Keeping out the cold....

[TriggerFish]

Noticed that the thread on bike maintenance was heading towards discussions on the elements so I thought I would ask here.....

Are there any suggestions for keeping me on the bike this winter (in Canberra where it is bloody cold!)? Last year it ended up stopping me and my run of fitness for the year was shot! I don't want to face the same fate this year and was wondering if I could further trouble people here for advice on battling the cold.

I saw these "longs" that have wool in them or at least in their makeup. The sound pretty warm. Of course they don't have my size because they are a clearence item, but, I thought something along those lines for downstairs.

I have a jacket that I used last year that I think will do the upstairs department ok. But gloves. I HATE cold hands. Last year I had pins and needles to start with on my limited rides in the morning. I bought some gloves that were not particularly specific to riding and I was wondering if anyone has advice on what gloves might be suitable for the cold COLD Canberra winters?

Thanks in advance,

TF.

[heavymetal]

The crazy people who make up the team of BicycleWA have put our heads together and we have come up with a few ideas that we will invent.

We are thinking along the lines of a pot belly stove fitted into a BOB trailer. Out travelling toilet was such a hit, we think the pot belly stove idea could work

We'll let you know what we can come up with.

[cludence]

The travelling toilet is funny! I actually saw a program called Men in White and they were scientist guys who actually made a toilet trailer for a bike. Was a portaloo and the tent would inflate around the toilet for privacy. Funny thing was you had to have someone peddling the bike (had a windtrainer type stand so bike was stationary) and the peddling actually inflated the tent. So basically you were on the loo while your friend kept the tent inflated.

Think I'd rather hold on.

[LuckyPierre]

I rode through winter last year - it does get cold! On foggy mornings, I'd come back with ice on my gloves, overshoes and (worst of all) on my groin.
I wore Netti superroubaix jerseys (they have a brushed lining and windtex panels on the front - but I can't see them in the 'Winter 06' catalogue on the netti site) and superroubaix longs over my knicks. I also wore BBB 'heavy duty' overshoes (and taped up the vents in my shoes!). Most days I wore a skullcap (made out of the same superoubaix fabric) under my helmet. I tried on some water-proof jerseys, but I think I'd sweat up in any of the affordable ones, so I just didn't set out to ride if it was raining - and I only missed three scheduled rides all winter.
As for gloves - I'm in your court, they can't be warm enough! Especially if you have to go to work after your ride. I had some Descente wind / water proof outers that I wore with either Kaos MaxDry (a polyamide / fake silk fabric) or TorPeako ThermoLite inners. I'm going to get new outers, because some-one (my son) borrowed mine and I haven't seen them since. I've found that outdoors shops are better than bike shops in terms of price (but then, I'm a Scout leader and get good deals at SnowGum). I think that you have to go the multi-pair way, rather than buy a big, thick pair - they just get too bulky.
I 'filed away' the Topedo7 specials on MacPac interwool base layers - it looks like I should have acted as my sizes have gone too (if they ever had them). The interwool base layers are magic! The longs that you linked too still need an outer layer to protect them, as interwool is a pretty delicate fabric. You probably wouldn't need them under something like the Superroubaix longs as your legs stay pretty warm. I'm going to get a base layer for my upper body though (a MacPac one if I can) as I finished up with a bad chest infection last year (funnily enough, it hit as the weather warmed up).
You also need eye protection - without glasses, you can hardly see at any decent speed. My glasses have inter-changeable lenses and come with a pale grey (almost clear) lens that is good for winter.
Sorry about the ramble, but we guys with 'real' winter to worry about have to stick up for each other!

[AUbicycles]

My tips:

Don't try and save ... rather invest in quality. I have a fantastic cycling jacket made from gortex. It keeps the wind off which is important when you are sweating. In really cold temperatures it may start off being slightly chilly (with just a gortex style T-shirt underneath) however once I have warmed up the muscles then it works well. It is also quite thin and flexible so doesn't bother me. Underneath I have the long leg overall style pants (padded knees for MTB).

I have a thermo cap for underneath my helmet... very very important and a skiing / snoboarding style neoprene mask for the nose, mouth and neck. The great thing about this is that if I get bit hot I can simply pull it down and it keeps my neck warm.

All of this stuff has lasted me quite while as I have tried to take care of it and not over-washed it.

Cheers
Christopher

[Mr888]

With the amount of money you'll need to fork out for clothing, it would be cheaper to move to sunny Queensland

[europa]

With the amount of money you'll need to fork out for clothing, it would be cheaper to move to sunny Queensland

Trouble is, according to Tuco, it rains all the time up there

Richard

[Hotdog]

With the amount of money you'll need to fork out for clothing, it would be cheaper to move to sunny Queensland

Trouble is, according to Tuco, it rains all the time up there

Richard

In my personal experience (5 days in the Brisbane area over the xmas period this year) Queensland is cold and wet, even in summer. The locals were insisting this wasn't their usual weather, but I remain to be convinced...

[TriggerFish]

Looks like some pretty sound advice. I have some investigation to do based on those suggetions. Is there anywhere in Canberra that stocks the Netti clothing? Bit worried about sizing as I still have a long way to go to be guaranteed to fit into 'normal' sizes. I can get into XXL in a lot brands though so it might be ok. I shall start poking around regardless.

Thanks again for the excellent basis on which to start looking. Here's to another beautiful winter in Canberra! This one to be spent still riding to work!

[MJF]

OnyaBike is supposed to stock Netti... they just don't carry much. I might try the Bike Warehouse in Mitchell on the weekend.

