5 More Freezing Cold Riding Tips!
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- While heading out for a cold weather bike ride I discuss some of your winter bicycling riding tips. This was a night ride so a bit about my bike lights too. What is your best advice for cycling in winter weather - whatever winter weather means to you. It was in the teens on this particular night.
#wintercycling #bicycles
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A winter beard really helps when it's cold. Even a two week stubble keeps you quite warm.
Just remember to scrape off the ice once in a while or it will build up.
Ice beards are so funny.
The year I made snow I didn't shave at all - it made a huge difference.
Rode 25 miles yesterday at 22 degrees on a rails to trails outside Pittsburgh (Panhandle Trail). It really sucked where there was a lot of foot traffic since the snow was all tramped over and lumpy. I went down several times from that rough stuff. But I persevered. Got to the back to my car at the end and ... No Car Keys. Damn! One of the times I went down the key fob must have come out of the inner pocket of my jacket. The inner pocket is very deep, but not zippered. Hard to believe the fob could have come out of it. But luckily my wife was able to bring me the spare keys. Lesson learned = keys always in a zippered pocket. If no zippered pocket, hidden near the car. No exceptions.
I hit the towpath today and it was very rough too - slow going, bouncy and concentration intensive. Took the roads home.
I don’t get why some gear doesn’t have zippered pockets - especially if it is cycling specific.
That sucks - sorry that happened but glad you had a ride!
I’ve actually ridden to pick up my car multiple times and not brought the car keys because my brain was in bicycle mode….
Great statement , that you don't get paid to ride your bike that's why I like your videos you just want to ride your bike and provide great content
heck yeah!
I'm proud of the fact that I can fix 90% of the things that might go wrong on my bikes.
I've taught myself a bunch - having mechanic friends has actaully slowed my progress.🥸
@@TimFitzwater Last year, living along the EuroVelo in the South of France I spent a bunch of time riding around the Mediterranean. I can't tell you how many people I encountered who didn't have the basics and consequently ended up walking or ended up biking cold or whatever. Now that we're back in the US there are significantly fewer cyclists of any color that I run into so it pays to have everything I need.
That cap screams Marty Feldman
Bike tires on fresh snow is a wonderful sound.
❄️❄️❄️
Gloves all the way! Different protection makes for easy layering. Plus you can toss a spare dry set in your bag. Poagies just seem waaaaay too warm
Yeah - so many people misunderstood that, "but I can layer under my pogies" - yeah - I layer my gloves.
Backpacks instead of bikebags in the winter. Adds some warmth!
I used to do that. But a couple sweaty backs and I switched to bike bags.
Tuck the velcro under the bar end caps. Keeps the mitts in place and the velcro out of the way.
ah - that is how that is supposed to work.
Best piece of advice I was told about cold weather riding, If you walk outside and your cold you will cold on the ride. If your warm and comfortable, you will over heat. You just need that little chill to be just right. Always worked for me.
Prefer to ride without them but there are times when I'm glad I put them on the bike. Yes they do look dorkey .
This is also my rule of thumb. If you're comfortable, go take something off.
Also, never zip anything all the way up, it's easier to open layers one handed that way.
I agree for the most part. If it is super cold I don't mind leaving very warm - long as I'm not sweating. That has the caveat that I'm dressed right for a ride with pretty good exertion. Lots of factors in all these things obviously.
I have to say I really don't care how I or my bike look in the winter!🥸
I hear that. Some cycling specific stuff can be easy to unzip - some is nearly impossible.
Back in my Roadie days I did some rides with Andy Hampsten. I would never have had a bag on my bike. Andy had a front bag with his camera and stuff and could still smoke everyone in the mountains. I now love riding with a front bag. I carry all kinds of junk in there. More weight, better workout.
Thats rad you got to ride with him. The weight of some tools and a jacket is so small compared to your own weight anyway. Its funny that people only consider the weight of the bike. Also - people forget what is right behind your bag - you! Bags are barely a drag and some actually direct the air around you.
...and nothing is slower then needing someone to pick you up!
