Cold Feet

On or off the bike, my feet get cold in October, and they stay that way until sometime in May.

I’m not talking about “cold feet” as a synonym for cowardice.  I mean my feet are cold.  It’s not intolerable cold, just a sate of not being warm.  It gets worse as soon as I go outside, and even more so as soon as I saddle up.

This isn’t a particularly age-related thing.  My feet, and to a lesser degree, my hands get cold quickly.  Advancing age has only aggravated the situation.

To this add, on the bike, our hands and feet are out in the wind.  More, our bike pedals are most excellent “heat sinks.”  They are made from good metals that conduct heat very well.  Add to that, cycling shoes are not well insulated.

Even Winter cycling boots, which I most certainly do use, are not all that great for this kind of thing.  Here’s a question.  Why doesn’t somebody make a cycling equivalent of my Wolverines?  Honestly, in the colder months I’m not all that concerned with going fast.  Trust me on this; no one is as fast in cold weather.  I am rather more interested in getting there, and doing so without incurring a cold injury.

In recent years I’ve developed a different standard for cold weather rides.  If someone asks,  “How was the ride?” to a large extent my answer will be based on the “Foot Chill Scale.”

The Foot Chill Scale (FCS) is the result of a complex set of interactions.  Basically it works as follows.

Feet Warm = Excellent!

Feet cool = Okay

Feet Moderately cold = Not Bad

Feet Cold = So-So

Feet Very Cold = Could have been better

Feet Extremely Cold = Not Ideal

Toes Hurt From Cold = It sucked

Toes Numb and Feet Hurt = Rotten stinking I HATE IT!

Ride discontinued and medical help summoned due to cold injury of feet =  (Fill in blank with appropriate profanity)

The problem with the FCS is that it is a rating of the result of an action.  It doesn’t predict a thing.

Here’s how it works.  I look at the weather forecast for the projected time and area of the ride.  I look outside.  I check the current temperature.  I read deep into the NOAA model data.  I check the winds aloft and the satellite overheads.  Once I’ve assembled all of that data, I consider carefully my options of liner socks, various thicknesses of insulating socks, chemical foot warmers, Winter cycling boots, boot covers, tights, leg warmers, jackets, gloves, hats, helmet covers, and wind shells.  Then I make a guess.

So, the FCS is a method of rating just how accurate my guessing is.  If I hit it right, if I manage to make an accurate prediction of the conditions and match my gear to them well, then I end up with a high FCS score.  That score is more a means of determining two things, 1)  That it is Winter and it is cold.  2) How well I am dealing with the situation.

I can usually avoid hypothermia.  I know how to keep the core temp up, and am most often successful at it.  Keeping hands and feet warm is the challenge.

Strike that.  My feet aren’t going to be warm.  Like I said, October to May, they’re cold.  Comfortable doesn’t apply either.  I like warm feet.  I must admit (with a sigh of resignation) my goal is to maintain the level of least discomfort.

What’s your Winter Challenge?

Friday Follies ~~ Cold!

It had been a hard Winter, and was then only in the early part of February.  Much more to come.  We’d been through a long stretch of rough weather.  The pattern had been evil and relentless.

It would warm, just slightly.  The daytime highs would inch up to just above freezing.  Then it would get cloudy, chilly, and nasty out for a day.  Then the rain would start.  It would rain (mixed with freezing rain) for four to six hours.  The rain temps would drop and the rain would turn to snow.  A lot of snow.  The storm would pass, and the high that followed would leave us with clear sky, but also with plunging temperatures.  The cycle would repeat.  Each repetition of the pattern would take four or five days.

I rode.  I rode when I wasn’t digging out from the latest snow.  I rode in the awful rains.  I rode (but not well) in the snow.  I rode the rollers.  I rode on the bitterly cold clear days.

The day came when the pattern seemed to break.  The clear cold gave way to slightly warmer days, but it didn’t cloud up.  I conceived an idea born of Winter madness.  I would ride out and visit the top of “my mountain.”

