From: pamela@keps.kodak.com (Pamela Blalock)
Subject: Re: Road bikes in the winter.
Organization: Kodak Electronic Printing Systems
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 21:01:47 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.021058.10422@slc.com> marcs@slc.com (Marc San Soucie) writes:
>Terry Thiel (tlt38517@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu) writes:
>
>> I'd like to keep riding my road bike in the winter.
>> ...
>> Is it at all possible to continue riding when it gets 30 or 40 degrees?
>> ...
>> I think I could dress OK for the cold but the wind is another story.
>
>I sure hope it's okay to ride road bikes in the winter, because I have and
>do. I generally dress as if I were going X-country skiing, then add a layer
>of wind-resistant something-or-other. Currently my favorite outer items are
>a Pearl Izumi Silmond jacket (the brilliant yellow/green color), usually
>over 1 or 2 capilene shirts, and a pair of old Hind Goretex panelled
>tights. Down to about 30 degrees I can get away with just a fleece earband
>under the helmet. Booties, long-fingered gloves, clear glasses.

30 or 40 degrees, you call that winter, Hah! We call that the first
day of fall here in Massachusetts! Yes, we are already experiencing
those temps right here. I thought it got pretty cold in Illinois, but
I guess not...

Anyway, I agree with Mark. Dress as if for X-country skiing. Use lots of
layers of breathable fabric. Stay away from things like cotton sweatshirts.
You will just sweat in those and then freeze to death from the dampness.

I start out with a Thermax (or similar fabric) sweater, shorts and a
pair of bib-tights. The bibs are important, because they cover your
back! I use ladies bibs which come up high in the front too for added
warmth as well as comfort.  For cold dry rides, I add a wool sweater -
tigher weave for colder temps. Add long fingered gloves, wool hat or
ear band, thermax socks and booties.

If it's cold, I'll add leg warmers or long underwear under the tights. 

If it's really cold, or wet, I use rain pants and jacket. I have a new
pair of rain pants from REI that have a very clever design. They have 
suspenders incorporated in the design, are cut high in the back and there
is no elastic in the front, just a little in the back. They stay on, 
and are not binding in the waist. They weren't cheap, but I LOVE them.

A good rain jacket will have good ventilation - zippers under the arms
and a vent in the back. Zipping and unzipping the jacket can help
regulate temperature. A jacket is useful in the wind.

Gloves, booties and hats are very important. I have several different 
pairs of gloves for different temp ranges. For single digit weather, 
I use ski mittens, but for 50 degree weather, I use neoprene gloves
or silk glove liners.

Silk has very good insulating properties, BTW. 

I have winter shoes which are larger than my regular shoes, so I can
get heavier socks in them, and then add booties. My feet are my most
vulnerable area. I am constantly searching for better booties.

For moderate cold I use a headband to cover my ears, as it gets really
cold, I go with a wool hat, ski goggles and face mask. I started using
a face mask when commuting this year and found that it really lowered
my tolerable commuting temperature significantly.

Oh, the temps for our October Century this Sunday are expected to be
in the 40's. We are doing one on Mt. Desert Island, put on by the
Maine Freewheelers.

-- 
Pamela Blalock                                     pamela@keps.kodak.com
Kodak Electronic Printing Systems, Inc             9 down, 3 to go!
164 Lexington Road, Billerica, MA 01821-3984       BMB mixed tandem finisher!
From: randyf@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (Randy Flaming)
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1992 22:36:53 GMT
Subject: Re: how to patch a tube--cheap
Organization: Hewlett Packard - Boise, ID