Hot answers tagged weather
23
I deal with this at least once a week. Yesterday I was going 18km and hour with a heart rate of 175bpm (normally that's 35+). I get on the drops on my bar to reduce my wind profile. I try to stay on less busy streets (normally I'm out in the farm area) because the side gusts will cause swerving. Pay very close attention to what's behind you b/c of swerving. ...
18
If you are riding on the road, slicks are fine in the wet. If you need to go over any mud, etc. then you'll need something else.
From Sheldon Brown:
Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread
features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no
tread at all!
Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth ...
16
The answer to this question is different if you are going on a long-distance tour rather than going-to-work-and-back.
If on tour and facing the prospect of a struggle to do 30 miles when you really wanted to get 100 miles in (e.g. to get to next camp-site) it can be a better idea to not bother, sit out the wind and have a go later that day/evening or the ...
14
Some suggestions:
Stay in lower gears and cycle at a higher cadence. Using lower gear will help you to maintain momentum when hit by gust full on, and to retain control when hit by crosswind gust.
Keep a low profile
Avoid baggy clothes
Find a cycling partner and share slip streaming
14
I have a continuum of clothes that I add on as the weather gets colder.
During the summer, I ride like you do with shorts and a t-shirt. As things cool of a little bit, down below 60F/15C, I'll put on a windbreaker over my t-shirt and some full-finger gloves on my hands. The next step for me is to add an Under Armour Cold Gear shirt (many companies make ...
14
Protective plates? You mean Fenders/Mudguards?
I can think of 3 things that could help, other than simply bringing a change:
Bigger fenders (wider, and/or go down the tire more). Basically, some fenders are better than others. A front fender that's wider than the tire with a stay (rod) going back for support that hugs the tire fairly closely and ...
10
I've used a Brooks saddle in a similar climate (Vancouver, BC) without any major issues. Treat the topside with Proofide every 6-12 months and keep the underside dry (fenders, wedge bag, etc). Store the bike in a dry place between rides so that the leather can dry out naturally. A saddle cover would probably help but I've never used one.
10
Most rides in the cold I start out freezing. Once my body has generated some heat I'm great. Typically my outer layer is wind blocking followed by a jersey. Depending on the temperature I'll have either a long sleeve polypro shirt or just my arm warmers under that.
I have both leg warmers and fleece lined tights. I wear the tights if it's colder. If it's ...
8
No. It absolutely isn't.
You know what happens when an umbrella catches the wind.
Imagine that on an unstable device doing 30 mph.
Even without wind the rain will be blowing in your face most of the time so you'd have to place the umbrella right in front of you for it to offer any kind of effective shielding from the rain. How are you supposed to ...
7
I do my best to tack. Kind of like a sail boat. For example If I'm riding in the city and the winds are from the south I'll ride a mile or so south and then head east for a block or so to catch a break, head south for a mile or so and then head west a bit to catch a break.
It sure lengthens the ride but it can be good to get the short recovery periods.
If ...
7
No. Cycling while holding something in your hand is inherently dangerous. You have much less control over the bike and you can only operate one of the brakes.
You can buy various contraptions for attaching an umbrella to a bicycle. There's also the Uberhood:
However, this got a poor review in The Guardian Bike Blog:
once open atop the bike it ...
7
I took a pretty quick look at the map, but I'm going to make a kind of general suggestion: If this is a trip that you're only used to traveling by motor vehicle, you might fall into the trap of thinking that the route you're used to is the only route available. Bikes can go lots of places that cars can't, and lots of places that cars just as frequently ...
5
...just speaking up for the Local Bike Shop - if you are moving to Redmond permanently then it may make sense to have a bike with a warranty and the support of the LBS for when/if it goes wrong.
Also consider the mudguards situation - I know they are unfashionable but they are handy for the commute. Since Specialized bikes are designed for sunny California ...
5
One of the best cycling investments I made has been a set of 'sleeves' and 'legs'. They are lycra with a very thin lining. I wear them when the temps are between 50 (which is as cold as I can comfortably stand to ride in lycra, even with a t-shirt under-layer) and 65 F or so.
They have extended my cycling season from just summer to summer +6 weeks or so on ...
