Cold weather biking

[MilwaukeeStubble]

I realize it's nothing like what some of you canucks have to deal with :), but here in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas we're reaching the time of year where 25F is almost balmy.  So:

1.  Can anyone recommend a good pair of riding gloves?  The one's I have are great down to about 20F or so, but quickly become useless after that.  I can get cooler through things like putting socks or a second pair of gloves over my gloves, but that brings other problems.

2.  I think the oil I use has problems with the cold. It's a mid-weight synthetic lube and as it gets colder it seems to turn into more of a sludge than an oil, enough that it's noticeably difficult to use the brakes, shifters or pedals around 5F.  This isn't a huge concern, especially since the bike also needs to work at 100F, so I'd prefer not to go too light, but if anyone has an easy recommendation to help with that I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

[Cooperd0g]

1. I use thin wool blend glove liners inside thicker winter/ski gloves. I also plan on getting some Bar Mitts (http://barmitts.com), but buy them from Amazon - cheaper there.

2. Are you talking about bicycles or motorcycles? I just use a silicon chain lube and it works fine. Maybe keep your bike inside the house so it doesn't get so cold.

[MilwaukeeStubble]

1. I use thin wool blend glove liners inside thicker winter/ski gloves. I also plan on getting some Bar Mitts (http://barmitts.com), but buy them from Amazon - cheaper there.

2. Are you talking about bicycles or motorcycles? I just use a silicon chain lube and it works fine. Maybe keep your bike inside the house so it doesn't get so cold.

1. Thanks

2. Bicycle.  I'm not sure what is the problem.  It is stored inside but three times now I've been outside riding while it's -5 to +5 out and the brakes get hard to pull, the shifters get firm and shift slowly, and pedaling just feels harder, as if I moved to a higher resistance setting on a stationary bike. It happens within a few minutes, and it seems to work fine while inside.  Might be something els,e that was just my best guess.

[Cooperd0g]

Yeah, that's weird. What kind of bike do you ride? My brakes and shifters are just cables. I don't have disc brakes, just old school ones. Take a picture of your bike and post it. Maybe someone will have a better idea after being able to see it.

[yomimono]

1. Seconding bar mitts.  They're available for cheap in the ATV/snowmobile section of your local Farm & Fleet (or Fleet Farm? not sure which it is by you).  Bar mitts are a nice way to get around the problem of needing really serious wind protection for your hands while riding, but also needing to do stuff like handle your keys, etc when you're off the bike.

2. The deal with your shifters and brakes is probably that you probably have some water in your cable housing.  This happens to me all the time when riding in winter.  Any decent bike shop should be able to take care of it for you pretty cheaply, or if you have the tools you could badass it up and DIY - the materials aren't too pricey. :)

As for your increased resistance when pedaling, it's possible that you need to open up your rear hub and re-lube it with a more cold-tolerant oil, but I'd be surprised if this is the case - I've never had to do this, and I live just down the road from you. 

[GuitarStv]

I like white lightening wet ride for pretty much all lubrication on a bike when it gets cold.  It's works well even at -20 and keeps rust off of my stuff even when going through salty slushy winter weather.  I'm sure other stuff would work too.  Some lubes definitely get gummy in the cold.

For extremely cold temperatures I haven't found any cycling specific gloves that work well.  I swap between various ski gloves and snowmobiling gloves most of the winter depending on the chill.  I like the idea of bar mitts, but have nearly gone down a couple times on ice in the winter and wouldn't want my hands stuck in something while falling.

You will feel a lot more resistance to pedaling just due to the cold.  Air actually gets denser when it's colder and this forces you to exert more effort to try and maintain normal biking speeds.

[Russ]

My hand were warm-ish in Bontrager* waterproof softshell gloves this morning (0F), but wouldn't trust them for much colder. I suspect any other cycling-specific winter glove from a big brand would do about the same... they're designed for the average winter rider, and that rider really doesn't venture out much below 20F. I have a pair of Trash Bags Picker Mittens on order, which should be good for subzero days. I also like the idea of bar mitts, but wouldn't like having my hands stuck in one place for my whole 11 mile commute.

Cables get dry lube such as White Lightning (wax) or Finish Line Dry (Teflon). Chain is user preference... I haven't really seen any that gum up that bad, but if you're having problems I've been using Boeshield recently and it's been fine. Also maybe repack your hubs if they're loose ball

*disclaimer: I work there

[MilwaukeeStubble]

I suspect you guys may be right about water.  It hadn't occurred to me until now but we did go from heavy rain to sub-freezing over about a week.  That or condensation from coming in and outside might be enough to get some water in the cables.

The bike is a Trek 7.2 FX.  Basically a Trek Hybrid.  I usually clean and oil the cables when I change the tires (winter/normal) but I haven't gotten around to swapping them yet this year.  It's a few years old, does anyone recommend taking basically the entire bike apart and cleaning/rebuilding it?

I'm most concerned about the cables, especially the brakes since they were actually getting difficult to pull (and are occasionally important :).  I like the water thought though.  I'll try cleaning and drying the cables out then lubing with what I have to see if that changes anything.

[Russ]

It's a few years old, does anyone recommend taking basically the entire bike apart and cleaning/rebuilding it?

definitely. rebuild with waterproof grease on all bearings/bushings (except the chain) and antisieze on all fasteners.

[PindyStache]

For extremely cold temperatures I haven't found any cycling specific gloves that work well.  I swap between various ski gloves and snowmobiling gloves most of the winter depending on the chill.  I like the idea of bar mitts, but have nearly gone down a couple times on ice in the winter and wouldn't want my hands stuck in something while falling.