I call it my mountain, not because I own it, but rather because I’ve always had a deep connection with it.  I’ve climbed it on a bike, and on foot.  I’ve driven to the top on many occasions.  I’ve stood on the ultimate summit and stared deep into the night skies.  I’ve watched the Sun rise from that summit, and watched it set there.  On two occasions I’ve seen the “green flash” at sunset, while standing on that summit.  It is a place that exists and pulls at me.  I need to go there.

At that time, in that Winter, I felt the pull, the need.  I hadn’t been on a ride longer than an hour and a half in over a month, and I could not remember when I’d last been up in the high country.  The roads were clear, and while it wasn’t exactly warm, it wasn’t too cold either.

I was in motion even as I was deciding to go.  I grabbed a small loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese, and stuffed them in a jersey pocket.  I filled two bottles, pulled on some more clothing, pumped tires, and I was rolling.

The approach ride was 16 miles long.  It warmed me and cooled me.  Each hill was a bit warmer than the last.  I pulled my jacket off and tied it around my waist.  The short fast descents, between the banks of plowed snow were bracingly chilly.  (That should have been a warning.)

I passed an entrance to the George Washington National Forrest, and the climb began in earnest.  I noticed that the sky had cleared completely.  I gave thought to what a clear and perfect day it was to summit my mountain.  Then I was focused on the long hard climb.

The climb was good.  The first part had me moving in and out of sunlight, and I warmed wonderfully.  But then…

There is this place, a fork in the road.  Go left, on the better pavement, and you descend into West Virginia.  Go right, on the rougher surface, and the grade pitches up sharply.  It’s completely exposed there, and the wind lashes at you.  That’s the summit road.  The last two miles are a struggle under the best of conditions.

On that day, the wind was strong, and cold.  No shelter.  It stole the warmth out of my body.  I had to dismount for the last 100 yards, but I’d made it.  I was standing at the summit, over 6,000 feet above sea level, higher than anything within sight.  The wind was incredible!  I had no way of knowing what the temperature was, but the word “cold” was hopelessly inadequate.

I propped the bike and found the footpath on the south side of the summit.  Once down from the top a few yards, the mountain blocked the wind, and the Sun, shining up from the south, provided a bit of welcome warming.  I crouched there, rubbing my hands, restoring circulation.

As soon as I could, I went back up to the top and remounted the bike.  I could not stay there long, much though I wanted to.

Descending, usually a joy, was tough.  The wind rushing by, ripped anything like heat from me.  I was going hypothermic before I got down to the fork.  Most of the trip down the mountain was agony.  I was trembling so badly that I could barely control the bike.  The temptation to brake was irresistible.  It took a subjective eternity to get down to the lower slopes of the mountain.

It was a joy to finally get down far enough so that it was possible to turn the cranks again, possible to work and make some heat.  I have no recollection of the rest of the ride home.  I know that when I arrived, I hit the shower, and then the bed, bundled under every blanket I owned.  I would not re-visit my beloved mountain again until Spring.  Cold had been defined.  It was a place I was not welcomed in.

Solstice

It’s the shortest daylight day of the year.  Congratulations!  We’ve made it to Solstice.  This is the day when the sun stops it’s southward plunge.  For the next six months each day is a bit longer than the one before.

On Winter Solstice, it always seems to me, the world takes a pause, draws in its breath, and then expells a deep sigh.  Most of the Winter is ahead of us, but we have made it this far.  Trials and troubles are always around the corner, things are never “all right,” but we will make the most of it.  We’ll be alright.

The long night is tonight.  We (some of us, anyway) will be celebrating it on bikes indoors.  I for one, will manage to go outside, on a bike, for at least a little while, on this night.  Likely that ride will be near midnight.  Rain or not.  I will ride to a quiet place, dismount, and walk into the trees.  It’s then that next Summer’s riding begins.  I’ll remember last Summer’s Solstice Celebration Night Ride.  I will pause and savor the sleep of the forest.  I’ll dedicate myself to the road ahead, then remount and ride back to light, warmth, and the coming holidays.