5
I do ride also about 24km per day in somewhat slightly hilly city where it's around 0°C in winter and 35°C in summer.
in winter time I wear this when it's not raining:
tight t-shirt (actually I use IceBreaker, thin, 160 density)
warm t-shirt with long sleeves (IceBreaker, thicker, 280 density)
a wind breaker jacket (I have a Mammut, Gore Wind Stopper one)
...
5
I have a Brooks, properly treated with Proofide, and I use full fenders, but major rides while raining make the saddle so soft that it bends all the way down.
That is a problem that can be partially avoided with rain covers, but you cannot forget yours never!
Also, if the saddle keeps wet when you arrive, you can pull it to original shape and wait for it ...
5
Slick tires, like your conti's, have no problem in wet conditions. If the streets you ride in Boston in winter are just wet with occasional light slush you're fine with what you got.
You'll want knobby tires if you're regularly riding in something soft like dirt, mud, packed snow or very heavy slush. Slick tires are significantly more squirrely in those ...
5
Maybe you could strap one of these to your helmet.
Then at least your hands are free and it's always pointed in the right direction. It'd probably get torn away in super high wind (hopefully not with your head).
I couldn't find a picture but you could even try it with one of those deep, shoulder width, clear umbrellas too. Then your shoulders would be ...
5
I have actually commuted in a very dangerous, hilly, bike un-friendly city (Tegucigalpa, Honduras).
Here there are zero facilities for bike commuters, no racks on public transport, no bike parking anywhere and of course, no showers at workplace.
I have tackled the problem with following strategies:
Leave home with plenty of extra time. When you travel to ...
5
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html
Use the moisture radar, it's your best tool to see when the rain is coming and when it's going with great detail. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with it you'll start to get a feel for how different types of rain look on the radar and where it's going to hit.
5
I'm a commuter who has to carry things like books, a notebook, food for the day, bike lock, etc. I should say that it makes a striking difference whether you carry stuff on your back or on a bike rack -- a heavy bike is not as bad as a heavy backpack, in other words.
Another thing that I've noticed is that my performance decreases if I ride five days a week ...
5
I've personally never seen or heard of a waterproof spray that will protect against soaking. Water hitting the material might run off fairly well, but a continuous rain soaks it so much that water will just seep through. That might not be a problem for commuting, but I'm assuming that if you're going through the extra step of double water-proofing, you're ...
4
I've never had a pair of MTB shoes that are waterproof though I wouldn't doubt if they exist. Even if they were you'd still have water coming of your shin and into the shoe (this is what makes even waterproof shoe covers a bit wet inside).
I just tough it out. I have a set of neoprene shoe covers that keep my feet warm and maybe even dry depending on how ...
4
You could get big socks and try tucking your pants into them.
I personally like these as they're waterproof too: http://www.sealskinz.com/socks
And for your shoes, you can get overshoes to protect them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_shoe#Overshoes
4
Slick tires are better in the wet than treaded tires. The best explanation I've seen is here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html Car tires have tread to stop them aquaplaning in the wet, bike don't get fast enough for their contact foot print for that to matter. As I sometime ride my cross bike with knobby tires on wet road I can assure you they're much ...
4
The general consensus I've seen is that you should expect to be cold for the first twenty minutes of cycling in the winter. If you're dressed warmly enough that you're not cold for the first twenty minutes, you'll swelter.
If your ride is under twenty minutes (this is just ballpark), you can simply dress warmly and remove clothes once you arrive at work. ...
4
Some factors that affect day to day athletic performance are:
the degree to which your muscles have recovered from previous strenuous work. It is impossible to push the pace everyday, and hit a consistent performance level. Day to day consistent performance is only possible (far) less than maximal effort.
symptom-free infections. It's possible for your ...
4
Even a short sprint or uphill effort can make a big difference in how sweaty I am when I get to the office. Maintain a consistently low effort, using low gears for any uphills.
Panniers are good, since backpacks and messenger bags not only insulate, but also hold your shirt directly against your sweaty back. Often I'll put my shirt in my pannier and just ...
3
In your case I would say that you can use a Brooks-style leather saddle with two recommendations:
Fenders - having fenders on your bike will keep much of the water and gunk off the underside of your seat.
Find a waterproof seat cover. Velox used to make a great one, which you can still find sometimes online. Rivendell sells one that looks very similar but ...
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