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Staying Warm on the Bike, HELP!

Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann
in General Training Discussions

The weather forecast continues to get colder. Apparently we'll start our 12 hours at 33 degrees Saturday morning!

What are your glove and shoe cover recommendations for this kind of cold? I think I have the upper body layers figured out.. but any suggestions are welcomed. I have a head and face cover for under my helmet also. But it's cotton. I have wool socks. But most everything else I have is designed to keep us cool down here in Miami.

www.bikesebring.org

Thank you!

Comments

  • jalesliejaleslie

    At those temps, I'd stay inside on the trainer!  If you must go out, full-finger gloves and full-shoe/ankle covers would be a must for me (weak south Texan).  I'd wear long bibs and cycling shorts over the top.  Base layer shirt, cycling jacket (warmest one I have).  Balaclava.  Coffee in the bottles!  I've ridden in the 40's and light rain with these getup and survived.  As much as I dislike the trainer, this sounds like trainer weather!

      

  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Stephanie - I'm pulling out a 4 hours Spinervals DVD for Saturday's ride...don't envy you Sebring. It will warm to about 60 though but it might be breezy. I recommend shorts with long socks (this is where compression socks have a real use!) and knee covers that you can remove as the day warms up and then maybe put back on if temperatures fall back significantly later in the day. Use toe covers on your shoes. I can wear toe caps on the shoes up into the high 60s with no issue. If you use a balaclava it will have to come off when it gets into the mid 40s if not sooner. I think a cycling jersey, arm warmers, plus vest and jacket are sufficient and the jacket and/or the vest will have to come off as it warms up. Whatever you do, be prepared to remove some layers and have a place to put them.
  • JeremyBehlerJeremyBehler
    33 degrees is fine with the right gear. As long as the roads are clear I'll ride into the mid 20s outside.

    At that temp I wear thermal tights, wool socks over standard biking socks, windproof shoe covers, a baselayer, long sleeve insulated jersey, and windproof jacket along with a full face baclava and dual layer gloves (thick insulated gloves with lighter insulating base gloves.
  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    Excellent Advice, thank you so much. I will need to get a couple of things, but basically I think we are fine. It's an odd set-up. Three 3.7 mile loops on the speedway, then 89 miles out into the country-side and back..then with whatever time we have left, it's an 11 mile loop as many times as you can. The good thing is, we can park the car along the 11 mile loop, so I hope to be back there in 6 to 7 hours. We'll have gear in the car, food etc. We'll each have a car key.

    It's a RAAM (Ride Across America) qualifier so some people will be hauling arse. Some are doing 24 hours. Oy. 

  • jalesliejaleslie

    I'm sorry....I didn't know it was going to "warm up" as much.  My advice would be what I would do for a long cold ride without the warm up you may have....I hate being cold though, and would rather be sweating with too much on than shivering and unable to warm up.

     

  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    Well... it was damned cold! 38 degrees and 10mph winds. I wore long bibs, wool socks, shoe covers, long fingered gloves with my fingerless over them. I put on a long sleeved tech shirt and a cotton tank over, with arm sleeves, cycling jersy, and soft snug jacket and a windbreaker. I did the loops (11 miles) then stopped and dropped the windbreaker. I had a cotton head/face cover under my helmet and I was perfectly fine until mile 65ish when I stopped and took off the head/face cover. It was a beautiful ride. Layers.

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