Two more Spin Classes before Christmas!  The last one, on this coming Thursday at 6:00 P.M., is always a special one.  We have a lot of fun, and the music is designed to match the festive spirit.  I promise, I’ll publish a playlist after the class.  (I always want this one to be a surprise.)

Christmas is almost here!  Need I say more.  Who is getting a new bike for Christmas?  Who already has?  What goodies will be under the tree?  Who’s going riding on that day.  “Hail thee festival day, we greet thee, with joy on this happy morning!”

The very good news for outdoors folk, is that it gets better now.  Most likely the extreme cold we just experienced is behind us, and won’t be repeated this year.  We’ll continue to ride the “hamsterbikes” as necessary, and a fair number of us will go out and ride the Penance Ride, on 1 January.

May the Solstice Bells ring out for us all, this night and ever.

Ride Report: Where is everybody?

Yesterday was the first of this season’s Dawn Patrol rides.  According to plan, we would meet at the Fayetteville IHOP, and start riding at 05:00.

I set up everything, made my preparations the night before, and went to bed early.  I got up and got geared up for a cool and dark ride.  I rode over to the IHOP, and arrived at 04:51.  No one was in the parking lot.  I orbited and stood until 05:05.  By then I figured that anyone who was going to show, was there.  I counted.  There was exactly one rider.  Me.  And the wind was picking up.

So I started riding.

Yes, it was a bit on the cool side.  I think the temp at ride time was around 40 degrees F.  The wind was strong and steady from the north, wo there was a significant chill factor.

It was dark.  Virtually no traffic was moving through the silent streets.

There were a lot of clouds overhead, so the temps didn’t drop much.  It was good to ride alone.  I had a lot of thinking time available, and I didn’t need to adjust my pace to match any other riders.  I would have liked to have some company, but I was content to be out there alone.

A bit before 07:00, the sky started to lighten up.  At just after 07:30, I was treated to an incredible sunrise.  Lots of clouds, but a lot of color, and a burst of clear sunshine just at the dawn.  The coffee, at Starbucks was hot and very good.  More, there was the usual commentary.  “How long have you been riding?”  And,  “Isn’t it cold out there?”  And,  “Why?”

Maybe next time, I’ll have some company.  It would be nice.  These are challenging rides, but they are fun.

By the way, the post ride pancakes tasted fantastic.

NOTES: 

Please see tomorrow’s post for a wrap on the Toys for Tots project.

More Training Info will be available in Wednesday’s post.

Weather Riding: The Three Important Things

There is no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing choices.

So we’re starting to deal with cold riding.  (It was 26 flippin’ degrees on Sunday morning!!)

Let’s review the basics.  If you want to stay warm and comfortable on the bike, there are three things that your clothing must do for you.

Block Wind

Trap an insulating layer of air

Transport moisture away from your body

There.  That sounds simple enough.  But the problem is that these three essentials tend to conflict with each other.  For instance, really effective wind blockers tend to not be too breathable, and thus they tend to trap moisture.

Stuff that traps air close to the body helps keep you warm, but if it traps moisture you will get cold.  And so on.

This is where the combination of technical fabrics and layering come in.

I’m going to go out now and try it.  I’ll be back later to report.

Okay!  I’m happy to report that the whole layering thing still works.  Yes, I started out overdressed, but I was carrying a bag, and was able to shed the extra stuff.  (More on that later.)

Is all that fancy “Bicycle Specific” stuff really necessary?  The answer is, emphatically, YES!!  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First off, cyclists move in ways that folks in other outdoor activities don’t.  We are largely stationary from the hips up, but our legs must be in constant motion, with minimum restriction.  Second, cyclist move.  We generate our own windchill.  Runners have different problems.  For them, it’s often difficult to shed heat.  For us, not so much.