😂
I added a small burrito bar bag to my road bike. I'm not aero, and having space for supplies and snacks is much more valuable
You know what is funny - when they put the rider on the bike in aero testing front bags don’t even slow you down - they help divert the air around your body! Regardless- having the stuff you need would be more important anyways.
I didn't know that, very interesting.
It’s funny when you look at all these aero features of expensive bikes - what is behind that wing shaped head tube? Someone’s body! It’s the same with the tiny differences in weight in bike parts - what do you think the vast majority of weight on a bike is - you!
New merch, The Fitzwater Photo tank top.
😳
I sometime get a frozen forehead, like you, when I'm riding back down the hill from work. Last time it was -10C, I was wearing a woolie beanie, and I slid a piece of paper or plastic or whatever into the fold round in front from ear to ear, worked great for stopping the wind chill!
Nice!
I really dig that hat for people that wear glasses 👍👍
It is really great.
Been running REI’s Rain mitten over top gloves for this winter. Thumbs still suffer obviously, but work well as a windbreak. Retain heat after a while but zero insulation value.
Throw some wool gloves underneath!
Tried a new set of bar mitts today. I didn’t realize how many times I adjust my glasses, blow my nose, etc. usually do these things when going downhill, hence my hands get cold, and you have to be careful when putting your hands back in because of the speed. I think a good pair of gloves will be my default, unless it’s below freezing. And yes sometimes there’s not enough room to zip everything up
I think they work really well for certain people. Heavier gloves with some lighter wool gloves underneath will be my default.
Love these videos really helps me want to get out despite the weather
Love to hear that / thanks!
Keep up the good work Tim, yes I agree with you on the bottleneck too many zippers but as long as you're warm that's all it count
Thanks! Yes - I just need to be aware of it and stop trying to zip them all up!
That down jacket is fantastic!
Thanks! Never thought I buy a Rapha jacket like this but with their discounts around the holidays it got to normal prices for down jackets. Still not cheap - but not outrages.
Congrats on your bar mits. Shalom!
Thanks! Was going to try them today but still too much snow so I took the snow bike.
I rode with lobster gloves for a few winters. When it's really cold my thumbs always get cold. I got some Bike Iowa pogies this winter and now ride with them and some light gloves. I found my thumbs stay warm now. I'm not sure how windy it gets in NE Ohio, but I think the pogies make a big difference for wind and keeping hands warm here in Kansas.
It’s windy. But remember - I’m comparing apples to apples - I am also layering with a lighter glove under the lobsters - and at super cold temps two pairs under them. Just like most people are still wearing some kind of gloves under the pogies.
@@TimFitzwater Good point. I haven't tried wearing liners under the lobsters
Buy once and cry once the nice stuff is almost always worth it
For sure! Thanks so much!
I discovered that a balaclava with something I made (which I call a veil!) works amazing for me. The veil made out of ancient wool cycling shorts includes a section of elastic waistband stitched together. This overs the area under the glasses and over the nose. The wool is so permeable that normally glasses don't fog up. You end up looking like a ninja warrior with just the eyes showing. I considered using Pogies for my hands but I use hand signals a lot. On my left glove is tied a short length of red physical therapy band. This serves as a signal flag and lane marker. I can say, this has saved me a few times!
Very nice!
Balaclavas are awesome because they cover your ears and neck while a hat can sometimes be too warm
I like the hat choice, I'll have to try it out! Yes! Bring a bag! I bring hand warmers, extra Buff, hand pump, repair kit, head lamp.
I'm really stoked on the hat.
Bags all the way - I mean - I bring decent sized bags in the summer too - but it is 100% required in the winter.
Love Ortlieb bags. Thanks for the tips / video. I decided I don't like winter on the East Coast :) Pleeease hurry spring!
I “endure” winter. Being the spring for me too!
