Cold Snap

How's everyone surviving the cold snap with windchill below zero? Keeping warm? Toughing it out like a polar bear? Staying home? Going to work via CTA?

Share your pics! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Bill W. on December 27, 2017 at 11:39am

It's still warmer to ride then it was driving my 72 Super Beetle back in the day. I rode to the gym today @0630 when it was -3. The 2.5 mile trip brought me to my destination with a wee bit of sweat/doo. No problem commuting in this cold weather. Snow/Rain (wind) is always the bummer.

Permalink Reply by V W on December 27, 2017 at 12:54pm

Toughing it out, still riding everywhere per usual. So far so good. Just bundling up and wearing thick gloves.

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on December 27, 2017 at 3:21pm

Pretty much wimping out, mostly.

I finally layered-up to ride to run errands the other day and found I had a flat. &%!*!

I took it as a sign...

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on December 28, 2017 at 4:05am

Toughed it out this morning. Felt alright but should've worn leggings underneath my pants!

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on December 28, 2017 at 4:19am

Is it just me, or do you hate balaclavas? They're a pain to put on, especially if you wear headphones. (I know, a no-no). When you get off your bike they're too warm, but pulling up the face mask is another chore.

I just ordered a winter helmet liner, and a thick, fleece neck gator. Hopefully the combination of the two is easier to live with. I also purchased a pair of heavy winter ski gloves that claim to be good to -30F. We'll see.

Permalink Reply by Ryan D on December 28, 2017 at 5:06am

Check out Duluth Trading Woolly Mammoth boiled-wool hats. Thin enough to fit under a helmet, and warm enough that it's all I wear on my head (aside from the helmet) all winter, including today. It has fit under both a commuter helmet, and my old race helmet. I've used the same one the last three winters basically every day it's colder than 45 or so, and it's still in great shape. 

https://www.duluthtrading.com/store/product/mens-boiled-wool-stocki...

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on December 29, 2017 at 4:45am

Fleece balaclavas that are a slightly looser fit are actually more comfortable than the neoprene ones.

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on December 28, 2017 at 4:24am

Are there any bar mittens that are easy to put on and take off? I ride a Divvy, so a permanent installation isn't going to work. I'd consider them if they could be installed in less than a minute, but I'm not going to bother if the installation is long and tedious.

Permalink Reply by JMinHP on December 28, 2017 at 5:12am

For quick on/off, I would look at Moose Mitts - http://moosemitts.com/online-ordering.html - or Dogwood Designs - http://www.fatbikes.com/search.php?search_query=pogies. These look like they may be easy to slide on and off, but I would confirm before buying.

Bar Mitts are too tough to put on/take off easily on a Divvy bike. There are rowing Pogies (http://www.jlracing.com/tab.5_page.pogies.html) which are awesome for rowing (they got me through 4 years of college) and simply slide on the oar, but I think that the opening is too small to slide over the brake levers. Again, a quick call to JL Racing might answer the question of how big the opening is and it it'll work on a Divvy.

Permalink Reply by LJS on December 28, 2017 at 5:06am

All good today (9 degrees, no wind to speak of) but thinking of investing in a full-face mask instead of just the gaiter/balaclava which goes just up to my eyes.  Forehead was freezing!  

Clinton bike lane was in good shape with just a few patches of snow/ice around the edges, but the cold + post-Xmas week meant not too many people out.  Kinzie bike lane looked a bit snowy/icy in parts last night, but hard to tell since the salt can get so heavy and white on the ground it looks like snow.

On a separate note, what does Critical Mass turnout look like when it's so cold out?  Curious about tomorrow night but figuring it will be pretty sparse.  Also, I've always wondered how the meetup/start at Daley Plaza goes when Christkindlmarket is still there...

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on December 28, 2017 at 6:39am

My guess would be a very low turnout at Critical Mass if the weather is anything like it is today. If you check it out I'd love to hear a headcount.

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on December 28, 2017 at 5:26am

For the first time I'm considering electric heated gloves.

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