Don't Falter--Bike Fall is Worse than Bike Winter

Bike fall seems to be creeping up sooner and sooner. This is the time of the year that cyclists start to falter. One cold downpour too many and they are back on the bus, or--worse--the highway. Yikes!

If you haven't already, now is the time to start carrying rain gear, thin gloves and a thin ear/head covering (like a bandanna) for raw fall nights. I think winter is much easier to deal with than the fall, because it's more predictable. . . and less wet.

In honor of Bike Winter's 10th anniversary season, let's aim to make this the year ALL fair-weather cyclists within our propaganda's grasp decide to stay in the saddle through the longest, coldest nights. Save the dates for the Bike Winter Kick Off Meeting (Sept 22) and Get Layered: Winter Cycling Tips and Tricks Workshop (Oct 11). More info on the Chainlink calendar.

If you want to be more involved in BW, join the email planning list at http://hafd.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/bikewinter

Good luck with your rides this morning! We're using the trailer for Miguel's commute to day care today ;-)

Gin

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on August 27, 2009 at 12:27pm
Can we call it Bike Autumn? Something about seeing "fall" and "bike" in the same sentence makes my old bruises tingle...
Permalink Reply by David Travis on August 27, 2009 at 3:03pm
I hear you about the autumn season. It just seems challenging because it follows summer. The spring is usually worse and a bigger heart break, especially in Chicago along the lakeshore. The lake water is relatively warmer in the autumn by significant degrees than in the spring making the wind off the lake less chilling. This last spring in commuting along the lakeshore, I noticed the majority of days had wind off the lake N or NE. I'm going to keep tabs on the autumn wind direction. Somehow I doubt that they will be so consistently off the lake. In any case, its a matter of gearing up for whatever weather there is.
Permalink Reply by Gin on August 28, 2009 at 1:05am
I just like Bike Fall b/c of its dramatic representation of how people fall out of the biking habit before winter even comes along. Whatever you call it, keep on pedaling.

M.A.R.K. said:
Bike Autumn sounds so much more pleasant.. And while Autumn may not be as predictable as winter, I love riding in the fall with the cooler temps(it's easier to stay warm then to cool down), more night time skies and the changing of the leaves..
Permalink Reply by Natalie on August 28, 2009 at 5:24am
Speaking of Bike Fall, watch out for wet leaves this autumn. They can make cornering dangerous.

While I'm always sad to see summer go (or in this case, never arrive at all, what the heck?), I kind of enjoy the fact that the fair-weather folks go indoors while us hardy folks slog through the stinging rain and gusting winds. We are a special breed, I think.

On the other hand, it would be so nice if I weren't the only person in my office considered "crazy" for riding through the worst Chicago has to offer.

Since we're talking about cool-weather riding, I'll mention some of my favorite cool-weather products. (I have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest!)

Louis Garneau Power Cap (it used to be called something else; it's a beanie with a little bill and earflaps that fits nicely under a helmet). It's fleecy and cozy and easily stowable. Machine wash and air dry. Kinda pricey at $30 but I've had mine three years now and it's still growing strong. Boulevard Bikes stocks them that I know of. Swobo has a wool one that I'd like to try, but it's expensive too.

Pearl Izumi Woolie Seamless Arm Warmers. Actually made of polypro. If the temp suddenly drops and you're out in a t-shirt or short-sleeve jersey, these are really nice. I got mine on closeout at Kozy's for $12. They're cute, too, with the little stripes!

North Face Venture jacket: waterproof and fairly breathable, made from TNF's proprietary waterproof/breathable membrane. Super thin and lightweight but actually waterproof; priced at $100. It's not truly a cycling jacket, though; I wish it had a two-way zipper and a slightly longer tail, and the hood is useless to me on the bike. Overall I like it a lot, though, and it's much cheaper than Gore-Tex jackets. And it comes in a bunch of different colors. Available at your local Erehwon and possibly at REI.

Defeet Blaze wool socks. You can get them on sale at Performance sometimes. I like SmartWool too but it's so expensive! My husband swears by his SmartWool glove liners, too. I don't have those yet.

I'm still looking for decent waterproof gloves for fall and spring. I've been sorely disappointed with pretty much everything. In a pinch, wool or fuzzy synthetic gloves at least keep you a little warm even when wet. Also, I'm looking for new rain pants. My old Gore-Tex ones from Performance, which I think are 12 years old now, are worn out in the seat. I haven't found anything comparable that's made currently.
Permalink Reply by igz on August 28, 2009 at 5:58am
Mountain hardware makes a great waterproof/windproof glove. its not for cycling, but extemely durable in the palm, i wear my fingerless padded bike gloves underneath. they are good to about high 30's, 40 degrees. i use pearl izumis lobster gloves when its colder.

on that note, i use a lot of non-cycling gear for winter riding. i rode all winter, even when it was negative 16 fahrenheit not including windchill factor.

i have gotten by with a northface snowboarding jacket. i got it a size up so i can layer effectively underneath with a variety of fleece combinations. fully wind and waterproof, and a skirt/cinch that would attach to snowboard pants, but can be used without the pants to keep the cold out. it also has very convenient armpit vents for when you do start to overheat, and an adjustment strap for the hood so you can keep it on your head and out of your face. only issue is helmet use with the hood, but i didnt use a helmet last year.