Examine a good high quality cold weather riding jacket.  Notice that it likely has panels on the front that are wind blockers, but the rear panels are made of softer, fuzzy type fabrics.  This is to allow it to breath, without losing heat to impact wind.  We find similar touches throughout the wardrobe.  The good stuff costs more, but there are reasons for that.  Honest, your running sweatpants and such won’t work as well.

Layering Made Simple: 

• Base Layer:  Polypro or other wicking layer.  (Not cotton!!!)
• Mid Layer:  Micro fleece to trap insulating warm air.
• Top Layer:  Wind shell.

(There’s that “Three Important Things” from the title.)

When it gets really cold out, we just double up on the layers.  We begin with the base layer, and double it, then add mid layers as necessary.

Finally, a few notes on the technique of dressing for cooler weather, and for riding in it.

Principles:

• It’s not as cold as you think.
• Keep your head warm
• Dress so that you are a little bit cool when you get on the bike
• Be prepared to make clothing “adjustments” along the way
• You will be slower in the cold
• Get descents over with quickly
• Don’t restrict circulation

And two useful hints:

1)   Get dressed in stages.  Don’t put all your cold weather clothing on at once, while inside a heated building.  If you do, you will start sweating, and then you will chill very quickly when you go outside.  Instead, pull on the base layer, and possibly a mid layer top, then move into the garage (where it’s cooler) to complete putting on the mid layer.  Take your bike outside, and then finish putting on the outer layers.

2)   Sunlight helps you, clouds make it feel cooler, and night riding cooler still.  At the same temps, you need less insulation on a sunny day than on a cloudy one.  Wind chills you more too.  Always allow for the current conditons.

Do use a skull cap or balaclava.  Something like 70% of your body’s heat loss is through the head, and helmets are designed to help you lose heat.  When it gets really cold, think about blocking the forward vents on your helmet.  You can do this with a helmet cover,or by applying duct tape over the vents.  (Remember, Winter riding is about riding and surviving, but not about looking cool!)

If you are warm when you first get on the bike, you are overdressed.  As soon as you start riding, you will make more heat, then sweat.  Then you chill.  If you’re not sure, carry some extra clothing with you.  You can always put it on if needed.

Consider the time of day.  In the morning, temps are rising.  You may need to stop and make a clothing adjustment as the day warms.  In the late afternoon, temps are falling, again, you may need to stop and add a layer.  Expect a sharp drop in aparrent temp about a half hour after sunset.

In colder weather, always carry four chemical warmers with you.  You can activate them and use them to warm hands and feet.

Wear looser shoes.  Thick socks, inside tight shoes, will restrict circulation, and then your feet get really cold.

Do a lot of testing!  Keep your initial cold weather rides short, 10 to 15 miles.  These distances allow you to test various gear combinations.  They are long enough for you to make a determination about whether you have over or under dressed, but if you’ve made a mistake, you aren’t far from home, and you won’t be in too much trouble.

Friday Follies ~~ Winter Mountain Biking

Winter is coming.  I think we can all feel it.  We’re enjoying a truly spectacular Autumn, but we know that it won’t last.  It will get colder, and darker.

Over the many years, I’ve suggested that one great way to get some Winter cycling done is to go mountain biking.  There are a lot of arguments for this.  The speeds are not as great, so one doesn’t encounter as much wind chill.  In among the trees there is more wind shelter too.  Mountain biking subjects us to steeper climbs, so we tend to make more body heat.  That helps too.

There are more serious aspects.  Mountain biking, off road, cross-country riding develops and hones bike handling skills.  Those skills just could come in handy on the road.

But more than any practical reason, it is just plain fun to get outside, into the woods, and play on a bike!

A good friend of mine is a pretty dedicated mountain bike rider.  Jim is an all around good guy, but he loves to get out into the back woods, preferably in the mountains.