One problem I always had with winter gloves is my nose runs constantly as soon as the temp dips below 60 degrees F. So I've always needed gloves that had soft nose wiper fabric on them. Most heavy duty gloves don't have that. Once I got some Pogies Lite from Bike Iowa, I was sold on using bar mits from fall till summer. They're basically xpac material in the shape of bar mits that can bunch up out of the way in warmer rides, but then fold out if needed. This allows me to wear wool liner gloves all the way down to the 20s F and then add another lighter glove on top of the liners when it gets ridiculously cold, like it has been. All my gloves are just fabric now, so plenty of nose wiping can be done. : )
Huh - I find that most cycling specific gloves do have that - including mine.
I layer under my lobster gloves too - I should have made that clearer in the video - I wasn't trying to say one pair of gloves is warmer then pogies and gloves.
@@TimFitzwater Interesting. Which gloves do you have? I usually go with lobster gloves and a quick look at the offerings from Specialized and Pearl Izumi - they do have fabric on the thumbs, but with leather stitched right next to it, just seems like a recipe for an irritated/scratched up nose when trying to wipe away snot for the 20th time on a ride. : ) I've just really fallen in love with bar mits since they're like little tents for my hands.
Mine are Sugoi. 45Nrth makes good ones too.
I usually wrap/tuck a microfibre cloth where the cables enter the bar mitts to cut down on the draft. Also, to keep the Mitts stable on the handlebars instead of the strip of velcro, I use a cheap expanding bar end plug (like the 45Nrth use, on their DRAUGENKLAW POGIES).
Nice idea! Yes - the flat bar ones do have plugs to attach them - I just put them their for demonstration because I'm going to try the neoprene ones first.
Good information. I use pogies, but only for temps well below zero Fahrenheit. I have multiple gloves for for different temperatures above zero. Wind speed, as well as air temp, gets factored in. I live next to Lake Superior. There can be days with wind speeds of 40-50 mph coming off the lake. Some windy days I’ll throw the pogies on at 10 or 15 degrees above zero Fahrenheit. But then a windless day at -15 degrees Fahrenheit the pogies aren’t needed. And when I say pogies, I mean atv pogies from Cabellas I bought back in 2006 for $19.99 for my fatbike.
Nice. Anyone who lives next to Superior knows more about cold weather riding then me!
Got to Grand Island last Fall and loved it. So beautiful.
I live in Australia and when it's 10c (50f) I'm dressed up like Mawson at the South Pole 😂😂😂. Mind you it is 100f today 😎
Ha!
Oh yeah - you are also in summer down there now too. We hit 100 once in a while but it’s rare here in Ohio.
Absolutely take a frame bag or two with extra clothing etc….ive been riding one of my bikes almost fully loaded out but not the bags fully loaded …..CBA to take them off really 🤣🥳….yeah all those layers at the neck i’m hearing you …..laugh out loud to all the pro look folk who are stuck beside the road in freezing temps with no puffy jacket 😕😭😆🥰🥳
100%! Sitting on the side of the road is the slowest possible way to ride a bike!
The shop cat is becoming a star to me mainly because I have a Bombay cat myself thanks.
Nice! I can’t help but get him in there - one because he is always around me and two because he is so cute! 🐈⬛
Tank Top Tim? Kinda has a ring to it. Bar Mitts work too well for me. My hands get overheated in them and then there is a giant thing on my bars that I cannot change mid-ride. I prefer multiple layers of gloves for max versatility/situational warmth or cooling. I use a Patagonia piton hoody that I zip up and it covers my throat and chin, but not the hood up. The piton is the only layer that zips beyond my clavicle or else I get bunching and I choke too much.
Ha!
Yeah - I ride in the cold with three gloves usually and it gives me the combinations I need for almost any temp - I can mix and match.
