Winter is fast approaching

billyhead

I supose you could say its winter all year round but I just want to do a checklist of whats need for the winter commute. Please fell free to add to my list so we can be as much prepared as possible

Windproof/water resistant jacket
Mudguards
Obviously the bike
Warm hat for under the helmet
Gloves
Warm Leggings

DJsail

Lights! Front and Rear
Although this will no doubt cause a fashion argument, some sort of high-vis clothing, jacket, vest, belt, clips or even a dodgy arm band from your local Garda Sgt

Morgan

Overshoes to keep your feet warm and dry.
Buff to keep rain/wind from going down your neck.
Lights!

billyhead

DJsail wrote: »

Lights! Front and Rear
Although this will no doubt cause a fashion argument, some sort of high-vis clothing, jacket, vest, belt, clips or even a dodgy arm band from your local Garda Sgt

Jesus,:eek:

I don't know how I forgot lights and the visibilty vest

DualFrontDiscs

billyhead wrote: »

Jesus,:eek:

I don't know how I forgot lights and the visibilty vest

Wheel reflectors? And this....

http://rockthebike.com/lights/downlowglow

Raam

Wool socks. Mmmmm toasty toes.

billyhead

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Wheel reflectors? And this....

http://rockthebike.com/lights/downlowglow

Jasus. Thats some contraption

ednwireland

STOP reminding us (i dont even want to think about it)

McTigs

Morgan wrote: »

Overshoes to keep your feet warm and dry.

will these stop my toes from going numb? or does something else cause that to happen

Raam

McTigs wrote: »

will these stop my toes from going numb? or does something else cause that to happen

Probably not. But a combination of overshoes, wool socks, a full belly and hard effort should keep them warm.

blorg

Should probably create a page in the wiki for this and list it there. I would add:

Sports balaclava (for really cold days these are great)
Thermal glove liners (you can mix these up first with mitts and then full length gloves as it gets colder)
Waterproof socks (sealskins)
Arm warmers, knee warmers, full-length leg warmers (as it gets colder)
3/4 length tights, full length tights (if you don't need to change during the day these are better)
Base layers
Gilet
Long sleeve jerseys in a variety of thicknesses/warmth (I have some of these that you can literally wear on their own in sub-zero temperatures.)

Option to put on wider/studded tyres or ideally a mountain bike if it gets really icy

davej

Is it just me or is all the extra clothing necessary for a commute during the winter in Ireland?

Unless it is *really* cold, I just wear a long sleeve wick-away jersey,gloves, shorts and a berghaus light rain jacket (with a decent pair of runners and sport socks). A helmet keeps my head warm. After 5 minutes I've warmed up. If it's super cold I might wear a pair of track suit bottoms but if it's raining heavily, there is no point in wearing anything other than shorts. Full rain gear (with leggings etc) is useless if you are cycling for more than 15 minutes (boil in the bag syndrome). I shower in work so getting wet is no big deal really.

davej

blorg

You can feck up your knees if you wear shorts through the winter. They really need to be kept warm under tights or leg warmers, _especially_ if it is raining. I was wearing knee warmers this morning! Proper cycling tights or leg warmers will not boil you. I would not go near those "waterproof" things.

Beyond that obviously different people feel the cold differently and the lower your level of body fat the more likely you are going to need all this stuff (I have had a wide range myself and I definitely feel the cold more when thinner.)

c0rk3r

6 month gym membership

kenmc

davej wrote: »

Is it just me or is all the extra clothing necessary for a commute during the winter in Ireland?

Unless it is *really* cold, I just wear a long sleeve wick-away jersey,gloves, shorts and a berghaus light rain jacket (with a decent pair of runners and sport socks). A helmet keeps my head warm. After 5 minutes I've warmed up. If it's super cold I might wear a pair of track suit bottoms but if it's raining heavily, there is no point in wearing anything other than shorts. Full rain gear (with leggings etc) is useless if you are cycling for more than 15 minutes (boil in the bag syndrome). I shower in work so getting wet is no big deal really.

davej

runners? triathlon forum is over there

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Raam

blorg wrote: »

I was wearing knee warmers this morning! Proper cycling tights or leg warmers will not boil you. I would not go near those "waterproof" things.

