Winter Commuting and Clothing

Yes, some of us are pretty crazy:



This was my arrival home in the storm of March 16 (my birthday!) 2007, icicles and all! Although not the easiest ride I've ever had, it was also kind of a fun change of pace. As winter sportspeople say, there's no bad weather, just the wrong clothing!

The clear plastic shell, as well as the flourescent windbreaker underneath it, I got from Ernie's Cycle Shop in Westbrook. The brand is Salsa Cycles, although unfortunately I couldn't find these items listed anywhere on their current website. I was riding my bad-weather bike, a Huffy internal hub 3-speed I found at a yard sale last summer for $3. Practically no maintenance required: no derailleurs or external cogs to get gummed up no matter how much water and slush nature can throw at us!

At our December 2006 meeting, we discussed Winter Cycling, and came up with the following list of sources for clothing and other useful winter things.

General Clothing

• Rivendell Bicyle Works - Very pro-wool cycling clothing site, for those not into synthetics.
  
• SmartWool - Another wool outlet.
  
• Pearl Izuma - Large and common source for all sorts of cyclist clothing, carried by lots of local bike shops around town.
  
• Briko specializes in headgear and glasses, but also has a line of winter clothing.
  
• Other recommended outlets:
  
  • Sport Hill
    
  • Duofold
    
  • Cannondale
    
  • Kucharik
    
  • Castelli
    
  
  
• Locally, L.L. Bean and Reny's are places that some of us frequent for our clothing needs.
  

Specific Clothing

• For head covering in the single digits or worse, I go with the HeadSokz covering, which keeps me very toasty. Above that, to about 35, I just use a more standard balaclava (which I'm wearing in the picture above) available at any local bike shop or sporting goods store. (This one actually can cover my nose, but I sometimes pull it down to avoid fogging my glasses.) Above that, to about 60, a headband is fine. I've also used the "I Can Breath" mask with the headband for moderate cold.
  
• Hands: Great variety of options, but I've found that below freezing, mittens with thin glove liners are best for me. Below 20*F or so, handwarmers help too. This brand is billed as natural and environmental, and is sold by Sportsman's Hardware in Westbrook, maybe other places too. I've also made homemade ones by filling a square of fabric with rice, which can be heated in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm up, but they only hold the heat for 20 minutes or so.
  
• Feet: I am still stubbornly resisting clips or clipless pedals, keeping with the standard pedals that come with basic bikes, so I don't need any special shoes. That means that in the winter I can wear boots, which usually keep my feet warm enough. If it's real cold, I'll put on an extra layer of socks.
  

Members: Please add your own recommendations!


I think the bottom line is that your trunk and legs are not what you most need to worry most about, it's your extremeties. In the above picture, I had on only a normal button-down shirt underneath the windbreaker and shell. Exercise will warm up your core, but if you don't protect your ears, hands, and feet, you will be miserable. (Oh yeah - think about your seat area sometimes too. Battery-powered seat warmer, anyone?)

Lastly, here are two resources for more information: IceBike.org is dedicated to winter cycling (recreational as well as transportational). And BikeForums.net has a Winter Cycling Forum where you can post questions and read what others have to say.

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