Cycling in the Cold as a Clydesdale

Yeah that's me and my bike.

It has been cold here in Chicagoland but this last Saturday (1/12/13) it warmed up to a balmy 50F.  I took advantage and went for a 18 mile ride outdoors.  My first challenge was not having appropriate cold weather kit so I threw together a few cold weather running items and set off.  I am 6' and 300 lbs and have no trouble getting warm once moving :)

I started the ride a bit cold since I normally get HOT very quickly.  I have never cycled in cold weather so this was a real guess to not overdress.  The temp was fine ... the wind was horrible.  The fronts of my legs got slightly wind burned.  After the first 6 miles I knew I was in trouble but pressed on.  From the waist down I wore my typical summer gear.  SPD cleats, low rise socks and typical bike shorts.  My toes were frozen by the end of the ride and hurt a bit.  The skin on my legs felt itchy at about mile 10.  The worst part was the skin just above my shoes and socks on the front of my leg started to hurt then get numb. I have some running pants I could have worn but I was afraid the right leg would get shredded in the chain ring.

Above the waist I wore a 100% polyester hooded sweatshirt this worked well to block most of the wind but still allow that outside layer to breathe.  Under that I wore a lightweight long sleeve running jersey.  I tend to get hot fast and sweat a lot.  The jersey was my moisture wicking layer and it worked perfectly.  I wore my typical finger-less cycling gloves but put a pair of running gloves over them for full finger protection.  There were no issues with my grip and it was quite comfortable.  I picked up an Under Armor balaclava for running but it worked perfectly under my helmet.  My head is shaved bald so at the beginning of the ride I could feel the cold air through the vents in my helmet and the balaclava.  As I began to sweat and heat up this went away and my head was nice and toasty.  I did cover my face periodically to protect my skin from the wind during the start of my ride but I soon warmed up. My ears and neck were never an issue since they were under the balaclava.

The bike was perfect   No issues at all.  Filled up the ties checked the gears and breaks and headed out.  It should be noted that although I did not drink much water during the ride I did take a single insulated water bottle as it kept my water from getting too cold at least in the beginning. My only safety concern was cornering too fast and stopping.  Cold hard tires on a cold surface can lead to a loss of traction quickly.

From the waist up I was comfortable and could have rode 20-30 more files but from the waist down I was hurting.

What would I do different?  Pick up a pair of fleece bibs to keep my legs warm and shoe covers to keep the cold air out.  I am researching now to purchase the bibs and shoe covers for late winter and spring riding.  If I do cycle in less than 50F or run in less that 40F weather I will wear a long sleeve thermal moisture wicking shirt and a thermal jacket to act as a windbreaker.  I learned a long time ago to never wear anything cotton while working out.  Once cotton gets wet it stays wet and feels horrible while everything sticks to you and feels damp.

Ahead of time plan a safe place to stop and get warn where you and  your bike are safe.  I do not carry a bike lock and am quite paranoid about my bike getting stolen.  I have no intention of running below 40F or riding below 50F ... that is by limit as of now.