Yesterday was insanely cold. I stayed inside huffing soup. On Friday , I did a 24 mile round trip to the DMV in Wethersfield . 20 degrees out. So only 12 miles there, but OMG the drudgery , the draining, endless hills, the hammering asshole traffic. I freaked a little when the security guard said I had to wait outside , I was 40 minutes early for the appointment. Amazingly, I found a heat pump by the loading dock, and hunkered down next to it . Note to all Ye Nutmeggers: the insanely damp winter air from the CT river will destroy your ass in minutes. Do not stop, or you will die! Of course, I had a most pleasant sweat going on...Grr. Love that cap, the sunglass loops are ingenious. Hey. Maybe what's going on with the ice cream headache is you're getting "cold transfer" from the bridge of your glasses.. right to your "third eye?" Put a band aid on the bridge of your nose? Some stick on blister foot felt? Maybe your sinuses are getting froze also? My new 40.00 Nightrider stayed blue on the charge the whole way there and back, amazing. they say it's 900 lumens, but I think that was bullshit. I've never done bar mitts or pogies , but would try them. It took me two days to fully recover from that ride , not a fitness thing, it was just all the bullshit... Yeah I agree that many winter riders need to prep better. I may soon include the alcohol penny stove to heat up some soup or tea if I flat. This is why I carry stainless bottles. Maybe even the Isobutane if it's windy. Love the handwarmer idea for the batteries. Oh I just got a Chinese kid's point and shoot for 35 bucks , weighs nothing , shoots 1080 video . My vintage Nikon Coolpix shit the bed. I might get a Lumix LX-100 or a Sony RX 100 Mark 7.
Yeah - the grey, cold and wet has been destroying my motivation on a lot of days.
The new cap totally solved any face/head issues though so that is good.
@@TimFitzwater Definitley a wierd winter. temps way above normal, then Bam. Forgot to mention the ass saver is a good thermos , maybe even two. Burritos , maybe even a baked potato, doubles as a hand warmer. Snowing again right now, after a thaw yesterday.
And that's why they call him Ol' Tank Top Fitz around Akron.
🤓
was gonna say 45 North can't be beat on the real cold weather!
I have a lot of stuff I love form them. Tires, socks, caps etc.
I love OLight/MagicShine lights. Their warranty is awesome too.
Neoprene Barmits are sweet because they are water proof too. I’ve been caught in rain in early spring late fall, it is a game changer to have warm dry hands.
Do you lower your tire pressures in the winter?
Yeah - they have sent my friends free replacements. They actually have reps that chat with me and are responsive!
I’ll be interested to try out the neoprene ones.
Yes - I run lower pressure for more traction if I’m in snow. If it’s a cold road ride without snow I’ll ride what I normally do - granted I run lower pressures than I used to all the time.
Yeah i'm riding tomorrow, damn cold, may have to wear a long sleeve tee instead of my normal loud Hawaiian shirts. Footwear may be closed toe Keen Clearwater sandals instead of proper hippy sandals.
No socks obviously.
Mid morning forecast temp is a coool 19 degrees Celcius....
Regards from NE Thailand....
HA! nice!
Cheers
Damn you got alot of bikes
Damn
Those are mostly cheapish road bikes that are/were fun projects. I try to make the excuse that its for UA-cam - but really I just like to make things.
hopefully you don't get the freezing rain and ice that hit the metro St. Louis area today. Walking outside was near impossible. Riding would have been bad news.... thanks for the cold weather tips..
That’s what our forecast is for tonight!
You’re welcome!
@@TimFitzwater sorry. be safe.
I just stayed in. It’s pouring rain all day today. 😥
I’ve tried gloves and pogies and even after warming up on a ride, my fingers are still cold in gloves(not to mention the lack of dexterity), where a thin pair of glove liners and Bar Mitts have kept my hands warm from the start. But I can see if gloves keep your hands warm then pogies can be a bit of a hassle in some regards. On the second point, there are some companies who sell pogies specifically for swept back handlebars like Weather Goods Sweden, as well as a few others. It does look like most US brands are more focused on straight bars with a couple who make some for road bars.
I hear you - these are thick gloves though and I am doubling and tripling up underneath them in the extreme cold(teens is extreme to me).
I didn't mind the pogies at all on my flat bars - but still found I was layering the same at similar temps. Granted - there are different bar mitts out there so I'm sure some can be warmer than others.
