Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More - View Single Post

11-14-2004, 03:13 PM

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 00:02:42 GMT, Peter Cole
<peter_cole_no_spam_at_all@comcast.net> wrote:

> "Super Slinky" <Nobody@home.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1c002dddfa150cb99896c2@netnews.comcast.ne t...
>>
>> Doesn't sound much different from what I said. I did a 95min, 28 mile
>> ride late last night at 25º with about a 9mph wind. I was expecting only
>> low 30s, but overdressed because this would be the first real cold
>> weather ride of the year. I wore two base layers and a windbreaker, two
>> pairs of tights, thick wool socks with neoprene booties, neoprene gloves
>> and my thin balaclava. I forgot to bring appropriate eye wear for night
>> riding, so I didn't use any, and that turned out to be the only trouble
>> spot. My left eye got blurry about a half hour in. Hypothermia of the
>> eyeball? You learn something new every day. My index fingers felt like
>> they would freeze for the first half hour, but warmed up nicely after
>> that. Feet felt OK, but toes were numb when I changed shoes at the end
>> of the ride. Didn't bother me during the ride.
>>
>> It turned out that two thin base layers were adequate with a windbreaker
>> at 25º and two pairs of tights were OK as well, though a third thin
>> layer wouldn't have hurt there. The coldest part was the ride back home
>> when I wasn't doing any exercise.
>
> We went out Sat. morning in 30 degrees, snowing, bit of a wind. I had a
> heavy jersey, jacket, single heavy tights, no booties or balaclava. I
> would
> have been over-dressed, but I got covered from head to toe in slush from
> a
> passing car. That soaked through my tights and ran into my shoes, and
> soaked my gloves (light fleece) when I tried to brush/scrape it off. I
> didn't really get too cold, we did 35 miles on mountain bikes with studs.
> The fenders helped a lot.
> http://trailwatch.net/11-13-04.jpg
>
>
Maybe it's me, but I am finding out that if you start out under-dressed
to the point of being cold then start riding you will reach a point of
thermal equilibrium in about 5 miles. Of course I keep a jacket in my
ever present back pack in case I have to stop or it gets really
nasty outside. Fenders would help eliminate that stripe of grime on
my back but they don't have a cool factor. I now just creep through
water then speed up slowly so most of the gunk goes back on the road.
Bill Baka

--
Just Bill again

11-14-2004, 03:13 PM	#169 (permalink)
Bill Baka Posts: n/a	Re: How cold for a Balaclava On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 00:02:42 GMT, Peter Cole <peter_cole_no_spam_at_all@comcast.net> wrote: > "Super Slinky" <Nobody@home.com> wrote in message > news:MPG.1c002dddfa150cb99896c2@netnews.comcast.ne t... >> >> Doesn't sound much different from what I said. I did a 95min, 28 mile >> ride late last night at 25º with about a 9mph wind. I was expecting only >> low 30s, but overdressed because this would be the first real cold >> weather ride of the year. I wore two base layers and a windbreaker, two >> pairs of tights, thick wool socks with neoprene booties, neoprene gloves >> and my thin balaclava. I forgot to bring appropriate eye wear for night >> riding, so I didn't use any, and that turned out to be the only trouble >> spot. My left eye got blurry about a half hour in. Hypothermia of the >> eyeball? You learn something new every day. My index fingers felt like >> they would freeze for the first half hour, but warmed up nicely after >> that. Feet felt OK, but toes were numb when I changed shoes at the end >> of the ride. Didn't bother me during the ride. >> >> It turned out that two thin base layers were adequate with a windbreaker >> at 25º and two pairs of tights were OK as well, though a third thin >> layer wouldn't have hurt there. The coldest part was the ride back home >> when I wasn't doing any exercise. > > We went out Sat. morning in 30 degrees, snowing, bit of a wind. I had a > heavy jersey, jacket, single heavy tights, no booties or balaclava. I > would > have been over-dressed, but I got covered from head to toe in slush from > a > passing car. That soaked through my tights and ran into my shoes, and > soaked my gloves (light fleece) when I tried to brush/scrape it off. I > didn't really get too cold, we did 35 miles on mountain bikes with studs. > The fenders helped a lot. > http://trailwatch.net/11-13-04.jpg > > Maybe it's me, but I am finding out that if you start out under-dressed to the point of being cold then start riding you will reach a point of thermal equilibrium in about 5 miles. Of course I keep a jacket in my ever present back pack in case I have to stop or it gets really nasty outside. Fenders would help eliminate that stripe of grime on my back but they don't have a cool factor. I now just creep through water then speed up slowly so most of the gunk goes back on the road. Bill Baka -- Just Bill again