The wrong clothes

[GrasB]

Good - so I can blame it on old age and general decrepitude!

or that you're sane & ride in a leisurely manner?

 

[paulw1969]

.
The topic of wearing shorts in winter comes up every year. I never wear shorts under 15C and pros never under 17-18C. There is a very good medical reason for this, it's called vasoconstriction, in low temperatures blood flow is restricted in limbs / extremities and joints, especially knees which will suffer damage if not kept warm for long periods. It ought to be common sense, a good analogy is the pistons in a car working without oil, yet I constantly see [mainly mountain bikers] riding in shorts in zero temps.

Hi, i know you have said it is difficult to advise people but can you expand on this a little for me? If not shorts what would you recommend? would cycling full length tights be sufficient?

 

[totallyfixed]

Hi, i know you have said it is difficult to advise people but can you expand on this a little for me? If not shorts what would you recommend? would cycling full length tights be sufficient?

I am going to have to assume that you ride alone or I guess you would have noticed what others were wearing, my apologies if I have the wrong impression. Yes, cycling tights do what they say on the tin especially Roubaix tights which are usually a bit warmer. They are worth the money and should last for years. These are ideal:
http://www.awcycles.co.uk/altura-winter-cruiser-thermal-tights.html

 

[paulw1969]

I am going to have to assume that you ride alone or I guess you would have noticed what others were wearing, my apologies if I have the wrong impression. Yes, cycling tights do what they say on the tin especially Roubaix tights which are usually a bit warmer. They are worth the money and should last for years. These are ideal:
http://www.awcycles.co.uk/altura-winter-cruiser-thermal-tights.html

no need to apologise...still waiting for my bike at the mo...but i am getting bits and pieces together......got a couple of pairs of tights already....only cheap decathalon at the mo though.

Hopefully they will be warm enough for me....will be communting about 8 miles but i am an unfit sweaty type who tends to push himself so i guess i will have to sweat up and hit the showers when i get to work.

 

[Scoosh]

I agree with the Decathlon silk liners - VG IMO -.... and I find that skiing gloves don't work for me because they are
A) too bulky
B) are designed for the hand being moved around inside them to generate warmth

When cycling, my hands are pretty static on the bars, so they (the hands ) get cold - and stay that way , especially my thumbs ! Numb thumb syndrome

<... goes to Bikes, Accessories etc to research winter gloves>

 

[GrasB]

I agree with the Decathlon silk liners - VG IMO -.... and I find that skiing gloves don't work for me because they are
A) too bulky
B) are designed for the hand being moved around inside them to generate warmth

When cycling, my hands are pretty static on the bars, so they (the hands ) get cold - and stay that way , especially my thumbs ! Numb thumb syndrome

<... goes to Bikes, Accessories etc to research winter gloves>

Might be you're trying to insulate the wrong bit of your body. Your arms may be too cold so such all off the heat out of the blood going to your hands. I often find I need an extra layer or a thicker/fleaced layer over my arms compared to my core

 

[donnyjnk]

shorts and flipflops was all you need. you would get numb very quickly and not be able to feel anything whats the issue

 

[yello]

I've also read that keeping the wrists warm helps the hands. So a winter glove that overlaps, and closes over, your jersey/base layer sleeve is a good idea - that is, layering again. Short cuff gloves in winter are not a good idea.

As I always layer wrists (and ankles for that matter), I can't say whether it's true or not!

 

[bucksgill]

I recently bough some Polaris liner gloves for a tenner. Once I got going they managed to keep my hands warm when just wearing them alone. Were a little cold to begin with but as I said they warmed up. Can recommend.

 

[GrasB]

I've also read that keeping the wrists warm helps the hands. So a winter glove that overlaps, and closes over, your jersey/base layer sleeve is a good idea - that is, layering again. Short cuff gloves in winter are not a good idea.

As I always layer wrists (and ankles for that matter), I can't say whether it's true or not!