I had knee warmers, base layer, gilet, jersey, arm warmers, overshoes on today. Is there something wrong with me?
I did over heat massively though and ended up doing that number where your jersey flutters carefree in the wind unzipped.

Lumen

davej wrote: »

Is it just me or is all the extra clothing necessary for a commute during the winter in Ireland?

Yes, however there is more to cycling than commuting.

tomasrojo

NBB Bohs wrote: »

Obviously I can't compare myself to you guys as I just use the bike for going in and out of school but I agree. I was wearing a t-shirt cycling until around November last year.

Me too. I don't really dress any differently for the winter. I wear t-shirt and trousers all year round, and most winter days I just put on a long-sleeved t-shirt over the t-shirt. Last winter I had to break out a thick-lined sleeveless jacket I'd had for over ten years; that cold spell was really exceptional for Ireland. Most winters here are pretty mild, I find personally.

But I'm only doing a lot of short, 10-20km journeys. I guess if I was competing or training (or cycling to Galway and back in one day!) as many of you are it would be a very different story.

DJsail

davej wrote: »

Is it just me or is all the extra clothing necessary for a commute during the winter in Ireland?

davej

The simple answer is probably not, but as with most sports its a matter of personal comfort whether commuting or training/racing etc. you don't need golf shoes to play golf or a skull cap to play rugby but it can make it more comfortable to do so. Short answer, wear whatever you want but bear in mind the reaction from your mates when you turn up for work in the latest tour jersey and leggings Lance!

kenmc

Raam wrote: »

I had knee warmers, base layer, gilet, jersey, arm warmers, overshoes on today.

Bloody hell! wait till it gets cold - today was balmy! Short sleeved jersey, shorts, short gloves. Had light overshoes on though, but just to stop feet getting soaked cos there was loads of puddles down.

Raam wrote:

Is there something wrong with me?

Clearly a case of insufficient guinnessulation; off to the bar with you pronto.

ROK ON

Raam wrote: »

I had knee warmers, base layer, gilet, jersey, arm warmers, overshoes on today. Is there something wrong with me?
I did over heat massively though and ended up doing that number where your jersey flutters carefree in the wind unzipped.

The only thing wrong is the country that we live in.

I cant recall the last time I was out for a cycle in just ss jersey and shorts (ie no base layer, no armwarmers etc).
I hate this place more and more. If weather keeps up, there is no way I am driving 160km to the Sean Kelly to spend 160km suffering in the p1ssing rain.

penexpers

I have been thinking about this for a couple of days. I think this would be on my winter wishlist (not talking about clothing)

- new mudguards (SKS chromoplastic, zefal's are ****)
- new front wheel with hub dynamo (batterys are for losers)
- studded tires (if the cold snap lasts anything as long as last year)

Caroline_ie

I was wearing armwarmers last night and was a bit cold ... I think I can still bear the shorts for a while. I find that baby oil on my legs when I leave the house protects me from the sudden cold. Tried warm up oil last winter, but it was a bit too strong for my delicate skin ...

Was wearing a windproof jacket this morning too. I starting getting a few more winter things too on crc ...

Over the knee socks ftw.

ROK ON

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Over the knee socks ftw.

Noooooooooooo.

Buy 3/4 lenghts ffs.

Caroline_ie

ROK ON wrote: »

Noooooooooooo.

Buy 3/4 lenghts ffs.

over the knee socks AND 3/4 baggies, or over the knee sock under trousers or jeans. I wear both while commuting LOL not for a spin.

I have proper winter gear for spins don't worry -

Raam

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Over the knee socks ftw.

I am soooooo buying those long socks from CRC

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35314

Jawgap

The problem at this time of year, imo, is the variation in temperature between moring and afternoon.

For me:
This morning - leg and arm warmers with shorts and short sleeved jersey with light base layer underneath, shoe covers (to keep toes warm!!) - the problem with losing weight is losing the insulation that goes with it

This afternoon - shorts and short sleeved jersey

Jumpy

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I find that baby oil on my legs when I leave the house protects me from the sudden cold. Tried warm up oil last winter, but it was a bit too strong for my delicate skin ...

jimzy

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I was wearing armwarmers last night and was a bit cold ... I think I can still bear the shorts for a while. I find that baby oil on my legs when I leave the house protects me from the sudden cold. Tried warm up oil last winter, but it was a bit too strong for my delicate skin ...

