Winter Biking Thread

[powersuitrecall]

The idea of winter biking is slowly spreading around our neighborhood.  One morning there were 3 bikes + trailers outside the local daycare.  I have another local friend who decided to give it a try on her 10km commute - and she's sticking with it.  Awesome!

[SisterX]

I figure people in this thread will appreciate this. If you know me, then you know I'm from Alaska. The cold, cold interior part of Alaska. But now we live in a Seattle suburb. It gets "cold" here, to me. Chilly, windy, wet, but nothing for me to get worked up over. A few weeks ago it snowed (then promptly melted) and somebody gestured to the helmet hanging off my bag. "Isn't it a little cold to ride? I mean, how far do you have to go?" LOL.

I ride to the bus, then take that to downtown. When I get on the bus, I generally end up shedding a layer. (I've been dressing in leggings--they dry really fast--boots, gloves, ear warmer thingie, t-shirt or tank top, light jacket-type thing, and waterproof shell.) This morning I shed all the outer stuff and was just down to leggings, boots, t-shirt, and a thin wool button-up. A guy in the elevator was horrified that I had biked in this "cold" weather.

Starting to feel like I should also make a sign saying, "It's okay. I'm Alaskan, I can handle it."

[Cowardly Toaster]

"It's okay. I'm Alaskan, I can handle it."

I am also from Alaska. It's not generally very cold in Palmer where I live, but we do experience negative temps sometimes.

Here's what I've been doing. My commute is about 2 miles. When it is above 0, I just wear my Kinco insulated gloves (about 20$ at the hardware store), my Carrhart balaclava under a helmet, a soft shell jacket and my reflective vest. Under everything is just my work clothes (jeans and a button down shirt, boots with wool socks). Plenty of lip balm helps keep the lips from getting chapped.

When things dip below 0F, I'll throw a fleece vest on and snow pants. It can get a little chilly but I just take it slow, I hate to get that weird sweat going when it is cold. I've also experimented with using my clear military surplus goggles but they don't seem to be necessary.

I use Suomi studded tires and a cheapy set of front/rear lights for the dark Alaska mornings evenings.

Taking ice cold showers really makes you more resistant to cold. I don't know how exactly but it helps a lot. Perhaps a metabolism thing? It also ups T levels for men.

[accolay]

I vaguely remember what it was like to think "wow, you bike in the winter? you are SO HARDCORE!" but. Here's the thing.
IT IS REALLY NOT THAT HARD. I was a little worried before winter hit, wondering how I'd deal with it, wondering if I was up to the task. Then it got cold and I realized that it was actually EASIER than what I was doing before.

You're right. Thanks for the encouragement. I've slipped twice now, but knew both times that it was going to happen and I was riding at stopping speed. I continue with my cheapo fixie bike with skinny unstudded tires and it's working for me. Hopefully wont rust too bad.

[twojabs]

i need to do this more but it is a 17 mile each way trip (mainly on canal towpaths and up one big massive hill on the road) to work when im not working at a 2nd base away from my normal workplace (to which i get paid my mileage for)..... i could travel to and from work for free.... and get fit doing it.

urg.

plus i'd save on car insurance by significantly reducing my mileage.

[sandmaninator]

I use ankle high insulated winter hiking boots for most of the winter with studded flat pedals.  High ankle boots feel weird to me on a bike.  (Although I'll switch over to tall heavy duty winter boots when temperatures drop below -20.  At that point need for warmth overrides all other considerations.)

Studded flat pedals are awesome.  The best traction you can get short of being clipped in.

I wear water-proof, low hikers. Since I have to portage over banks of drifting snow a lot, I wear gaiters to keep the snow out. I prefer those over hiking boots for riding and wearing around the office.  But my upper legs get cold. Need to find a solution for that that would work for the office. -Like an over-pant? I would almost like a pair of gaiters that went up to my upper-thighs. Nice to be able to keep shoes on and just take off the gaiters when I get to the office.

[powersuitrecall]

I use ankle high insulated winter hiking boots for most of the winter with studded flat pedals.  High ankle boots feel weird to me on a bike.  (Although I'll switch over to tall heavy duty winter boots when temperatures drop below -20.  At that point need for warmth overrides all other considerations.)

Studded flat pedals are awesome.  The best traction you can get short of being clipped in.

