I thought it might be fun (and cathartic) to just lay it all out there when it comes to me, riding in cold weather. It's no secret...no secret AT ALL that I don't like the cold. Most winters, I ride a lot off-road because the effort is high and speeds are low. That helps keep me warm. Every now and then, I ride on the road when it's cold. Brrr. I chose to ride on the road today, and this was my strategy, and the results.
I have to start off with something extremely warm for my feet. Bad circulation, maybe? I don't know. But my feet get cold just hanging around the house so I have to make this part count. When I ride off-road, I have some warm winter cycling boots. They don't work on the road, so I have to use shoe covers like these for my road shoes. These bad boys are pretty thick neoprene, and I duct taped the breathing holes on the bottom of my shoes. Had to be a good combo, right??
Result: Toes got cold.
My hands are a whole different thing. My hands are cold in the summer. Bad circulation, maybe? Can't tell you. But I have to use the warmest thing I can find, on or off road. These have a wind barrier, and thermal layers inside. Bulkier than I'd like, but not terribly bulky.
Result: Fingers got cold.
My head isn't covered in hair. It used to be, but whatever. Now it's not. So this skull cap is a vital part of my winter riding. It covers the baldness plus my ears and it fits really well under my normal helmet.
Result: Bald head stayed reasonably warm
I'm a big fan of Craft base layers. I'm embarrassed to say I have some 10-year old versions that I still wear. This is a newer one and it's thin and very form fitting, so it wears well under whatever layer I put on over it.
Result: warm, except for the failure of the layer I wore over it
I'm going to give my beloved Pearl Izumi jacket a pass. Even though the wind was ripping through this wind-proof and thermal jacket, I'm not going to hate on it. It's TEN YEARS OLD. I just noticed today, when I got back from my windy, cold ride that there are very small perforations ALL OVER this thing! Like, moths have been eating at it. I should have noticed that. And the zipper is getting wonky too.
Result: wind-proof and thermal jacket was neither wind-proof nor thermal
The pride and joy of my winter collection is my very old Castelli thermal bib tights. High quality pad coupled with a fit that feels custom made. They were gifted to me because I could never afford them. But similar to my trusty old Pearl jacket, these are 10 years old. Today, they showed their age in dog years. They still fit well, though!
Result: wind-proof and thermal tights were neither wind-proof nor thermal
Ah, my old clear Tifosi glasses. Naturally, my eyes water in the cold like I just watched the last scene in Titanic. I've found that tears on my frozen face feel terrible. So even though I can hardly wear glasses when I ride due to excessive sweating, I can wear them for a while on winter rides. I have many pairs of glasses, this one just happens to have drawn winter duty for the last few years. Lucky glasses?
Result: eyes only watered a little, despite the wind
Even though it sounds like my winter riding is a real dumpster fire, I'd say it's still a must to get off of the indoor trainer and get outside whenever possible. I've logged some hours inside this winter, but I am lucky enough to have gotten off-road a few times, and unlucky enough to have ridden when it's butt-ass cold. Some of my problems are due to stubbornness (hanging on to pathetic and tattered pieces of under-performing winter wear), and some are due to defective body parts (hands, feet). A cyclist must do what a cyclist must do, I suppose.
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