Is frost bite possible on a bike ? - must have come close today !

[Smokin Joe]

If the fingers and toes start to freeze up I get off and walk around for a few minutes to get the circulation going again. Good overshoes and glove liners are best for very cold weather.

 

[jay clock]

Even with Merino socks and thick neoprene overshoes just now I was cold after 1h30 but not painfully so. I now always use overshoes up to about 5-6 degrees. I also have some [fake] goretex style ones that I am tempted to wear over the top of the neoprene ones!

 

[copper585]

frost bite

took my 14 year lad out for his first ride on his new racing bike, we were both togged out with full winter kit,proper gloves woolen socks overshoes base layer the works, however only went out in helmets with no skull caps as it didnt seem to bad.went out at 12 and he rode well we maintained an average of 15 mph for the first hour.

we came to the main days descent were i can do 48mph ( determined to get to 50!) i told him to take it steady and he followed me about 20ft behind we did 41mph, jesus christ it was so cold, was so painful like tiny daggers in my head and face, i had to cover my face with one hand just to stop the pain!

we carried on he appeared quite strong was enjoying himself riding well.then he blew about 15 miles from home and our speed plummeted to crawling along at 10mph he was freewheeling at every oportunity complaining of the cold and his muscles didnt work! he wouldnt listen to the keep pedaling you will be warmer talk!

by this time both our water bottles had frozen solid! it was that cold! never in 27 years of cycling have i experienced that! i managed to cajole him home for the remainding miles with the promise of a mars bar at the next village shop, good job as just prior to this, our last climb of the day, whilst out of the saddle he cried "my muscles wont work" stopped pedling and went timber! straight over.he got up and cried on to his prize of a mars bar and luckily was down hill all way home.

due to the slow speeds we were absolutely freezing the wife thought i was joking the bottles had frozen till she felt it, i then got the "yes well my car said it was minus one" speech.

luckily this first ride experience has not put him off and hopefully if warmer we are off out again on monday.i think he now realises what i mean by suffering and that footballers dont come close to cyclists in training/racing!

 

[mrfacetious]

Get the Met Office weather gadget add on for Firefox and set it for your nearest station. They update it every hour.

thanks for that mate!!!!
had an awful ride the other day
only -1*C but didn't have any breakfast before I left and only got 5 hours sleep. So on top of my fingers becoming ice lollies i was giddy and sick. Nice. Lesson learned on that one.

timber! straight over

oh my god :|

 

[jimboalee]

Rode a 100km on Tuesday.
Started at 06:00. Solihull was minus 2 C.
Got even colder down by the river at Stratford; and didn't warm up to zero before midday, when I finished.

I don't wear overshoes. I have a pair of Marks & Spencer 'Intrepid' Socks from a few years back.
I wear wooly Thinsulate gloves.
The coldest parts of me were my cheeks and eyebrows.

My toes did feel cold riding against the wind between Evesham and Stratford, but I've been colder.

The ride was a test for my new PowerMonkey. It powered my Garmin Edge for the whole trip on 40% backlight no problems at all.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

i'd agree you need to check the weather, not just where you are but where you're going as well.
i went out for a steady 50 mile ride with 4 layers on top, thermal longs,thermal balaclava, diadora winter boots ( no need for overshoes with these so far) and some marmot glade mitts i've just got. warm as toast but completely covered in frost/ice.
began to wonder if i'd made the right descision when i noticed my eyelashes had iced up after about 20 miles,

Too much Maybelline volumatic mascara?

 

[Mortiroloboy]

took my 14 year lad out for his first ride on his new racing bike, we were both togged out with full winter kit,proper gloves woolen socks overshoes base layer the works, however only went out in helmets with no skull caps as it didnt seem to bad.went out at 12 and he rode well we maintained an average of 15 mph for the first hour.

we came to the main days descent were i can do 48mph ( determined to get to 50!) i told him to take it steady and he followed me about 20ft behind we did 41mph, jesus christ it was so cold, was so painful like tiny daggers in my head and face, i had to cover my face with one hand just to stop the pain!

we carried on he appeared quite strong was enjoying himself riding well.then he blew about 15 miles from home and our speed plummeted to crawling along at 10mph he was freewheeling at every oportunity complaining of the cold and his muscles didnt work! he wouldnt listen to the keep pedaling you will be warmer talk!

by this time both our water bottles had frozen solid! it was that cold! never in 27 years of cycling have i experienced that! i managed to cajole him home for the remainding miles with the promise of a mars bar at the next village shop, good job as just prior to this, our last climb of the day, whilst out of the saddle he cried "my muscles wont work" stopped pedling and went timber! straight over.he got up and cried on to his prize of a mars bar and luckily was down hill all way home.

due to the slow speeds we were absolutely freezing the wife thought i was joking the bottles had frozen till she felt it, i then got the "yes well my car said it was minus one" speech.

luckily this first ride experience has not put him off and hopefully if warmer we are off out again on monday.i think he now realises what i mean by suffering and that footballers dont come close to cyclists in training/racing!

Similar experience coming down off the Ridgeway on Tuesday morning I had a headband on under my helmet, but my face was still chilled to the bone and my feet were cold, so cold even with thermal socks and neoprene overshoes on.

 

[mikeyw]

Frostbite in England,,, You're joking

http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/air/wintersevere/windchill.en.html

Study this.

Then laugh at yourself.

Oi Cheeky boy - I reckon the windchill was getting up towards -20C as I said.....that's not a million miles away from frost bite temperatures

 

[mikeyw]

took my 14 year lad out for his first ride on his new racing bike, we were both togged out with full winter kit,proper gloves woolen socks overshoes base layer the works, however only went out in helmets with no skull caps as it didnt seem to bad.went out at 12 and he rode well we maintained an average of 15 mph for the first hour.

we came to the main days descent were i can do 48mph ( determined to get to 50!) i told him to take it steady and he followed me about 20ft behind we did 41mph, jesus christ it was so cold, was so painful like tiny daggers in my head and face, i had to cover my face with one hand just to stop the pain!

we carried on he appeared quite strong was enjoying himself riding well.then he blew about 15 miles from home and our speed plummeted to crawling along at 10mph he was freewheeling at every oportunity complaining of the cold and his muscles didnt work! he wouldnt listen to the keep pedaling you will be warmer talk!

by this time both our water bottles had frozen solid! it was that cold! never in 27 years of cycling have i experienced that! i managed to cajole him home for the remainding miles with the promise of a mars bar at the next village shop, good job as just prior to this, our last climb of the day, whilst out of the saddle he cried "my muscles wont work" stopped pedling and went timber! straight over.he got up and cried on to his prize of a mars bar and luckily was down hill all way home.

due to the slow speeds we were absolutely freezing the wife thought i was joking the bottles had frozen till she felt it, i then got the "yes well my car said it was minus one" speech.

luckily this first ride experience has not put him off and hopefully if warmer we are off out again on monday.i think he now realises what i mean by suffering and that footballers dont come close to cyclists in training/racing!

Lovely story ....i'm glad i'm not been a wimp, as you say the coldest ride in 27yrs.....that'll do for me...bloody cold it was !!