Was wearing a windproof jacket this morning too. I starting getting a few more winter things too on crc ...

Over the knee socks ftw.

over the knee socks & over the elbow gloves
complete the look!

jimzy

Jumpy wrote: »

thats exactly what i was thinking jumpy!

penexpers

penexpers wrote: »

- studded tires (if the cold snap lasts anything as long as last year)

...yes, I too have been looking into studded tyres lately. Though really it's more to do with blorg's pics of the snow last year and how much fun it looked...

Still unsure about the clearance on my hybrid and whether 35mm tyres would fit. Plus there's the problem of finding 700c studded tyres. I've just been assuming that CRC/Wiggle will have a 'winter sale!' sometime soon and they might have some in.

I ordered base layers yesterday, and have been spying up good winter gloves on the other thread too. Was about a month since I ordered something online, thought I had beaten this addiction. Damn. Ah well, all fun.

penexpers

Dónal wrote: »

...yes, I too have been looking into studded tyres lately. Though really it's more to do with blorg's pics of the snow last year and how much fun it looked...

Still unsure about the clearance on my hybrid and whether 35mm tyres would fit. Plus there's the problem of finding 700c studded tyres. I've just been assuming that CRC/Wiggle will have a 'winter sale!' sometime soon and they might have some in.

There's a pretty decent write up on studded tires here

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

I think I have enough clearence on my bike for 42mm tires so I might stump for the 700cx42 marathon winter and run them at a low-ish PSI.

biker_joe

Am going to go Assos Airblock for this winter ... jacket and Bib tights ...
expensive I know ....

Anyone else wear these ? Suppose to be the Biz ??


Biker Joe

ROK ON

biker_joe wrote: »

Am going to go Assos Airblock for this winter ... jacket and Bib tights ...
expensive I know ....

Anyone else wear these ? Suppose to be the Biz ??


Biker Joe

I wear them and the are the dogs boll***, the cats pyjamas, and the rest. The are worth every penny. Once you wear them you will never want to take them off. Fantastically warn, windproof and comfy, so comfy. Cycled all winter in them, even in the snow - and I was never cold.
A fantastic investment IMO - once you own them, there is simply no excuse to not go out and cycle regardless of how cold it is.

biker_joe

ROK ON wrote: »

I wear them and the are the dogs boll***, the cats pyjamas, and the rest. The are worth every penny. Once you wear them you will never want to take them off. Fantastically warn, windproof and comfy, so comfy. Cycled all winter in them, even in the snow - and I was never cold.
A fantastic investment IMO - once you own them, there is simply no excuse to not go out and cycle regardless of how cold it is.

Kool
Just what I wanted to hear !! Which gear do you have the 851 airblock ?
I reckon, that I will get more than one winter outta of them anyway, so willing to fork the extra cash ....

Biker Joe

ROK ON

biker_joe wrote: »

Kool
Just what I wanted to hear !! Which gear do you have the 851 airblock ?
I reckon, that I will get more than one winter outta of them anyway, so willing to fork the extra cash ....

Biker Joe

I have http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=201&idproduct=25107

in Yellow and Black.
The tights are 851 Airblock black tights, with the same type of windblook material on the outside.
The windblock stiff is high water resistanta (not proof).

Both are fleece lined, so really only for cold weather.

The black part at the front is just great. Wndproof, but without that horrible plasticy feeling you get on some windproof stuff (boards winter training jacket springs to mind).

Lumen

Dónal wrote: »

...yes, I too have been looking into studded tyres lately. Though really it's more to do with blorg's pics of the snow last year and how much fun it looked...

Still unsure about the clearance on my hybrid and whether 35mm tyres would fit. Plus there's the problem of finding 700c studded tyres. I've just been assuming that CRC/Wiggle will have a 'winter sale!' sometime soon and they might have some in.