Keep us informed on what you find locally - I'm roughly the same size as you, so I'll be facing the same avavilability issues come Winter.

[TriggerFish]

According to the Netti site, Lonsdale St stocks them too. That is near my work, so I will give them a call and do a bit of a recci at some point.

[moosterbounce]

S'pose I'm lucky to be in Perth...a long sleeve jersey would probably do me!! And to be honest, I don't want to get Scotty wet (the bike!!) so I'll probably just lost maybe 5 days of riding - unless some miracle occurs and we have a better winter than last year.

Wouldn't an indoor trainer be cheaper?! And you can watch a movie at the same time...in front of the heater!!

Moo...

[europa]

Indoor trainers are really ... boring

I can do half an hour but no matter how strong my determination is, I don't manage any longer. In fact, psyching myself up to do an hour usually results in me getting off in twenty minutes

Richard
the weak willed

[heavymetal]

I can do half an hour but no matter how strong my determination is, I don't manage any longer. In fact, psyching myself up to do an hour usually results in me getting off in twenty minutes

I can do half an hour but no matter how strong my determination is, I don't manage any longer. (Because he falls off) In fact, psyching myself up to do an hour usually results in me FALLING off in twenty minutes.

[MJF]

Wake up thread time!

I finally found Australian Bicycle Clothing (84 Woolongong St Fyshwick for Canberra), and ended up buying a UNO Ultima Duo jacket. Supposedly, it will keep you dry for a couple of hours in rain, so it should come in handy for my riding days this week. Importantly, I got to try everything on... just goes to prove I have ape arms, as the UNO (2XL size) was the only jacket with sufficiently long arms. Bit tight around the chest and middle... but I'm planning on changing that (51Km ride this morning, 25kpg average as I was riding with a group).

And got some booties as well... which aren't really designed for MTB cleats, so should be interesting to see how they go.

[LuckyPierre]

I'm glad you found it!
You must get really cold to need that jacket now - I hate to say it, but "Wait for winter!"

[MJF]

Yeah - I did some research on it afterwards and realised it was more Winter gear than rain gear. The booties should keep the shoes from getting saturated at least... The jacket can sit until the weather cools down.

[mikesbytes]

Anyone tried out the booties that are on sale at Torpedo7 ?

Have a nice day
training log

[MJF]

Well, I had an unexpected test session this morning. Against the BOM forecast, it was raining all the way to work.

Lessons learnt : The UNO jacket is good, the booties still allow water in when it gets really wet... and my waterproof panniers aren't (leaky seams).

I have also nipped over to the closest bike shop (across the road from my new workplace) and bought a rear mudguard, so maybe I'll make it home without any more mud-splatters on the back of my helmet

[TriggerFish]

Woke up at 6.30 this morning to see the wet roads outside.....got a lift in. Mudguard is on the agenda! Yet to be interested in riding in the rain .

[europa]

The Europa rode for twenty years wearing mudguards, despite getting laughed at by many 'racers' and despite commuting in the clothes I worked in, rain and shine. Fit them front and rear - they really make a difference to wet riding, especially when it's not raining but the road is wet. Forget anything that sits miles above the wheel, they're worse than useless and you'd might as well get wet - oh, I forgot, you can't fit real mudguards on a racing bike. Silly me, I was thinking of bikes designed for the REAL WORLD.

Sorry, old argument. Break out the violins. Cover your eyes sogood - racing bikes are great for racing, but they've got problems in every day riding. Okay, sogood, you can uncover your eyes now Mind you, that doesn't mean you shouldn't own one or use it as your only transport, there are enough riders doing just that to make such a suggestion a stupid one. I'm grouching at the bike shop salesmen who seem to believe that if you aren't riding the bike Lance Armstrong regretted rejecting, you need a basic flat bar bike.

Richard

who rides an urban tank ... without mudguards as it happens but in my current riding, it doesn't matter if I get wet or muddy.

[mikesbytes]

The rain in Sydney yesterday evening was quite plesant to ride thru. Mid winter will be a different matter.

Have a nice day
training log

[europa]

The rain in Sydney yesterday evening was quite plesant to ride thru. Mid winter will be a different matter.

Warm rain can be fun can't it.

But you can have Sydney's summer rain. Sorry. I was biased when I moved there. Driving into a city I'd never seen before ... in my Mini. It started raining at Bathurst and stopped a week later I kid you not. Lived there for three years and to be honest, the climate hasn't encouraged me back. Mind you, it wasn't as bad as Brisbane, my second stop. I lived in Brisbane during the Joh days and in those days, Brisbane was a hole while the country did reasonably well out of the deal. But the climate. Tuco, you're nuts living where you do (nicely nuts though).

Adelaide, at the moment, has the perfect mix of moderate weather. We get our hot spells, can have some really severe ones, but they aren't as bad as Perth and some other places. Winters can be cold and wet, but again, not the extended periods - Melbourne gets our weather, only worse. My son never wears a jumper or windcheater (doesn't have one for school) and wears shorts all year round ... mind you, he's a case of 'no sense, no feeling', but ...

I've commuted all my working life either on a motorbike or my pushbike. Regardless of what the weather is like, if you love the ride, it doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't matter.

Richard

[mikesbytes]

Sydneys a bit like that, doesn't rain for ages then it buckets down.

Have a nice day
training log

[europa]

Sydneys a bit like that, doesn't rain for ages then it buckets down.

Buckets? Man, that's taking understatement too far. I'd never seen rain as heavy as I saw in that first week ... and it kept it up all flamin' week

Richard