I wear water-proof, low hikers. Since I have to portage over banks of drifting snow a lot, I wear gaiters to keep the snow out. I prefer those over hiking boots for riding and wearing around the office.  But my upper legs get cold. Need to find a solution for that that would work for the office. -Like an over-pant? I would almost like a pair of gaiters that went up to my upper-thighs. Nice to be able to keep shoes on and just take off the gaiters when I get to the office.

I've been using these heavy duty rain pants for the last 3-4 seasons with some success.  They are a bit bulky, but my commute is short and they keep me warm & dry.  I have a lighter duty pair for the shoulder seasons.

[SisterX]

I wear water-proof, low hikers. Since I have to portage over banks of drifting snow a lot, I wear gaiters to keep the snow out. I prefer those over hiking boots for riding and wearing around the office.  But my upper legs get cold. Need to find a solution for that that would work for the office. -Like an over-pant? I would almost like a pair of gaiters that went up to my upper-thighs. Nice to be able to keep shoes on and just take off the gaiters when I get to the office.

Would chaps work best for you? A friend of mine has some and loves them for rainy or windy days.

[Guses]

The snow banks are officially taller than me today and they are calling for another 6-8 inches of snow.

That is all.

[GuitarStv]

The snow banks are officially taller than me today and they are calling for another 6-8 inches of snow.

That is all.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/01/06/a_pedalpowered_snowmobile.html

[SisterX]

The snow banks are officially taller than me today and they are calling for another 6-8 inches of snow.

That is all.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/01/06/a_pedalpowered_snowmobile.html

I am in love with the term "automobile euthanasia".

[Guses]

So, anyone sick of winter yet?

That bastard snowstorm almost got the better of me....

I need a way to ride on 3 inches of packed but soft sludge. My tires just float and I go /\/\/\/\/\/\/

[Glenstache]

Gotta say the sights of a beautiful sunrise on two snowy mountain ranges made not feeling my face and having cold-tears freezing on my glasses worth it this morning.

[SisterX]

I actually drove to the bus the other day because, the day before, I fell due to the freezing rain. Not too bad, all in all, because I know how to fall properly. (Parents: let your kids fall, they'll learn valuable skillz.) One minor bruise and a strained/sore neck is a small price to pay, especially as I got the neck injury avoiding a possible concussion. But, it made turning my neck to look around at vehicles, particularly from a slightly hunched/bent position as I would be on a bike and with a helmet on, difficult and dangerous. I hated every second of that drive.

[Cowardly Toaster]

Looking through the thread, I don't think I've seen fat tire bikes mentioned yet!

They look like a blast and are all the rage in my area. I'm waiting a while to buy one because they're very expensive ATM

[Kmp2]

So, anyone sick of winter yet?

That bastard snowstorm almost got the better of me....

I need a way to ride on 3 inches of packed but soft sludge. My tires just float and I go /\/\/\/\/\/\/

This is probably the hardest type of conditions to face, studs don't help at all, really only fat tires would. Generally you don't try to keep a straight line, you keep headed in the direction you want to go, but let your tire float side to side a bit. Loosen your grip, a death grip on the handle bars hurts more then it helps. Lots of opinions on whether skinny tires are better, because they kind of slice through, or mountain bike tires because they are thicker...

Practice will help, but after two years, it's still enerving for me, and you definitely need to have more space on the road on each side.

Here is a very long blog post about snow conditions in winter cycling, there is a reason that the Inuit have so many words for snow!

https://tuckamoredew.wordpress.com/winter-cycling/lexicon-of-urban-edmonton-ices-by-robert-clinton/

[Kmp2]

Looking through the thread, I don't think I've seen fat tire bikes mentioned yet!

They look like a blast and are all the rage in my area. I'm waiting a while to buy one because they're very expensive ATM

Um ya, after all the snow we have had this winter, a fat bike is definitely on my n+1 list...  I have some pretty specific wants on one though... like an internal hub, fenders, rack... possibly a long tail...they don't quite make one with everything I want yet. Although I did see a custom build that was almost perfect on kijiji last year. They are just so pricy and we get so few snow years, they may forever be on the n+1 list...

[Guses]

This is probably the hardest type of conditions to face, studs don't help at all, really only fat tires would. Generally you don't try to keep a straight line, you keep headed in the direction you want to go, but let your tire float side to side a bit. Loosen your grip, a death grip on the handle bars hurts more then it helps. Lots of opinions on whether skinny tires are better, because they kind of slice through, or mountain bike tires because they are thicker...

Practice will help, but after two years, it's still enerving for me, and you definitely need to have more space on the road on each side.

