Winter riding

[Dorado]

Sorry I didn’t want to hijack another’s post.
I haven’t been riding that long. Less than a year. Since winter is coming, I got to wondering a few things. I’ve read online a few different things but I can only find things about riding far north of me.

Where I live here in Texas, it doesn’t get that cold (down to 20, maybe) but it’s humid. What kinds of clothing should I wear? Usually for winter I just wear jeans and whatever jacket that suits the weather.
Is there anything I need to worry about on my bike? Do I need to change anything that I normally use?
Chain lube, Tubes, tires?
Are there any special riding concerns I should look into?

Sorry about all of the questions. I just don’t want to go out and do something stupid that may hurt me or the trail.

[oneeyeredeye]

only thing i worry about is the massive sweating i do so i wear some good wicking cycling clothing under my outer layers to pull moisture away from my skin. nothing worse than wet clothes from sweating. ecspecially when it is 10 to 20 degrees outside and it usaully is in december and january in ohio.

[Dustin Gaddis]

"Dorado" wrote

Is there anything I need to worry about on my bike? Do I need to change anything that I normally use?
Chain lube, Tubes, tires?
Are there any special riding concerns I should look into?

Keep an eye on the site, I’ve got a blog post written about that very topic! It should get posted in the near future.

I live in an area with weather similar to you, hot and humid in the summer, and cold, but not crazy cold, in the winter. I’m hot natured – I rarely wear long sleeve shirts in the winter ’cause I get hot when I’m inside, so I stick with my short sleeves and toss on a jacket if I’m going out.

Here’s my winter riding gear that gets used a LOT:
-Merino wool socks – merino is magic. still insulates even when wet, yet doesn’t get too hot
-Winter shoes – I had problems with my feet getting cold and my toes going numb. Shoe covers work really well and are much cheaper than shoes, but I shredded a set in just a few months. The shoes will last a looooooong time. I’ve got Specialized Defrosters and they’re awesome, wind and water proof – my feet don’t get cold anymore.
-Knee and Arm warmers – inexpensive, effective, works well for a wide range of temps. Easy to remove if you get hot, pack small and easily fit in a jersey pocket or hydration pack. I tried full length leg warmers, but they were too hot, hard to take off, and wouldn’t stay up, they kept falling down my leg.

I also have a really thin jacket, but only use it for really cold days. I usually get hot pretty quickly and take it off and just end up carrying it the rest of the ride. But for really cold days it’s good.

I’ve also got a long sleeve merino wool jersey, but haven’t had a chance to use it yet. I think it will be good for days cold enough I would leave the arm warmers on, but should be more comfortable. I’ll probably get some insulated gloves this year.

Hope that helps…

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

I wrote a pretty extensive blog post on dressing for the weather here:
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-ge … er-mtbing/

Definitely ditch the jeans and get something synthetic, preferably cycling-specific tights.

Cotton kills…

[fat_billy]

Cotten Kilts? Just wondering. 😄 Later,

[GoldenGoose]

"fat_billy" wrote

Cotten Kilts? Just wondering. 😄 Later,

Cotton doesn’t hold heat incredibly well, doesn’t wick moisture, isn’t windproof, and doesn’t dry out fast. If it’s cold outside, adding moisture and airflow can be downright dangerous when trying to maintain body heat.

[fat_billy]

I always dress so that stading still you can still feel the cold a bit so when you are riding the heat generated keeps you warm enough. The one thing to remember is to keep your feet dry. You cannot warm the feet with out a camp fire. Winter rides go quicker because you don’t need the long breaks like the 95 degree days. When you finish drinking blow the water back into the Camel back to prevent freezing. If it’s that cold I’ll be in the house but that is for the great white north riders. Dry feet is the key. 😄 Later,

[Author]

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