Jim is a good bike handler.  He is not a crazy-nuts dare devil, but he has good skills.  More, he has an unusual talent.  Jim finds water.  He likes to get wet, and he has a positive genius for finding stream crossings.  Go riding with Jim, and you come back with wet feet.  I haven’t done this, but I am certain that, if Jim and I went for an off-road ride in the Mojave Desert, he would find a way to get us into water.  It would turn out that the stream was too wide to portage, and there would be no other way around it.

I should add, temperature does not deter this man.  I have been with him when it was in the mid-30s, and there were were, up to our knees in a wide stream crossing.  Ice was floating by, and Jim was grinning his head off.

Now I am not averse to water.  I know how to dress for cold temps.  But the combination of wet and cold is pretty tough.  Yet, my friend Jim seems to thrive on it.

A couple of years ago, Jim and I led a group on a mountain bike adventure weekend.  It was a blast.  It was in the late Fall, and it was up in the north Georgia mountains.  We hit Smith Gall woods.  Multiple stream fordings.  Deep water.  Chilly morning.  We even managed to find some wet stuff in Unicoi State Park.  I have this memory of stopping to pull my winter riding boots off and drain them, ring my socks out, and pull the whole sodden mess back on.

It’s been a while since Jim and I managed to coordinate schedules and get into the woods together.  It’s getting cooler out.  I’m thinking about going off-road riding.  I guess it’s about time to get my feet wet again.

Seasons Advance

Seems in always happens this way, and it’s always a jolt.  Here in our part of the world, the shift from Summer to Autumn gives us plenty of warning, and then it pounces on us.  Folks riding the Six Gap Century this past Sunday certainly got a strong notice.  It rained, and was quite cool.  Here in the Atlanta area, we just got the news today.

The sudden shift from lows in the 70s, to the low 50s does seem a bit extreme.  My pre-dawn excursion this morning was brisk.  In the dark and with lots of moisture still on the ground from the recent rains, the mid-fifty temps seemed cooler than they actually were.  It’s time to start pulling out the cold weather gear.

We won’t need the heavy stuff for a while yet, but I should have been in tights this morning.  I do not like finishing a ride with goose bumps and shivvers.  Arm warmers and a light wind vest were not enough.  Open finger gloves were completely inadequate.  It was a bracing ride.

So, the season is truly upon us.  It won’t take full hold for a while yet, but the inevitable is near.  It is time to pack away most of the summer weight jerseys, and time to pull out the weather clothes.  Time to inspect and inventory.  What needs repair?  What needs replacing?  What should be readily to hand?

Looks like this will be a temperate day with a high in the 70s.  The leaves are starting their turn.  The night sky advances toward the Winter constellations.  It’s no secret that I do not like cold, and yet, I relish the challenge that this season presents.  Let’s all go forward, into this time, and make the utter most of it.

Thursday Thoughts ~~ Seasonal Changes

There are various rites and rituals that mark the passage of the year.

Cyclists and other outdoors types have their own rituals, triggered by the seasonal changes.  I’m involved in one of those right now.  It’s the annual “Changing of the Wardrobe.”

Each year, as the Autumn advances, it becomes necessary to bring out more and more technical riding clothing.  It starts with arm warmers and vests.  By the end of December, I usually have the full range of Winter equipment out of storage, and in rotation.

Come Spring, it’s time to begin to gather stuff up, clean it, and put it away.  I’ve learned not to do this all at once.  On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense to keep everything out.  That’s kind of like leaving the Christmas lights up until Easter.

It’s complicated by our climate.  It’s an odd thing.  Here, in north Georgia, the seasons arrive exactly on time.  But inside the seasonal changes, we get weather.  To understand that last statement, consider what Robert Heinlein once said.  “Climate is what you expect.  Weather is what you get.”  My brethren and sistern, let me tell you, we do get us some weather here.  In early Spring, it’s not unusual for us to have heating and cooling degree days on the same day.  I’ve seen days that started with the temps in the low 40s, and raining, turn into sunny and 80s.

Those contortions require a bit more in the way of riding gear than just a jersey and shorts.  Still, it does warm up.