You don't need your blood temp to drop much (we're talking 1 or 2 degree C here) before you simply can't keep your extremities warm. Gaps in your insulation layers allow cold air to get under your clothes & so you body extracts heat from the blood to keep your limbs warm. This results in a reduced blood temp reaching your extremities. Also people tend not to wear enough because their core/limbs feel warm, you actually need to over dress slightly & get a little hot & sweaty. You'll need to isolate your 'wet' layers with at least one extra windproof layer besides your top layer.

 

[yello]

You'll need to isolate your 'wet' layers with at least one extra windproof layer besides your top layer.

Or perhaps not overdress? To avoid sweat chilling.

Tbh, I've not thought of a windproof as 'layering in' (as it were) a baselayer but I can see the sense how that'd work, so long as you don't get too hot and 'boil in the bag'. All a matter of balance I expect.

 

[Norm]

Tbh, I've not thought of a windproof as 'layering in' (as it were) a baselayer but I can see the sense how that'd work, so long as you don't get too hot and 'boil in the bag'. All a matter of balance I expect.

I'm not sure about others but my windproof in only windproof on the front of the body above the waist, the neck and the front of the arms to the elbows.

The rest of the jacket is a... hmm... I'm not sure how to describe it. It feels like a thin neoprene, it's very stretchy (to keep the jacket snug) and warm but it wicks moisture very well.

I love it and I've used it on the motorbike in January when it was around freezing with just a summer (and very ventilated) jacket over the top and it worked very well there too.

 

[GrasB]

Or perhaps not overdress? To avoid sweat chilling.

I'm not over-dressed, I'm dressed appropriately. If I don't get hot enough to sweat I'll lose about 30-50% of my leg power. That power generates a lot of excess heat which shivering doesn't, shivering only warms muscles & organs locally. The knock on effect is high temp blood can't be pumped to my extremities so I'm struggling to keep my hands/feet/face warm. On a side issue it means I can't do any on-road training on my commutes which is where I do my power endurance training.

Tbh, I've not thought of a windproof as 'layering in' (as it were) a baselayer but I can see the sense how that'd work, so long as you don't get too hot and 'boil in the bag'. All a matter of balance I expect.

I'm not sure about others but my windproof in only windproof on the front of the body above the waist, the neck and the front of the arms to the elbows.

That's a nice top layer jacket & a prime example of why you need an additional windproof base layer. I've got a few base layers/leg warmers/arm warmers with SG0.6 or equivalent between 2 thin lycra layers, the fun is working out that they are windproof. Actually a better description would be 'wind resistant' as they do let some wind through but it's not a problem if you've layered up properly.

 

[yello]

I'm not over-dressed

I wasn't suggesting you were, sorry for the misunderstanding. I was suggesting that some might overdress, get sweaty and with no windproof barrier, the sweat chills. This leads them to think they are cold so they add another warm layer.... which just makes them sweat more!

What's needed (and it is hard to get right) is a balance between windproofing, wicking and breathability.

 

[totallyfixed]

I'm not over-dressed, I'm dressed appropriately. If I don't get hot enough to sweat I'll lose about 30-50% of my leg power. That power generates a lot of excess heat which shivering doesn't, shivering only warms muscles & organs locally. The knock on effect is high temp blood can't be pumped to my extremities so I'm struggling to keep my hands/feet/face warm. On a side issue it means I can't do any on-road training on my commutes which is where I do my power endurance training.




That's a nice top layer jacket & a prime example of why you need an additional windproof base layer. I've got a few base layers/leg warmers/arm warmers with SG0.6 or equivalent between 2 thin lycra layers, the fun is working out that they are windproof. Actually a better description would be 'wind resistant' as they do let some wind through but it's not a problem if you've layered up properly.

Really?
These two are usually mutually exclusive unless by endurance you mean a relatively short period. May I ask what you are training for? Do you use a power tap because I noticed in a previous post / thread you were quoting your power output in watts.