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15 comments
In the coldest weather, I wear two merino snoods/buffs.
One is a much narrower tube and hugs my neck.
The other is wider, and I pull it up and double it over to cover the lower half of my face.
On my head is either a wide merino headband, or a merino beanie.
I've done up to -5 and been fine like that. Though, I will avoid ice.
Vaseline or Lip Salve. A trick I learnt in Canada is to put vaseline or lip salve on the tip of your nose, along your cheek bones and on the tips of your ears - anywhere the wind catches. It provides a bit of insulation and keeps you warmer
Eat some pies. As a slightly chubbier gent I seem to feel the cold a lot less than my skinnier mates.
Also perversely, statistically slightly overweight folks tend to live longer than people with the reccomended BMI.
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-being-...
Old binder twine? Luxury.
I was born in the forties so take a somewhat different perspective on foul weather. If it's just below freezing I wear only an old sleeveless aertex vest and trust to my tattoos to keep me warm. If it's well below zero and the wind is storm force or above I wrap my manly torso with two pages of Cycling Weekly, tied in place with string. The insulating properties of this august publication are known only to those who yearn for the return of the five-speed block, but trust me, you will need nothing more.
Surely you use some old binder twine not string?
I wear a merino neckwarmer/buff, then I put on a cycling cap, then I pull the top of the buff up over my cap and put my helmet on over it. The buff basically surrounds my face at this point and traps a lot of heat against my head. Wearing the cap peak-down helps deflect a bit of wind as well.
Paired with a windproof jacket (Castelli Perfetto) and a good pair of overshoes, the only way I feel the wind is when it provides extra resistance to pedal against.
Sounds to me like you just need some clear glasses, cycling or otherwise. Currently I'm using some Uvex photochromic ones that go clear in low light conditions, but any kind should do the trick. I've sometimes used some cheap safety glasses - not stylish but they keep the wind (and dust/dirt) out of your eyes.
Sensodyne toothpaste and a mountain bike
I was out this morning, had to change my route several times due to black ice, so be careful out there. I was however plenty warm enough. Long sleeved base layer, normal short sleved jersey and then a stolen goat climb and conquer jacket. Stolen goat orkaan tights (also use dhb as mentioned above), merino socks, northwave boots, sealskin gloves, a head cover thing under the helmet, and a buff around my neck and lower face. A pair of glasses from optilabs which I use on every ride (very poor eyesite, so need glasses, but would wear glasses anyway as think they are the most critical items of safety kit on a ride). Only cold part really was around my eyeballs, and that was ok after the first 15 minutes when I started to warm up. Was out for about two and a half hours, but would have stayed warm all day if I had been out that long.
I get scared by ice, but the kit I wear keeps me warm enough. I tend to stick to larger roads which have been salted, although any road is fine if it has been dry. Got caught out today down a country road, a runner comming the other way warned me that it was about to get very slippery, then there was a 4x4 pulling a van out of a hedge, so time to go back and try a different route down a major road instead.
heh , but what about the wind dude?
Cold is nothing... The wind is the killer.
The wind doens't make it through the clothing I mention above, so all is well. Can't help you regarding cycling in to the wind and it being difficult, or being caught out by a strong side wind, but the clothing I wear keeps me very warm regardless of wind.
I stopped going outdoors in Winter, 3 seasons ago. I use Trainer Road and Zwift to get my cycling fix
Re Builder Goggles. Search for Bolle Bandido. They are clear specs/goggles, get the chemistry lesson vibe. But you can get clear or low light orange. Decathlon do something similar. No frames, clear visibility, but keeps the wind and crud out of the eyes, paired with a good Gore balaclava or similar.
I don't cycle at temperatures below about 1 degree (having had a couple crashes on black ice).
I don't go on rides over two hours if it's really cold, instead, I do faster, harder, shorter rides.
For me, to keep warm, the following is enough; Castelli Difesa Cap, Crane (Aldi) cycling gloves, DHB merino baselayer, Madison fleece lined jacket, DHB Roubaix bib tights, Merino socks and Shimano RW5 shoes (though when it gets really cold I do need to cover the toes).