So I’ve found some useful guidelines.  When the temperature gets into the 80s and does it for three or four days (not necessarily in a row), it’s safe to put the heaviest stuff into storage.  The Winter boots, chemical warmers, heavy gloves, heavy tights, and thermal underwear can go.

I always wait until after the thermometer hits 90.  After that, I figure it’s safe to round up all the full finger gloves, the medium weight tights, the heavy jerseys, and the heavy foul weather jackets.  But I still keep a couple pair of arm warmers, some light tights, a wind vest, a light windshell jacket, and a couple of light skull caps.  I never put the light rain jacket, and helmet cover away.  But I do make sure I have plenty of sunscreen out.

I don’t put all the cool weather gear away until it hits 95 a couple of times.  And I always have a couple pairs of medium weight wool socks available.

Think that sounds a bit goofy?  I used my light tights on yesterday morning’s early ride, and my hands got pretty cold in fingerless gloves.  (Should have kept one pair of windshell gloves out!)

There are parts of this country where folks don’t have to consider stuff like this.  Southern California has a very reliable climate.  So (usually) does south Florida.  But here in north Georgia, we have to think about weather and clothing.

Wonderful Product:

Bar Mitts!

I don’t often “plug” specific products.  So far, I’ve kept this blog non-commercial.  In that sense, I mean that I am not selling advertising, nor am I accepting any kind of compensation for the things I post here.  So when I show you a specific product, and endorse it, it means I have used the thing.  I’ve used it, at my expense, and I report what I find.

A friend introduced me to Bar Mitts ™ last year.  It was late enough in the Winter so I barely had a chance to try them out.  I was favorably impressed.  This year, I’ve used them.  I’ve used them a lot.  I think they are absolutely wonderful.

Winter cycling presents me with two particular problem areas, my hands and feet.  I can keep just about everything else warm enough to function.  But my hands and feet suffer.  I’ve tried countless combinations of gloves.  The best I’ve been able to accomplish is tolerably uncomfortable.  But with these...

My hands stay toastie warm.  I do use gloves with them.  But usually much lighter gloves.

And they come in a flat bar model too, suitable for mountain bikes, hybrids, and fitness bikes.

They are made of neoprene.  They block the wind, and are waterproof.  They come in three sizes.  Sizing depends on your size, not the size of the bike.  If you have big hands and arms, you want the large ones.  The idea is to fill the opening, to limit wind penetration.  (I use the mediums.)  Price is close to $60.00.  I’ve spent a lot more for gloves, individually, not to mention multiples, and chemical warmers.  These are a bargain!

We still have a good bit of cold weather ahead of us this year.  If cold hands are keeping you off the bike, this just might be your answer.  And yes we can get these things for you in the shop.

Thursday Thoughts ~~ Layering: A Replay

Cold Weather Riding (redux)

I’ve had a lot of discussion of this lately, so I’m reprinting an article I wrote for randonnuers on dressing and preparing for cold weather riding. Hope this is helpful.

So you’re facing the prospect of the coming Winter. It’s going to get cooler. If you don’t want to be confined to indoor work and cabin fever, you are going to have to get outside under chilly conditions. This is actually a good thing. I can almost guarantee that at some point in the coming season, you will deal with the cold. Probably for longer than you would wish to.

Basic Cold Weather Principles:

1. You must fuel to ride in the cold.
2. No one rides as fast in the winter. (And they shouldn’t!)
3. Hydration is just as important in cold weather. (Maybe more so.)
4. If you’re warm when you first get on the bike you are over dressed. (And you will regret it.)
5. Staying warm consists of “The Unholy Trinity.” A) Transport moisture away from the body. B) Trap an insulating layer of air. C) Block air
6. Layering is your friend.
7. More than 75% of your body’s cooling takes place through your head
8. Cold weather clothing should not be too tight! (Restricting circulation to the extremities makes them colder!)