I've seen a bunch of different bar mitts so I know what you mean - I just want to try and see if I can make what I have work since I also don't find them necessary personally.
Cheers!
@@TimFitzwater That makes sense, spending tons just to find something that works when past ones haven't worked any better than gloves becomes the same search I was having finding a pair of gloves that work for me. I am just starting out this year with pogies, I have the neoprene Bar Mitts so I hope they work out for you, though I haven't yet tested mine below 20F so I don't know yet how well I they handle the further dip in temps
Bar mitts must have rain drip issues Im guessing as well, as I have found putting my waterproof(ish) mitts under my jacket sleeves works the best in the rain
I haven't ridden them in the rain but people commented that the neoprene ones are very good in the rain. I'm sure you have to makes sure they are tilted the right way though...
I mostly avoid rain riding at cold temps but when I did two events last Fall with no choice I just wore wool - they were soaked but wool still insulates when wet.
I’m a “roadie” I guess, but I will rock bags regardless. I broke out my Tailfin on a hondo ride last summer down in the STL area. I packed a full lunch and a Big Agnes camp chair. Sure, I got the giggles from other riders, but I wasnt sitting in the dirt enjoying my sam-ich like some savage. 😂
Ha! I love it! We were all bringing our chairs during Covid.
I also want to say I'm not anti-roadie at all - there are just a bunch of generalizations that go with the culture I don't get.
Wow....what a great interesting vid. Too your usual excellent level!
Cant believe you've never owned a Tank top????
What the hell do you where when you go clubbing then....
Thanks!
To each their own but I've always found them to be gross - thought it was so funny that it even came out of my mouth.
Inspiring video and great information. Thank you! I’m curious as to what kind of gloves/mittens are those? I’ve been struggling to find good hand covering and agree with you about bar mitts. Thank you again!
Those are Sugoi's but I believe the exact model isn't made anymore. I always recommend 45 Nrth though. The wool gloves underneath are Defeat.
Cheers!
@@TimFitzwater thank you
I don't ride if temp is Below 35f,I'm in south Alabama so that's cold to me
That is exactly what I mean about different tolerances - it hit 33 today and that felt so great to me after our arctic blast last week!
I have the 45NRTH greazy merino cap and wear it backwards for same effect as stovepipe. BUT the seams on all 45NRTH hats dig in my head. Hope it's okay for you.
Never had an issue with the seams thank goodness. I have two of the Greazy's but they just weren't cutting it in the teens and single digits for me.
Don't runners wear tank tops?
Maybe - I sure don't. I'm a sleeve guy.
Do you know where I can buy extra mounts for the olights?
I found the magic shine ones on Amazon, they look like they are the same. One of my straps broke, I’d like to pick up a couple of extra mounts.
They should be the same then - I love their mounts because they are small and I don't mind leaving them on the bikes. I asked the rep a while back about extra mounts and they didnt sell them then. I have a friend who broke one and reached out to O-light and they sent him one for free.
Buy once cry once Tim right!?
Exactly.
#dontfrightentheunhoused
What does it mean to lace up a saddle?
Oh - I guess I should have explained that better. You run laces underneath it to pull the leather up - they even sell models with holes and laces. Its a good way to save a sagging saddle. A quick google image search will give you a better if my description doesnt paint the picture well.
thanks! @@TimFitzwater
Don't even need gloves with the blue lug pogies.
I haven't looked into theirs. What temps are you talking though - for me I find it hard to believe I would never need gloves(but again haven't tried theirs).
I went on a ride today 53° finally! after our artic blast and doing nothing for 2 weeks.. this video made me cold again 😅
Nice! We got into the 30s today and then looks like 40s for about a week - gonna feel like a heat wave now!
@@TimFitzwater ya it will lol. What state
Are the bikes your collection!😮
Mostly my vintage road bikes on the wall there.
@@TimFitzwater nice 🙂
Remember the days when bikes had mechanical parts and you could work on them.
@@bffaris Those days are right now and every single one of my bikes is mechanical and fixable by myself.
Just joking.