Giving it another try but!!!!

[The Jogger]

Now having an ankle injury and not able to jog for nearly 2 weeks, I decided I needed to get the bike out of the greenhouse.
Blew the tyres up but were probably no different than before, (yesterday btw) put on my running tracksters, a long sleeved running top and a cycle jacket, used some old running trainers which are made to let in air brrrrr. It was raining but was a nice 8 miler, although the results for that ride on my garmin were not as good as I got in Sept for the same ride, heart rate a bit higher and a couple of minutes slower. Just shows how quickly you can get out of condition. I got back a bit wet and didn't notice how dirty the bike got until this morning when I went out for a hilly 10 miler. This time I added a balaclava as a neck scarf thing and had fingerless cycle gloves. God it was cold, my legs were cold and my toes were freezing when I got home although was sweating a bit up top, even though I had the wick away tops on as a base layer.

So, how do I keep warm. Should I put long johns on under the tracksters, do cycle shoes make a difference or put on 2 pair of socks. On the hill today, according to the garmin the elevation was 350' for 3/4 of a mile I had to snake up some of it as it was so steep and the chain slipped in first gear. For cleaning the bike I just put some cream cleaner in a bucket of warm water and washed it down, sprayed the chain and sprockets with GT something or other.
Sorry about the stupid questions.
Cheers
Roy

PS: Kizibu's thread 'where from here' inspired me back on the bike.....

 

[RedBike]

So, how do I keep warm.

Layers.
Something wind-proof is often a major advantage when it's this cold.

With the obvious exception of winter specific cycling shoes most cycling shoes are designed with warm summer days in mind. They're far from warm or water-proof. The secret is to use thick socks and overshoes.

Your cleaning regime sounds fine to me. You need to make sure you wash all the salt off then spray something onto the steel bits (GT85) that displaces the water.

 

[RedBike]

If it's say +2c and you're travelling at 30mph downhill then the wind chill will make it feel like -6. This is why it's important to use wind-proof fabrics

http://www.britishweatherservices.co.uk/calculator.htm

 

[The Jogger]

So use the GT85 on the chain, sprocket and tubes???
Cheers Redbike for the reply btw

 

[RedBike]

Tubes, as in the bike frame? There's not much point applying it to none moving painted parts. They wont rust and they can't seize. You'll find that your bolt heads will though.

There's nothing wrong with using GT85 on the chain /sprocket provided you realise it's highly likely to remove any other lubricat you've got on these parts.
Although GT85 does act as a lubricant itself, it is easily washed /wiped off so it's not ideal for lubricating something like a chain.

When I can be bothered I wash the chain, spray gt85 on it to remove excess water then wipe the GT85 off and apply finish line green lubricant.

 

[fossyant]

For the body.... in sub 3-4c temps I use a thermal windproof top (not the plasticy ones - breathable stuff) and usually just one sub layer, and in the very cold, cycling tights that have windproof section on the thighs - this stuff looks like normal cycling kit, just slightly thicker. I can manage with normal tights or ron hill bikesters at above 5c fine. Then it's two base layers and a standard long sleve top.

Modern fabrics are fabulous - I remember going out in 5 layers of tops in the freezing cold many years ago.....now it's just a base layer and the windproof