How to layer; the basics:

Look at point 5 above. Those are your basic “layers.” This is what “layering” is all about. First there is the base layer of technical wicking fabric which moves moisture away from your body. Next is the mid layer of micro fleece or fleece, to trap a barrier of warm insulating air between you and the outside. Last is the top layer which is designed to block wind, while “breathing” to allow moisture to leave you. It is possible, and often desirable to double up on the mid layers when conditions are colder. That’s it. “Layering” in a nutshell. Oh, one other thing… Do not use cotton in any part of your cold weather wardrobe. Cotton absorbs moisture, and holds it. You might as well strap ice packs next to your skin.

When to wear what:

First you have to establish your personal “Set Point.” This is the temperature at which you first wish you were wearing more clothing than your summer riding gear. It’s an individual item and varies greatly from one person to the next. But once you’ve established yours, you can then use it to figure how to dress for just about any temp. Below is a good guide to how to “layer up,” based on your individual set point. (All temps are given in degrees Fahrenheit)

• Set Point & higher -> shorts, summer jersey, helmet, socks (optional), fingerless gloves
• Set Point -5⁰ -> add polypro undershirt, arm warmers, knee warmers
• Set Point -10⁰ -> add wind vest, socks
• Set Point -15⁰ -> add wind jacket, do rag or skull cap, full fingered light gloves, remove light jersey and add long sleeve jersey
• Set Point -20⁰ -> Add light tights & windshell
• Set Point -25⁰ -> Sub long sleeve polypro for short sleeve, add second jersey, or light fleece, outer glove, medium weight tights, wool socks, shoe covers
• Set Point -30⁰ -> Add skull cap & helmet cover, use medium and light tights, windvest and windshell, heavy gloves, wool socks, shoe covers
• Set Point -35⁰ -> Consider balaclava to replace skull cap, long sleeve polypro, fleece jersey, fleece vest, Heavy tights and knee warmers, wool socks and liner socks, heavy jacket, heavy gloves. Consider chemical hand and foot warmers, along with balaclava, and helmet cover
• Set Point --40⁰ -> Helmet cover, Balaclava, long polypro, heavy under-jersey, fleece jersey, fleece vest, heavy jacket, heavy gloves with heaters, shorts, light tights, knee warmers, heavy tights, liner socks, wool socks, heaters, shoe covers.

Conditions will constantly change. This means you will need to carry more clothing than you need. It also means you will adjust your clothing (add/remove layers, open/close vents) almost constantly throughout each ride.

And there’s another implication here. You have to carry a way to carry your extra clothing. This could be a rack and bag, a back pack, a trailer, a follow car (although I personally tend to frown on this one), or some other means of hauling cargo.

Cold Weather Technique Considerations: How you dress and what you carry depend on the conditions you expect to face and the time you are starting to ride. Beginning a ride in the evening requires different planning from one begun in the early morning.

Start time counts. Yes, there are days when frontal movement can do tricky things. We’ve all seen them. The “high” for the day occurs at dawn, and noon is considerably colder. Conversely, we’ve seen times when an advancing front causes warming after sunset. The norm, however, is that it warms after dawn, and cools down in the afternoon and evening.

If you start riding before dawn, expect to drop layers after the sun rises. But be prepared! Remember, the coldest hour of the night is the one right after the sun rises.

When planning a ride that will continue into the night hours, always carry extra clothing. I’ve had many occasions when, two hours after sunset, I was getting pretty chilled. Simply pulling on a wind jacket and a pair of glove shells made a world of difference.

Expect the unexpected. Our climate is capable of some pretty wild gyrations. It can get unexpectedly cooler, almost without warning. A sudden warm up is usually not a problem, but a sudden cool down can be serious.

Always let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back.

Have a “Plan B,” an alternate activity if weather is too severe to start, and a series of “bailout options,” in case it turns nasty on you.

Carry extra clothing in the late Fall and Winter.

Pack four of those chemical toe and hand warmers. They aren’t expensive, and they can make a huge difference.

Never underestimate the power and beauty of a spare pair of dry socks. (They can double as emergency mittens too!