Here is a very long blog post about snow conditions in winter cycling, there is a reason that the Inuit have so many words for snow!

Yeah, that's what I try to do while avoiding the ice ramp on the side of the road.

When you reach a certain amount of snow, the back tire just spins freely.

Looking through the thread, I don't think I've seen fat tire bikes mentioned yet!

They look like a blast and are all the rage in my area. I'm waiting a while to buy one because they're very expensive ATM

I bought a cheap one and I sold it before the end of the season. Mine was HEAVY, SLOW and was only marginally better in ugly conditions. Really, there is only a small subset of conditions where the fat bike is better than a regular bike. The rest of the time it is much worse. Probably if you spend a whole lot more, you will get a slightly better experience though.

It is great for trail riding where the snow is packed and HARD but it still sucks in SOFT snow/sludge that you get when it snows more than an inch on the road.

With 4+ inches, I got stuck same as with my MTB only now I had to drag a 50 lbs. behemoth.

[Cowardly Toaster]

This is probably the hardest type of conditions to face, studs don't help at all, really only fat tires would. Generally you don't try to keep a straight line, you keep headed in the direction you want to go, but let your tire float side to side a bit. Loosen your grip, a death grip on the handle bars hurts more then it helps. Lots of opinions on whether skinny tires are better, because they kind of slice through, or mountain bike tires because they are thicker...

Practice will help, but after two years, it's still enerving for me, and you definitely need to have more space on the road on each side.

Here is a very long blog post about snow conditions in winter cycling, there is a reason that the Inuit have so many words for snow!

Yeah, that's what I try to do while avoiding the ice ramp on the side of the road.

When you reach a certain amount of snow, the back tire just spins freely.

Looking through the thread, I don't think I've seen fat tire bikes mentioned yet!

They look like a blast and are all the rage in my area. I'm waiting a while to buy one because they're very expensive ATM

I bought a cheap one and I sold it before the end of the season. Mine was HEAVY, SLOW and was only marginally better in ugly conditions. Really, there is only a small subset of conditions where the fat bike is better than a regular bike. The rest of the time it is much worse. Probably if you spend a whole lot more, you will get a slightly better experience though.

It is great for trail riding where the snow is packed and HARD but it still sucks in SOFT snow/sludge that you get when it snows more than an inch on the road.

With 4+ inches, I got stuck same as with my MTB only now I had to drag a 50 lbs. behemoth.

There's some really nice ones but you'll pay a king's ransom for them and good luck finding one second hand.

[Malum Prohibitum]

So, anyone sick of winter yet?

That bastard snowstorm almost got the better of me....

I need a way to ride on 3 inches of packed but soft sludge. My tires just float and I go /\/\/\/\/\/\/

  It's been in the 70s here for a couple of days.

[Jakejake]

I bought a cheap one and I sold it before the end of the season. Mine was HEAVY, SLOW and was only marginally better in ugly conditions. Really, there is only a small subset of conditions where the fat bike is better than a regular bike. The rest of the time it is much worse. Probably if you spend a whole lot more, you will get a slightly better experience though.

It is great for trail riding where the snow is packed and HARD but it still sucks in SOFT snow/sludge that you get when it snows more than an inch on the road.

With 4+ inches, I got stuck same as with my MTB only now I had to drag a 50 lbs. behemoth.

Thank you for posting this! I've been coveting a fat tire bike for about two years, and suddenly I'm over it.

[katscratch]

There are a few local shops here that rent (very nice) fat bikes.  Win-win!

[Dave1442397]

I bought a cheap one and I sold it before the end of the season. Mine was HEAVY, SLOW and was only marginally better in ugly conditions. Really, there is only a small subset of conditions where the fat bike is better than a regular bike. The rest of the time it is much worse. Probably if you spend a whole lot more, you will get a slightly better experience though.

It is great for trail riding where the snow is packed and HARD but it still sucks in SOFT snow/sludge that you get when it snows more than an inch on the road.

With 4+ inches, I got stuck same as with my MTB only now I had to drag a 50 lbs. behemoth.

Thank you for posting this! I've been coveting a fat tire bike for about two years, and suddenly I'm over it.

From what I've read recently, fat bike sales plummeted last year. I rented one two years ago to ride Mt. Rose and The Flume Trail at Lake Tahoe. It was nice when rolling, great for rough terrain, but pretty much sucked for tight turns. Fun, but definitely didn't make me want to buy one. 25 miles was more than enough.

