point.


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

*Hypothermia*



cpark said:


> My motto used to be "if it's too cold for you to ride? That means you are not layer up properly".
> 
> Until this event took place. I was out riding in the temp of -10 F several years ago.
> Suddenly I had a flat tire. It took a much longer to change the tube which was really hard and stiff. By the time I finished, I started to shake and got really cold.
> ...


This is a piece of advice that should not be overlooked. Hypothermia doesn't take long to set in as demonstrated above. Last year I got six flats in the coldest week of the year but luckily I was always close to home, work or a bike shop because there wasn't a hope in hell I would have been able to fix a flat in that cold.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

I've got enough wind-stopping clothing to stop a hurricane- the only place I ever feel the wind is on my face- that doesn't bother me, but an ice cold headwind is a real soul killer. At one point I'm stopped at a light and I swear the wind almost blew me over...

5:30? ouch. I salute you sir.


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

15 F is the coldest temperature in which I have ridden. When it is below 25 or so, I only ride on routes close to home or my commute route so if I have a mechanical problem, I am not too far from help and/or home.


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

MB1 said:


> That being said; I don't recall it ever being much below 0 degrees F around here. No where near cold enough to keep us off our bikes.


That's just about right -- I think that the lowest recorded temperature in DC in modern times (last 50 years or so) is -5F. Supposedly it reached -21F in 1899, but neither of us was around then.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

The bank thermometer thing said 26 when I left on Thanksgiving day. That's the coldest I've done so far. It was dry, so it was actually okay. It is a rare thing to be that cold in Seattle, even more so if it's light out, but I will take 26 and dry over 34 and raining any day.

I think I'd take 10 or 20, too, but I don't have any experience.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

In Virginia I commuted in the high 20's several times and was never uncomfortable. I can handle cold dry climates but wet cold really makes me miserable. I did the Chilly Hilly in February in the high 30's and rain and ended up hypothermic. Hanging out and talking to PDX Mark didn't help. Now that I am back in the PNW, if I want to commute I will need to invest in some quality waterproof clothing. Last week I picked up a Showers Pass event fabric jacket, now I need some quality pants and winter shoes.


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

bigbill said:


> In Virginia I commuted in the high 20's several times and was never uncomfortable. I can handle cold dry climates but wet cold really makes me miserable. I did the Chilly Hilly in February in the high 30's and rain and ended up hypothermic. Hanging out and talking to PDX Mark didn't help. Now that I am back in the PNW, if I want to commute I will need to invest in some quality waterproof clothing. Last week I picked up a Showers Pass event fabric jacket, now I need some quality pants and winter shoes.


As much as I like riding in cold temperatures, I don't think that I would last very long in the PNW. I would rather ride on a dry, sunny 20 degree day than on a wet 50 degree day.


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

Well I don't bike commute much. I do a combo car/bike commute once, sometimes twice, a week. It's about 12-13 miles each way. But I do ride regularly each winter. Too cold for me (whether commuting or just riding) would be less than 25 deg F. And I think twice when it's below freezing because of ice.


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## Treker (Nov 7, 2007)

Well, I was back on the bike commuting to work today. The temp was up to 26 degrees F this morinng, so it was much more comfortable. However, the wind is supposed to be blowing pretty good for the ride home, so that will be more of a challenge. I'm just glad my commute is only 5 miles each way. 

I think others have mentioned that time is certainly a big component in their comfort during a cold ride, and with only a 20 minute commute, I am always less than 10 minutes away from either work or home. That is certainly a comforting thought.

Later,


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## Chase15.5 (Feb 17, 2005)

I always say that 20 degrees (especially if it's windy). My commute is 18 miles each way and it can be tough on the digits being out that long.


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## chatterbox (Nov 19, 2006)

In Tucson it will never be too cold to ride. At worst it is in the 40s in the morning. But given that I used to swim year round, and the pools here are mostly outdoor ones, I'm really staying on the bike. A heated pool is one thing, but a heated pool sitting around in 40 degree weather is a different beast entirely. So I figure if I can swim in that, I can certainly ride in it.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

My cutoff in the past has been about the freezing mark, mainly because I didn't have any real cold weather gear and none of my friends will ride on really cold days. However, now that I am bike commuting, I plan to continue through the winter months so will probably be riding some mornings with lows in the teens. So far, the coldest temperatures have been in the high 20s, and I've been very comfortable with a heavy jersey, base layer, vest and tights over my bibs. My feet have been comfortable with wool socks and toe covers, and my hands with long-fingered gloves and inner liners.

I just bought a couple of winter jackets, but the weather hasn't been cold enough yet to try them. Well, it's been cold enough during my morning commutes, but still too warm for the afternoon rides home. I also bought some shoe covers, but it hasn't been cold enough yet to bother with them. Hopefully it will get cold enough this weekend to try out my new Craft jacket.


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## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

Don't have to worry too much about hypothermia here in arid New Mexico. But the seriously dry and cold air here can really play hell with the skin on my face. I've tried several types of goop, but my face will still break out in blotches when the temp dips to the 20's or lower. Guess a balaclava and goggles would be the next thing to try.


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## KeeponTrekkin (Aug 29, 2002)

*20 degrees*

Typically, my return trip is 10 - 20 degrees warmer than the morning trip, meaning I carry layers at night I wore that morning. That problem and the problems of cold wind on the few remaining parts of exposed flesh and cold toes have set my limit.

The bike part of my commute is a little less than an hour and I have fixed a flat in 32 deg. weather; the first thing I did was put on the layer I had removed at the 10 minute mark. Nothing could warm my hands and fingers until I got to the shower that morning.