I got my 700C 35mm Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyres from bike24.net last winter. At the time I couldn't find anywhere that sold Nokians.

They're fun and look awesome, but I believe the metal studs will wear down quite fast on tarmac. They don't provide quite as much grip in soft snow as a fat tubeless MTB tyre, but that's all down to tyre pressures.

Perhaps worth keeping a set in the shed/garage/attic for special occasions.

alfalad

ROK ON wrote: »

I have http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=201&idproduct=25107

in Yellow and Black.
The tights are 851 Airblock black tights, with the same type of windblook material on the outside.
The windblock stiff is high water resistanta (not proof).

Both are fleece lined, so really only for cold weather.

The black part at the front is just great. Wndproof, but without that horrible plasticy feeling you get on some windproof stuff (boards winter training jacket springs to mind).

How do you find your Rapha 3/4 length shorts? Are they warm ish? Think that they could do for most of the dry days of the winter maybe?

biker_joe

ROK ON wrote: »

I have http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=201&idproduct=25107

in Yellow and Black.
The tights are 851 Airblock black tights, with the same type of windblook material on the outside.
The windblock stiff is high water resistanta (not proof).

Both are fleece lined, so really only for cold weather.

The black part at the front is just great. Wndproof, but without that horrible plasticy feeling you get on some windproof stuff (boards winter training jacket springs to mind).

Sounds great, Parker are doing the Assos a bit cheaper than cycle super store !

Biker Joe

blorg

@Dó;nal/penexpers- to be honest studded tyres are not entirely necessary, neither Gavin nor myself had them that day (we were just on mountain bikes.) Normal MTB tyres are pretty good, _more_ than enough for commuting in the snow/ice. The key is to get wide as possible. Lumen had studded 700c tyres on a cyclocross bike that day- not 100% sure which combo worked better to be honest (although studded his tyres would have been thinner.) I also believe they are really not good to use off the ice at all and that indeed such use can damage them so they would be a bit of a niche purchase to say the least for this country.

EDIT: IIRC from what I read and Lumen's post, our standard MTB tyres would have been better on anything loose but his probably better on hard ice.

ROK ON

alfalad wrote: »

How do you find your Rapha 3/4 length shorts? Are they warm ish? Think that they could do for most of the dry days of the winter maybe?

They are great. IMHO, the pad is fantatsic. Fleece lined. I have worn them in very cold weather and also on very wet days (WW200 and Ring of Kerry).

One downside of 3/4 lengths is that after a long day in the saddle, the grip around your calf can get annoying. I am contemplating getting a second pair, so I guess that is an endorsement.

The way I view all of this gear is as an investment in training and lifestyle.
I have enough gear that I can never say to myself that the weather is too wet, too cold, too bad to go out in. On that basis, the stuff pays for itself pretty quickly.

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

IIRC from what I read and Lumen's post, our standard MTB tyres would have been better on anything loose but his probably better on hard ice.

Studded tyres are useful on packed snow and ice if you are limited to 700x35. I would probably have struggled on normal cross tyres, although I don't know for sure.

If you have a mountain bike, use a mountain bike. I don't.

alfalad

ROK ON wrote: »

They are great. IMHO, the pad is fantatsic. Fleece lined. I have worn them in very cold weather and olso on very wet days (WW200 and Ring of Kerry).

One downside of 3/4 lengths is that after a long day in the saddle, the grip around your calf can get annoying. I am contemplating getting a second pair, so I guess that is an endorsement.

Thats what i was wondering if they were fleece on the inside.


Thanks for the info.

penexpers

blorg wrote: »

@Dó;nal/penexpers- to be honest studded tyres are not entirely necessary, neither Gavin nor myself had them that day (we were just on mountain bikes.) Normal MTB tyres are pretty good, _more_ than enough for commuting in the snow/ice. The key is to get wide as possible. Lumen had studded 700c tyres on a cyclocross bike that day- not 100% sure which combo worked better to be honest (although studded his tyres would have been thinner.) I also believe they are really not good to use off the ice at all and that indeed such use can damage them so they would be a bit of a niche purchase to say the least for this country.

EDIT: IIRC from what I read and Lumen's post, our standard MTB tyres would have been better on anything loose but his probably better on hard ice.