I've fallen a bunch (mostly over the past week that we've had "bulletproof" icy chasms of doom on the roads) with bar mitts and it's been fine. Your hands come out pretty easy. They do make it annoying to use hand turn signals though, especially if the road is rough/icy--though my balance is pretty bad in general.

The bike is a Trek 7.2 FX.  Basically a Trek Hybrid.  I usually clean and oil the cables when I change the tires (winter/normal) but I haven't gotten around to swapping them yet this year.  It's a few years old, does anyone recommend taking basically the entire bike apart and cleaning/rebuilding it?

This is what I ride too! I know my cables need cleaning out, though I've not done this myself before. And yes, it just does get harder/slower during wintertime.

[BlueMR2]

1.  Can anyone recommend a good pair of riding gloves?  The one's I have are great down to about 20F or so, but quickly become useless after that.  I can get cooler through things like putting socks or a second pair of gloves over my gloves, but that brings other problems.

2.  I think the oil I use has problems with the cold. It's a mid-weight synthetic lube and as it gets colder it seems to turn into more of a sludge than an oil, enough that it's noticeably difficult to use the brakes, shifters or pedals around 5F.  This isn't a huge concern, especially since the bike also needs to work at 100F, so I'd prefer not to go too light, but if anyone has an easy recommendation to help with that I'd appreciate it.

1. I've got a pair of thin off the shelf (so generic they don't have a name on them anywhere) mechanics style gloves that work great even down into so cold that my face freezes off when I walk outside.  (0ish?)  Not sure why they work so well, I've got others that are terrible.  Seems kind of hit or miss.  Picked these up for Winter shooting matches since they have good flexibility but they're great for cycling too.  Better than my Winter motorcycling gloves even.

2. I use 3-in-1 oil and have never encountered any issues with my chain.  For cables I shoot a smidge of silicone spray lube down the shell to aid the initial threading of the cable itself, then I never do anything else to them again and they stay fine for years.  Perhaps you're over lubing?

[BrooklineBiker]

Hi,
I use Boeshield T9 to lubricate the chain year round. See http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4023938&emssrcid=PPC%3AgooPLAs%3A54042582645brandEastern_Mountain_Sports&utm_source=gooPLAs&utm_campaign=Product+Listing+Ads&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CKCs79yQrLsCFXHxOgodK0cAiQ. I do not like White Lightning lube because in my experience it picks up grime off the road, like sand and salt. Be sure to lubricate your derailleur cables periodically with some Triflow lubricant. See http://www.rei.com/product/546175/tri-flow-squeeze-bottle-2-oz?preferredSku=5461750019&cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla-_-product-_-5461750019&mr:trackingCode=FF7F071B-81F9-DE11-BAE3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=37687212520&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=39033380560&msid=dMiBsKKO_dc%7Cpcrid%7C37687212520%7C&%7Bcopy:s_kwcid%7D.

For gloves try Pearl Izumi Lobster Gloves. See https://www.google.com/shopping/product/402833867552521992?q=pearl+lobster+mitt+gloves&client=safari&rls=en&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.57967247,d.cWc,pv.xjs.s.en_US.rPdE4CKmgI4.O&biw=1259&bih=664&tch=1&ech=1&psi=7G6qUr3uO6u0sATSg4H4Cw.1386901230820.3&ei=926qUvzIO8bNsQSvkoC4AQ&ved=0CFQQpiswAA. I am intrigued by the Trash Picker gloves shown above. I have never used them but Bar Mitts look like they should ou too.
Best,
Neil

[deltaecho]

I'm a huge fan of the BarMitts (http://barmitts.com) and used them for a long ride in Mass today.  I only had 2 thin pairs of gloves on underneath and my hands felt warm.  You can actually move your hands around more than one might imagine, you just can't have that much stuff on your bars (lights, odometer.) 

[NinetyFour]

I thought some folks might like the information presented here:

http://www.denverpost.com/fitness/ci_24783461/warm-up-winter-cycling-these-colorado-riders-tips

[jnik]

I'm a huge fan of the BarMitts (http://barmitts.com) and used them for a long ride in Mass today.

I had been trying to figure out how to rig up a pair of pogies and had just come across those guys. Looks like their solution is "don't use the drops"?

[Thegoblinchief]

OP, I've been biking in Milwaukee all winter so far, except the few days we've had multi-inch storms. The gloves I have are Dakine Cobras. Leather outside with Goretex, insulation, and liner. The Goretex (or equivalent) is the most important thing. You need gloves that are water/wind proof. Not sure I'd want lobsters or bar mitts, personally. My routes require a decent amount of shifting and braking in traffic.

As far as lube goes, I'm still trying to figure out something that works well. The bike probably needs to be torn down and rebuilt, I just haven't taken the time to figure out how to do that.

[Rich M]

In all Cases, I ride a singlespeed bike.  26" tires and 32-13 gearing.   That eliminates all weather on shifting.

In extreme cold, 10F or lower.
-Three clothing layers.  Wool is the base.  A chest layer and a wind breaker.
-Lobster gloves or heavy snowboarding gloves
-Hiking boots and wool socks.
-balaclava
-clear ski goggles.  Clear because it's cold, but dark at the end of the work day.  The ski lifts end at 3:30, work doesn't.

Moderate cold, 10F-32F.
-three clothing layers.  Wool as the base
-biking shoes and wool sock-lobster or heavy gloves
-skull cap
-normal sunglasses

mild cold, 32+
-two layers but wool is the base
biking shoes and wool socks
skull cap
normal sunglasses

I find my toes and fingers get cold the easiest.  So I  load up on those more than the layers.