Also, I will not ride on wet or snow/ice covered roads and in the winter I drive when the weather forcast "probability of precipitation" reaches 30 percent (summer, I'll go to 50%.) It's one thing to get wet when the temperature is in the 70s and quite another thing in the 30s.


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## mschorr (Mar 4, 2006)

Happened to read this earlier today and had a ride planned this afternoon. Still trying to feel out what gear I need\don't need. when to remove layers, etc. This time around it was 25 out and the only thing cold were my toes, but my neoprene booties are supposed to show up tomorrow. Now I just need to get a better feel for which layers to where and when so i don't get too too warm.


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## Treker (Nov 7, 2007)

mschorr said:


> Happened to read this earlier today and had a ride planned this afternoon. Still trying to feel out what gear I need\don't need. when to remove layers, etc. This time around it was 25 out and the only thing cold were my toes, but my neoprene booties are supposed to show up tomorrow. Now I just need to get a better feel for which layers to where and when so i don't get too too warm.


I have been trying different combinations and layers of clothing for different temps too, just to work out what I need and what I don't. I also came across a couple of articles on the commutebybike.com web site that deal with dressing for cold weather that might be of interest to you. 

http://commutebybike.com/2007/10/14/commuting-101-bike-clothes-for-all-weather/

http://commutebybike.com/2006/11/01/how-to-dress-for-cold-weather/

As for what I do, for my upper body I have found a technical wicking tee shirt, a long sleeve Cannondale cycling jersey, and my Pearl-Izumi cycling jacket have been good for down to 20 degrees F. For my lower body I wear my regular cycling shorts under a pair of Pearl Izumi micro fleece tights. On top of that I sometimes wear another pair of old Nashbar lycra tights. This combination has been good to 20 degrees F as well. On my feet I wear a pair of DeFeet merino wool socks and some Columbia winter boots. I know I must look like Herman Munster in these boots, but my feet have never been cold. 

The hardest part for me to get right has been my hands. I have several pairs of gloves and mittens that I am working through to come to the right combination for different temps. On my head I wear different combinations of Pearl Izumi micro fleece items like a head band to cover my ears, a beenie cap, or a balaclava. It all just depends on the temps. Personally I can't say enough good things about the Pearl Izumi micro fleece items that I have. They are warm and stay pretty dry even when I have been sweating and working hard on my ride.

Later,


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## whataklug (Mar 6, 2007)

Sold the car three years ago now to force myself to be honest. Quite the inconvenience when I want to take a trip far from home; but, the benefits outweigh the problems. All in town commutes and training are on the bike no matter the weather. Long trips involve trains. Last winter I personal bested with a 92 mile ride on mixed terrain...roads, bike paths, atv trails...on the cross bike. The temp was 6 degrees with an 11 mile an hour north wind. The instant heat packs in my shoes were a lifesaver. Oh, and I came up with a new motto.....Ready, here it is
Cycling...Its the new nordic skiing!

When I was younger I would have spent all of those hours out skiing in the same conditions. Since now we just have the cold - snow, why not ride all the time? Today, is a balmy 30 degrees, yes fahrenheit, the wind is 12 mph...wnw...and I am on my way out to ride up to Boston from little Provvy. Its never too cold when you have enough clothes or too crappy when you have a set of Nokians. Happy crappy scrappy riding all.


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## dcfdrescue2 (Oct 18, 2006)

Wha's everbody's preferred method of keeping your feet warm. I have a 3mm neoprene cover and that is OK for about 1 hr when it hits 30. Below that, my feet start to get cold.


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## FrontRanger (May 19, 2004)

I have the Performance fleece lined booties.

<IMG SRC="https://www.performancebike.com/product_images/500/10-0082-BLK-FORM.jpg">

They are pretty good but I want to get some winter specific shoes like the Lakes.


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## mschorr (Mar 4, 2006)

Those exact booties just showed up for me yesterday. I was hoping for a test ride, but its a sleet-rain-snow combe out there today so I'm not taking any chances with that. Maybe tomorrow.

As for hands I am doing well with Louis Garneau Wind Tex Eco Flex Glove, but there are some windy days i wish I had some sort of oversized windshell\goretex mitten over them. Sure I will find something, maybe even at a hunting store.


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## Kolossal (Feb 12, 2007)

-5F is cold but doable. I do it every winter. 

I tried riding close to -40 once. It was cold and stupid. But I gained the respect of every coworker that morning.  In this kind of weather, cylcing clothes are out of the question.


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## dcfdrescue2 (Oct 18, 2006)

Thanks for the input. I'll have to give the fleece lined booties a try!


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## TheDon (Feb 3, 2006)

It's all about the layers. With enough layers I can do -40 F or C. That's for 10 + miles, but any wind when it's already below -10 F I get a ride cause it's really hard to avoid frostbite and wind burn.


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## Muaythaibike (Oct 26, 2007)

It is too cold for me when my standard winter clothes are not enought. I hav a very short commute to work. If my ride requires anything extra than a standard winter hat and glovres i take my car. this is usally around 32-35 degrees. I absolutely refuse to spend money on high teck winter gear. Also I dont want to get to work looking like a freak with all this special stuff on... Generally I am willing to dress warmer than usual for my ride but I refuse to go crazy and rather save my money for beer...


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## LaxFactor (Nov 19, 2006)

I don't think that it has ever really been too cold here, alabama, not that Alabama is the coldest of states. Over the summer smoke from wild fires in Georgia did keep me off of the bike.


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## dead flag blues (Aug 26, 2004)

When i was in college in Wisconsin, -5F for an hour was doable. Here in Portland (ok, 20 years later) 20F for an hour is probably the cutoff. It seems like the humidity here really can suck the heat out of you. 
Fwiw, i'm going to pick up some Sidi Toasters.


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