Nope, I don't like cold wet weather. - Page 2 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

12-07-2004, 05:18 AM

On Tue, 07 Dec 2004 04:26:55 GMT, "Claire Petersky"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>"dgk" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>> I just got home from work. It was pretty cool this morning with a
>> promise of some showers during the evening commute so I brought the
>> rain gear and figured that I'd rough it a bit. It turned out to be 37F
>> with a steady light rain.
>
>I rode to work this morning -- about 36 degrees when I left, steadily
>warming up to 38 about the time I got in to work, light rain, winds from the
>south at about 15 mph.
>
>I wore a quick-wick turtleneck, light fleece vest, my jacket and reflective
>vest. Wool socks and commuter shoes. Full-finger gloves. Bike shorts with
>unfortunately my lighter weight tights because all the thermal ones are in
>the wash.
>
>I was really cold initially, but after the first climb, the only places that
>were cold were my fingertips (numb in fact), my chin, and the band of bare
>flesh between where those g.d. tights end and before the socks begin -- the
>curse of long legs. I had pulled my hair out of its band and fluffed it
>around my ears to warm them up. By the second climb, just the tips of the
>fingers were cold, no longer numb.
>
>I don't know where it was, somewhere on Mercer Island, either the first
>climb on the Island, or the second, to the top of the lid, and I realized
>everything was toasty warm by then.
>
>I have no complaints.

Maybe I need more hills. Riding to work is almost completely flat
except for the 59th Street Bridge (Feeling Groovy!).

I had one incident of sliding bike syndrome as I hit a bit of pavement
with a groove. I've learned to watch out for the metal plates and, if
I need to hit one, hit it dead on.

The ride really almost worked but my fingertips never get warm and I
really hate that. Everything else was ok. I'll check out lobster
gloves or glove liners. Something has to be done or I'm not going to
make it through the winter.

I can't figure out a way to ride with just tights. I can't wear those
at work (we have some standards) and I just don't have room to add
pants to my pack.

I am going to look into some sort of plastic overgloves. I'm sure
there is something at Home Despot that will work. I tried those laytex
dishwashing gloves but they're too tight.

12-07-2004, 05:18 AM

On Tue, 07 Dec 2004 04:26:55 GMT, "Claire Petersky"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>"dgk" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>> I just got home from work. It was pretty cool this morning with a
>> promise of some showers during the evening commute so I brought the
>> rain gear and figured that I'd rough it a bit. It turned out to be 37F
>> with a steady light rain.
>
>I rode to work this morning -- about 36 degrees when I left, steadily
>warming up to 38 about the time I got in to work, light rain, winds from the
>south at about 15 mph.
>
>I wore a quick-wick turtleneck, light fleece vest, my jacket and reflective
>vest. Wool socks and commuter shoes. Full-finger gloves. Bike shorts with
>unfortunately my lighter weight tights because all the thermal ones are in
>the wash.
>
>I was really cold initially, but after the first climb, the only places that
>were cold were my fingertips (numb in fact), my chin, and the band of bare
>flesh between where those g.d. tights end and before the socks begin -- the
>curse of long legs. I had pulled my hair out of its band and fluffed it
>around my ears to warm them up. By the second climb, just the tips of the
>fingers were cold, no longer numb.
>
>I don't know where it was, somewhere on Mercer Island, either the first
>climb on the Island, or the second, to the top of the lid, and I realized
>everything was toasty warm by then.
>
>I have no complaints.

Maybe I need more hills. Riding to work is almost completely flat
except for the 59th Street Bridge (Feeling Groovy!).

I had one incident of sliding bike syndrome as I hit a bit of pavement
with a groove. I've learned to watch out for the metal plates and, if
I need to hit one, hit it dead on.

The ride really almost worked but my fingertips never get warm and I
really hate that. Everything else was ok. I'll check out lobster
gloves or glove liners. Something has to be done or I'm not going to
make it through the winter.

I can't figure out a way to ride with just tights. I can't wear those
at work (we have some standards) and I just don't have room to add
pants to my pack.

I am going to look into some sort of plastic overgloves. I'm sure
there is something at Home Despot that will work. I tried those laytex
dishwashing gloves but they're too tight.