On my feet, i use goretex (waterproof) boots, also from northface, paired with smartwools mountaineering socks. the sox are $20/pair, but you wear them with liners, so you can reuse the sock a few times before washing. 3 pair will get you by. my feet were never cold.

for bottoms, i just layered long johns and "base layers" from varoius outfitters, a regular pair of jeans and helly hanson rain pants. the rain pants dont breath well and i often got wet from sweat. i would wear mountain hardware's gaiters over the pants, and covered the boots to keep all that lovely slush out. i would like to hear better bottoms solutions tho.

a fleece balaclava and a wool hat, hood from the fleece and hood from the jacket kept my head toasty warm. i will be investing in ski goggles this winter. i didnt like my eyelids freezing together when i blinked on the cold days. safety goggles didnt cut it.

after the fact now, but i bought most of my winter gear in the spring, on sale.
Permalink Reply by S on August 28, 2009 at 6:16am
iggi said:

i have gotten by with a northface snowboarding jacket. i got it a size up so i can layer effectively underneath with a variety of fleece combinations. fully wind and waterproof, and a skirt/cinch that would attach to snowboard pants, but can be used without the pants to keep the cold out. it also has very convenient armpit vents for when you do start to overheat, and an adjustment strap for the hood so you can keep it on your head and out of your face. only issue is helmet use with the hood, but i didnt use a helmet last year.

Some alpine jackets are helmet compatible since helmets are getting more use for mountaineering, skiing, and snowboarding. I got a nice marmot jacket with this and discovered this last fall when I got caught in the rain. If your jacket also has a faceguard, you can effectively ditch the balaclava and have the same protection.

Permalink Reply by Natalie on August 28, 2009 at 6:25am
Iggi, if you rode the same coldest day I did, it was actually 17 below! My husband had a cold or something that day and didn't go to work, so I reclaimed the household record, which I hope will stand forever. That weather sucked.

iggi said:
Mountain hardware makes a great waterproof/windproof glove. its not for cycling, but extemely durable in the palm, i wear my fingerless padded bike gloves underneath. they are good to about high 30's, 40 degrees. i use pearl izumis lobster gloves when its colder.
Permalink Reply by joe on August 29, 2009 at 10:28am
since we are on the subject of shitty weather...

REI is having a pretty good sized sale..i stopped in yesterday and got new pants and jacket...50% off. good stuff. nice. yep.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on August 29, 2009 at 10:37am
I hope you'll hold that record forever. I never want to see weather that bad in this city again! (Prepare for bitching and cursing this winter, unless we don't have one like we didn't have summer.)

Natalie said:
I reclaimed the household record, which I hope will stand forever. That weather sucked.
iggi said:
Mountain hardware makes a great waterproof/windproof glove. its not for cycling, but extemely durable in the palm, i wear my fingerless padded bike gloves underneath. they are good to about high 30's, 40 degrees. i use pearl izumis lobster gloves when its colder.
Permalink Reply by Dottie on August 29, 2009 at 6:31pm
I'm kinda missing the winter :) Bike-summer is the worst for me - so crowded and sweaty.
Permalink Reply by Scott on September 22, 2009 at 6:42am
Hell yeah! Soon it will be time to ride in a jacket, wool cap, scarf and gloves. Mein lieblingswetter!
Permalink Reply by dan brown on September 22, 2009 at 7:00am
I bought (I was sure to get two sizes bigger) some great shell style ski gloves that were like lobster mitts. (thumb and two fingers)

I think I paid $12.00 at TJ Maxx several years ago. they awesome. wind and water-proof : sometimes
(In Janurary) they were my fourth layer !

for the feet : I take bread (or newspaper) bags and put them in between layers of socks.

DB

iggi said:
Mountain hardware makes a great waterproof/windproof glove. its not for cycling, but extemely durable in the palm, i wear my fingerless padded bike gloves underneath. they are good to about high 30's, 40 degrees. i use pearl izumis lobster gloves when its colder.

on that note, i use a lot of non-cycling gear for winter riding. i rode all winter, even when it was negative 16 fahrenheit not including windchill factor.

i have gotten by with a northface snowboarding jacket. i got it a size up so i can layer effectively underneath with a variety of fleece combinations. fully wind and waterproof, and a skirt/cinch that would attach to snowboard pants, but can be used without the pants to keep the cold out. it also has very convenient armpit vents for when you do start to overheat, and an adjustment strap for the hood so you can keep it on your head and out of your face. only issue is helmet use with the hood, but i didnt use a helmet last year.

On my feet, i use goretex (waterproof) boots, also from northface, paired with smartwools mountaineering socks. the sox are $20/pair, but you wear them with liners, so you can reuse the sock a few times before washing. 3 pair will get you by. my feet were never cold.

for bottoms, i just layered long johns and "base layers" from varoius outfitters, a regular pair of jeans and helly hanson rain pants. the rain pants dont breath well and i often got wet from sweat. i would wear mountain hardware's gaiters over the pants, and covered the boots to keep all that lovely slush out. i would like to hear better bottoms solutions tho.

a fleece balaclava and a wool hat, hood from the fleece and hood from the jacket kept my head toasty warm. i will be investing in ski goggles this winter. i didnt like my eyelids freezing together when i blinked on the cold days. safety goggles didnt cut it.

after the fact now, but i bought most of my winter gear in the spring, on sale.

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