From http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

Q: Most days in winter there's no ice on the roads. Should I swap out the studded tires for regular tires when I know there won't be ice? Won't my studs last longer if I don't ride them on clear pavement?

A: No. You should put the studded tires on in the late fall and leave them on all winter. If the studs were made of steel, you would need to be concerned about wear. But the tires I sell do not have steel studs. Our carbide studs last as long as the rubber tire itself, so there's no need to worry about stud wear. And, you never know when water might find its way onto the road surface during the day, only to freeze after the sun goes down and you have to ride home from work. It's best to be safe. Leave your studded tires on all winter. Sure, they're a little heavier, and you can hear the studs chattering on the pavement. That's the price of added safety.

Studs only affect traction on ice. Studs have no affect on snow or dirt or pavement, either wet or dry. So when you look at the photos of the various tires, you're looking at two things: the rubber tread, and the location of the studs. They are two entirely separate issues, because the rubber tread has no influence whatsoever on ice, and the studs have no influence whatsoever on anything other than ice. So when I talk about one tire being better in snow than another, it has nothing to do with the studs, only the rubber tread.

blorg

@penexpers- AFAIK with regard to "leave them on all winter" he is addressing people cycling in places where there actually is a winter, the likes of Canada or the northern United States (Peter White is based in New Hampshire.) This country doesn't really see those sort of winters so the opportunity to use studded tyres is somewhat more limited. Mountain bike tyres are certainly more than fine for what we get here. I also commuted on my Tricross with 700x32 cross knobblies and while not as good as the mountain bike it was also fine.

I honestly don't think buying a pair of studded tyres and leaving them on your bike all winter would make a whole lot of sense in this country (I certainly don't imagine Lumen was cycling on studded tyres from "late fall" through to the spring.) They do what they say on the tin but to be honest you might only get a couple of days worth out of them in this country if that. Remember last winter was particularly cold, the coldest for many years. You could be waiting until 2035 before you get a good use of the things. Lumen could report on how nice they ride on normal tarmac.

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

Lumen could report on how nice they ride on normal tarmac.

You would feel a right plonker commuting along on a mild winters day with the studs singing off the tarmac, carbide or not.

Extremely cold weather normally comes in spells of a couple of weeks, maybe worth it for such circumstances.

Last winter was my first one cycling in Ireland, so naturally I now expect conditions like that every year.

Caroline_ie

I dont see the point in studded tires ... ice will make you fall and ruin your winter anyway. I am planning to Offroad when it's icy and ... if I can't do that either I guess I will have to walk/run/ice skate to places.

penexpers

Lumen wrote: »

Extremely cold weather normally comes in spells of a couple of weeks, maybe worth it for such circumstances.

Well that's what I was thinking. Memory is a bit hazy now, but there was definitely a period of about a month (or maybe more) when pretty much no cycling was possible down my way because of the amount of frost/ice. (don't forget Kildare gets more frost/ice than Dublin due to being more inland).

Lumen

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I dont see the point in studded tires ... ice will make you fall and ruin your winter anyway. I am planning to Offroad when it's icy and ... if I can't do that either I guess I will have to walk/run/ice skate to places.

It's no different from using a mountain bike on the road when it's icy. Would you not do that either?

blorg

Sure, but what I would be saying is that they are in general overkill for the sort of weather we get here. You could get out on non-studded but just wider tyres, tyres that might have a wider application.

I do most of my cycling outside Dublin so I am well aware of the conditions, I was in Wicklow, Kildare and Meath in the icy conditions on a variety of bikes.

Another thing that really is good on the ice is a fixie as you have a very good sense of traction in the back wheel. I was up the mountains in the dark (the latter bit being accidental) on my fixie towards the end of the period where we got lots of snow. That bike was just 700x26c slicks but you get a very good sense of rear traction. Did 100km around an icy Meath on it too.

Caroline_ie

Lumen wrote: »

It's no different from using a mountain bike on the road when it's icy. Would you not do that either?

Ice is the scariest thing, ( that and being hit by cars) I have ever experienced on my bike ... will stay off the ice roads even with the MTB.