12-07-2004, 05:18 AM

On Tue, 07 Dec 2004 04:26:55 GMT, "Claire Petersky"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>"dgk" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>> I just got home from work. It was pretty cool this morning with a
>> promise of some showers during the evening commute so I brought the
>> rain gear and figured that I'd rough it a bit. It turned out to be 37F
>> with a steady light rain.
>
>I rode to work this morning -- about 36 degrees when I left, steadily
>warming up to 38 about the time I got in to work, light rain, winds from the
>south at about 15 mph.
>
>I wore a quick-wick turtleneck, light fleece vest, my jacket and reflective
>vest. Wool socks and commuter shoes. Full-finger gloves. Bike shorts with
>unfortunately my lighter weight tights because all the thermal ones are in
>the wash.
>
>I was really cold initially, but after the first climb, the only places that
>were cold were my fingertips (numb in fact), my chin, and the band of bare
>flesh between where those g.d. tights end and before the socks begin -- the
>curse of long legs. I had pulled my hair out of its band and fluffed it
>around my ears to warm them up. By the second climb, just the tips of the
>fingers were cold, no longer numb.
>
>I don't know where it was, somewhere on Mercer Island, either the first
>climb on the Island, or the second, to the top of the lid, and I realized
>everything was toasty warm by then.
>
>I have no complaints.

Maybe I need more hills. Riding to work is almost completely flat
except for the 59th Street Bridge (Feeling Groovy!).

I had one incident of sliding bike syndrome as I hit a bit of pavement
with a groove. I've learned to watch out for the metal plates and, if
I need to hit one, hit it dead on.

The ride really almost worked but my fingertips never get warm and I
really hate that. Everything else was ok. I'll check out lobster
gloves or glove liners. Something has to be done or I'm not going to
make it through the winter.

I can't figure out a way to ride with just tights. I can't wear those
at work (we have some standards) and I just don't have room to add
pants to my pack.

I am going to look into some sort of plastic overgloves. I'm sure
there is something at Home Despot that will work. I tried those laytex
dishwashing gloves but they're too tight.

12-07-2004, 06:01 AM

I am in the NYC area too.........lovely day today isn't it?? My bike
is in the shed and its staying there until it warms up.....which will
be tomorrow. Good luck.

12-07-2004, 06:01 AM

I am in the NYC area too.........lovely day today isn't it?? My bike
is in the shed and its staying there until it warms up.....which will
be tomorrow. Good luck.

12-07-2004, 06:01 AM

I am in the NYC area too.........lovely day today isn't it?? My bike
is in the shed and its staying there until it warms up.....which will
be tomorrow. Good luck.

12-07-2004, 06:01 AM

I am in the NYC area too.........lovely day today isn't it?? My bike
is in the shed and its staying there until it warms up.....which will
be tomorrow. Good luck.

12-07-2004, 06:20 AM

"dgk" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

> I just got home from work. It was pretty cool this morning with a
> promise of some showers during the evening commute so I brought the
> rain gear and figured that I'd rough it a bit. It turned out to be 37F
> with a steady light rain. My electric gloves are soaked through and my
> fingers froze.

Cold rain is the hardest thing to dress for. The best glove I've found is
full neoprene. The gloves I got are from an industrial supply house ($25)

> I wore my Kmart special rain pants, essentially a sheet of PVC in the
> shape of pants.

> Then I split them right up
> the crotch. Trashed.

Yeah, I've had the same experience. There are some similar inexpensive
coated fabric rainsuits that don't split like that and are just as
waterproof. I got my pants separately for ($10). Because I'm so tall, I
wear them as knickers, fastening the velcro just below the knee, much less
flappy.

> My booties did a very good job of keeping my feet
> warm and dry. They are soaked through though and are now hanging on
> the dryer.

The best thing I've found is thin, latex, over-boots (industrial supply
again). They're very stretchy, so they make a tight seal around the leg. I
just cut a small hole for SPD cleats. Fragile, and easy to tear, but only
$4.

> It would have been better had it been raining harder since I would
> have worn the Kmart special rain jacket instead of my normal biking
> jacket. Instead, the jacket is soaked through, hanging next to the
> booties and gloves. Water resistant is not water proof.

