El Nino may mean a good Winter for bike riding here in the Windy City.

http://www.weather.com/forecast/national/news/winter-2015-2016-temp...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 18, 2015 at 9:26am

http://m.almanac.com/weather/longrange/IL/Chicago

David, I hope so too, and I hope the Weather Channel is right because I love to cycle year round also. Thanks for your post.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on September 18, 2015 at 12:37pm

Agreed. My big problem is keeping my hands warm. I think mittens are the best option. I still have yet to find the optimal solution. I'm not too keen on the idea of reusable hand warmers, but that might be an option. I'd probably be more receptive to the idea if the mittens had a pocket for the hand warmers that didn't interfere with my dexterity or break the bank. I can just feel the warmth being sucked out of my hands when I apply the brakes and that's no fun at all.

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Permalink Reply by JimM. on September 18, 2015 at 5:51pm

These got me through most of last winter: http://www.amazon.com/Memphis-N9690L-Double-Gloves-Fingertips/dp/B0... and then when it gets even colder, I'll layer these gloves with a pair of windproof mittens (I can't find them right now, but they're basically just the windproof shell, not insulated... when I find them, I'll reply again) to keep the wind out and the heat in. The Memphis gloves are cheap, but surprisingly warm and lasted through the winter season last year.

Now, if there are any recommendations for keeping toes warm, I'm all ears!

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on September 20, 2015 at 5:39am

Hmmm, the price is right, and free shipping, too. Nice.

I never had much trouble keeping my feet warm. I wear army boots with a woolen sock outer layer and regular socks inside of that. I guess the hard shell toe covering of the boot itself helps a lot to keep the wind out.

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Permalink Reply by SixtyTwoPercent on September 19, 2015 at 3:15pm

We're getting robbed, ROBBED I tell you. We are a hearty bunch of riders. We look at snow and slush and smile (through our balaclavas). Ice beneath 24" of snow? Meh. Strong winds on -5 degree days? Pshaw.

Time to move to Minneapolis where my efforts are put to the test.