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David Richerby
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10 minutes is a good distance - not an epic distance, but far enough to get warmed up.

I've not done those temperatures personally, but some points

  • Riding generates heat through exerise. So the clothes you might wear standing still at -40 degrees will be far too hot while exercising. My winter jacket has pit zips to allow heat out, and a double-layered zip to stop wind getting in. The upper surface of the arms has wind and waterproof layers to keep you warm, but the underside of the arms is relatively thin.

  • I wear glasses - have never found a good way to stop them chilling, which leads to fogging when stopped at lights. This comes from foreheatforehead heat/sweat and breath mist, so a helmet/hat combination that absorbs sweat would be good.

  • Breath is another problem - if its cold enough you will hurt your throat by breathing hard. Consider dawdling more as it gets colder. Some people use a breath mask that directs their exhale downward, maybe into their jacket.

  • Tyres -40 degrees means ice. If you have hard ice then studded tyres would be wise. They're not at all common here so search locally.

  • Cable housings - If you can, consider rewiring your bike with full housings rather than having any exposed inner wire. This helps reduce the incidence of water entering the cables and freezing.

  • Hydraulics - Not sure cos never owned any, but check the freezing point of your fluids. You might want to use a lower temp fluid that is still compatible with your brake system.

Personally the one thing I'd suggest you change is storage at home. Storing the bike in unheated shed is better than leaving it in the weather, but if you can store it somewhere warm then moisture will evaporate and keep your bike happier over time.

Salt is an issue too - if your location applies salt to the roads, then it will eat your bike over time. Consider staying out of puddles if they will be salty, and rinse your bike at least weekly if not more often to remove salt.

10 minutes is a good distance - not an epic distance, but far enough to get warmed up.

I've not done those temperatures personally, but some points

  • Riding generates heat through exerise. So the clothes you might wear standing still at -40 degrees will be far too hot while exercising. My winter jacket has pit zips to allow heat out, and a double-layered zip to stop wind getting in. The upper surface of the arms has wind and waterproof layers to keep you warm, but the underside of the arms is relatively thin.

  • I wear glasses - have never found a good way to stop them chilling, which leads to fogging when stopped at lights. This comes from foreheat heat/sweat and breath mist, so a helmet/hat combination that absorbs sweat would be good.

  • Breath is another problem - if its cold enough you will hurt your throat by breathing hard. Consider dawdling more as it gets colder. Some people use a breath mask that directs their exhale downward, maybe into their jacket.

  • Tyres -40 degrees means ice. If you have hard ice then studded tyres would be wise. They're not at all common here so search locally.

  • Cable housings - If you can, consider rewiring your bike with full housings rather than having any exposed inner wire. This helps reduce the incidence of water entering the cables and freezing.

  • Hydraulics - Not sure cos never owned any, but check the freezing point of your fluids. You might want to use a lower temp fluid that is still compatible with your brake system.

Personally the one thing I'd suggest you change is storage at home. Storing the bike in unheated shed is better than leaving it in the weather, but if you can store it somewhere warm then moisture will evaporate and keep your bike happier over time.

Salt is an issue too - if your location applies salt to the roads, then it will eat your bike over time. Consider staying out of puddles if they will be salty, and rinse your bike at least weekly if not more often to remove salt.

10 minutes is a good distance - not an epic distance, but far enough to get warmed up.

I've not done those temperatures personally, but some points

  • Riding generates heat through exerise. So the clothes you might wear standing still at -40 degrees will be far too hot while exercising. My winter jacket has pit zips to allow heat out, and a double-layered zip to stop wind getting in. The upper surface of the arms has wind and waterproof layers to keep you warm, but the underside of the arms is relatively thin.

  • I wear glasses - have never found a good way to stop them chilling, which leads to fogging when stopped at lights. This comes from forehead heat/sweat and breath mist, so a helmet/hat combination that absorbs sweat would be good.

  • Breath is another problem - if its cold enough you will hurt your throat by breathing hard. Consider dawdling more as it gets colder. Some people use a breath mask that directs their exhale downward, maybe into their jacket.

  • Tyres -40 degrees means ice. If you have hard ice then studded tyres would be wise. They're not at all common here so search locally.

  • Cable housings - If you can, consider rewiring your bike with full housings rather than having any exposed inner wire. This helps reduce the incidence of water entering the cables and freezing.

  • Hydraulics - Not sure cos never owned any, but check the freezing point of your fluids. You might want to use a lower temp fluid that is still compatible with your brake system.

Personally the one thing I'd suggest you change is storage at home. Storing the bike in unheated shed is better than leaving it in the weather, but if you can store it somewhere warm then moisture will evaporate and keep your bike happier over time.

Salt is an issue too - if your location applies salt to the roads, then it will eat your bike over time. Consider staying out of puddles if they will be salty, and rinse your bike at least weekly if not more often to remove salt.

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Criggie
  • 130.7k
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  • 194
  • 452

10 minutes is a good distance - not an epic distance, but far enough to get warmed up.

I've not done those temperatures personally, but some points

  • Riding generates heat through exerise. So the clothes you might wear standing still at -40 degrees will be far too hot while exercising. My winter jacket has pit zips to allow heat out, and a double-layered zip to stop wind getting in. The upper surface of the arms has wind and waterproof layers to keep you warm, but the underside of the arms is relatively thin.

  • I wear glasses - have never found a good way to stop them chilling, which leads to fogging when stopped at lights. This comes from foreheat heat/sweat and breath mist, so a helmet/hat combination that absorbs sweat would be good.

  • Breath is another problem - if its cold enough you will hurt your throat by breathing hard. Consider dawdling more as it gets colder. Some people use a breath mask that directs their exhale downward, maybe into their jacket.

  • Tyres -40 degrees means ice. If you have hard ice then studded tyres would be wise. They're not at all common here so search locally.

  • Cable housings - If you can, consider rewiring your bike with full housings rather than having any exposed inner wire. This helps reduce the incidence of water entering the cables and freezing.

  • Hydraulics - Not sure cos never owned any, but check the freezing point of your fluids. You might want to use a lower temp fluid that is still compatible with your brake system.

Personally the one thing I'd suggest you change is storage at home. Storing the bike in unheated shed is better than leaving it in the weather, but if you can store it somewhere warm then moisture will evaporate and keep your bike happier over time.

Salt is an issue too - if your location applies salt to the roads, then it will eat your bike over time. Consider staying out of puddles if they will be salty, and rinse your bike at least weekly if not more often to remove salt.