You can make water resistant stuff more so with spray-on compounds, the
"DWR" treatments tend to weaken with soil &/or washings.

> Tomorrow promises a more widespread rain but about 10 degrees warmer
> (NYC). Still, I don't think the stuff is going to be dry by then so
> I'll likely take the train. One uncomfortable trip per week is my
> limit. Yech.

It's really a matter of experimenting and finding out what works for you.
It is possible to have pleasant rides, even in cold rain, once you have
things dialed in.

12-07-2004, 06:20 AM

"dgk" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

> I just got home from work. It was pretty cool this morning with a
> promise of some showers during the evening commute so I brought the
> rain gear and figured that I'd rough it a bit. It turned out to be 37F
> with a steady light rain. My electric gloves are soaked through and my
> fingers froze.

Cold rain is the hardest thing to dress for. The best glove I've found is
full neoprene. The gloves I got are from an industrial supply house ($25)

> I wore my Kmart special rain pants, essentially a sheet of PVC in the
> shape of pants.

> Then I split them right up
> the crotch. Trashed.

Yeah, I've had the same experience. There are some similar inexpensive
coated fabric rainsuits that don't split like that and are just as
waterproof. I got my pants separately for ($10). Because I'm so tall, I
wear them as knickers, fastening the velcro just below the knee, much less
flappy.

> My booties did a very good job of keeping my feet
> warm and dry. They are soaked through though and are now hanging on
> the dryer.

The best thing I've found is thin, latex, over-boots (industrial supply
again). They're very stretchy, so they make a tight seal around the leg. I
just cut a small hole for SPD cleats. Fragile, and easy to tear, but only
$4.

> It would have been better had it been raining harder since I would
> have worn the Kmart special rain jacket instead of my normal biking
> jacket. Instead, the jacket is soaked through, hanging next to the
> booties and gloves. Water resistant is not water proof.

You can make water resistant stuff more so with spray-on compounds, the
"DWR" treatments tend to weaken with soil &/or washings.

> Tomorrow promises a more widespread rain but about 10 degrees warmer
> (NYC). Still, I don't think the stuff is going to be dry by then so
> I'll likely take the train. One uncomfortable trip per week is my
> limit. Yech.

It's really a matter of experimenting and finding out what works for you.
It is possible to have pleasant rides, even in cold rain, once you have
things dialed in.

12-07-2004, 06:20 AM

"dgk" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

> I just got home from work. It was pretty cool this morning with a
> promise of some showers during the evening commute so I brought the
> rain gear and figured that I'd rough it a bit. It turned out to be 37F
> with a steady light rain. My electric gloves are soaked through and my
> fingers froze.

Cold rain is the hardest thing to dress for. The best glove I've found is
full neoprene. The gloves I got are from an industrial supply house ($25)

> I wore my Kmart special rain pants, essentially a sheet of PVC in the
> shape of pants.

> Then I split them right up
> the crotch. Trashed.

Yeah, I've had the same experience. There are some similar inexpensive
coated fabric rainsuits that don't split like that and are just as
waterproof. I got my pants separately for ($10). Because I'm so tall, I
wear them as knickers, fastening the velcro just below the knee, much less
flappy.

> My booties did a very good job of keeping my feet
> warm and dry. They are soaked through though and are now hanging on
> the dryer.

The best thing I've found is thin, latex, over-boots (industrial supply
again). They're very stretchy, so they make a tight seal around the leg. I
just cut a small hole for SPD cleats. Fragile, and easy to tear, but only
$4.

> It would have been better had it been raining harder since I would
> have worn the Kmart special rain jacket instead of my normal biking
> jacket. Instead, the jacket is soaked through, hanging next to the
> booties and gloves. Water resistant is not water proof.

You can make water resistant stuff more so with spray-on compounds, the
"DWR" treatments tend to weaken with soil &/or washings.

> Tomorrow promises a more widespread rain but about 10 degrees warmer
> (NYC). Still, I don't think the stuff is going to be dry by then so
> I'll likely take the train. One uncomfortable trip per week is my
> limit. Yech.

It's really a matter of experimenting and finding out what works for you.
It is possible to have pleasant rides, even in cold rain, once you have
things dialed in.