Advice Please--is it ever too cold for social biking?

As many of you know, I'm organizing the Horrible Holiday Sweater ride for this Sunday. However, the forecasts are saying that the temperatures might be dropping to the single digits.

Now, I've certainly ridden in those temperatures in order to get somewhere, however, I'm not sure if it would be a great social activity to go out and freeze.

I know that this is a bike winter activity, but I don't want people to be miserable, or to have no one show up for my ride.

I also don't want to cancel cause I know Chicago forecasters are often very wrong and this far out, the weather in unpredictable.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on December 10, 2010 at 9:46pm

I would also say have the ride regardless of temps and be prepared to shorten it and add more warming options. If people know this flexibility is built in you'll more easily avoid "nobody showing" (although I don't think it likely regardless.) Last year I bailed early because it hadn't occurred to me I would need shoes other than my work shoes if I came straight to work and my feet froze.