[katscratch]

From what I've read recently, fat bike sales plummeted last year. I rented one two years ago to ride Mt. Rose and The Flume Trail at Lake Tahoe. It was nice when rolling, great for rough terrain, but pretty much sucked for tight turns. Fun, but definitely didn't make me want to buy one. 25 miles was more than enough.

I wonder how regional that is -- I'm seeing a lot more of them around here, even commuting!  I agree on the handling - my studded tires are much easier and faster to ride on our ice/snow/pavement/slush city roads.  For myself, I think of fat bikes as the cross-country skis of the bike world.  Something I'd use for fun but don't fit as well into my daily routine.

On the flip side, they are a LOT more fun on the beach than my other bike :)

[GuitarStv]

Most of the roads are clear here, so I did an enjoyable 70 km ride in the windy and -6 C conditions around here yesterday on my road bike with unstudded skinny tires.  :P  Would not want to be pushing those huge, heavy fat bike wheels up some of the steeper climbs I was doing.

[HenryDavid]

Got this hat/balaclava/neck scarf as a gift years ago and always thought it was a handcraft item from a fair or something.
But you can get it on Amazon, who knew.
This thing is almost too warm even in -20 celsius, once you're biking.
But no wind gaps, and side visibility is decent. There's a video on the umpty-several ways you can deploy it on your head.
Go winter bikers. And walkers.
https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Headz-Polarex-Fleece-Balaclava/dp/B00GTOWRES

[katscratch]

Got this hat/balaclava/neck scarf as a gift years ago and always thought it was a handcraft item from a fair or something.
But you can get it on Amazon, who knew.
This thing is almost too warm even in -20 celsius, once you're biking.
But no wind gaps, and side visibility is decent. There's a video on the umpty-several ways you can deploy it on your head.
Go winter bikers. And walkers.
https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Headz-Polarex-Fleece-Balaclava/dp/B00GTOWRES

Nice!!  I love how versatile it is. 

[frugalkristen]

I'm a little jealous of all of you bikers!  I was never into biking but I used to run and was in great shape until I hurt my back.  After back surgery a few years ago, I can no longer run and definitely can't bike.  Luckily, my commute is only about 3 miles round trip so I don't use much gas.  I miss being able to do some of these things.  You guys are truly badass!

[katscratch]

I'm a little jealous of all of you bikers!  I was never into biking but I used to run and was in great shape until I hurt my back.  After back surgery a few years ago, I can no longer run and definitely can't bike.  Luckily, my commute is only about 3 miles round trip so I don't use much gas.  I miss being able to do some of these things.  You guys are truly badass!

Without knowing your situation or where your injury occurred, have you ever tried a recumbent bike?  I work with a couple docs who've need back and neck surgery themselves and they were able to get back into cycling by using a recumbent bike or trike. 

I feel you, though -- I had to stop weightlifting after a back injury -- thankfully I found cycling which I can do, as long as I have proper posture/fit.  It's not at all the same as heavy lifting, though, so I imagine it's similar with you and running.

[frugalkristen]

I have a list of activities that I can't/shouldn't do now.  Although the surgery got me back on my feet (was bed ridden for about 4 months before surgery), I am limited.  It was very successful but my injury was severe and I still have pain.  I walk when I can (but not in snowy/icy conditions as that's too much risk for me).  I miss running a lot.  Biking is out.  I'm just glad I live near my job (intentional) so I don't use much gas.

[katscratch]

Oh wow, that is too bad :(  I don't know which would be more frustrating, being limited or still having pain :( 

[accolay]

So, anyone sick of winter yet?

Yep.

The biking is fine.

Off topic- Just tired of shoveling snow- so tired that I purchased a snow blower, being delivered today. I have a couple properties to do and the driveways were killing me. Even a little snow bunches up to a very heavy load when pushed to the end of the driveway. I didn't want to buy one, and it was one helluva workout, but realized I was spending hours scooping snow. I could be using the time much more productively.

[Guses]

So, anyone sick of winter yet?

Yep.

The biking is fine.

Off topic- Just tired of shoveling snow- so tired that I purchased a snow blower, being delivered today. I have a couple properties to do and the driveways were killing me. Even a little snow bunches up to a very heavy load when pushed to the end of the driveway. I didn't want to buy one, and it was one helluva workout, but realized I was spending hours scooping snow. I could be using the time much more productively.

Similar situation, different conclusion.

I ended up purchasing a "bucket" type shovel. It is so much better than the scrapers I used to use.

I mean, the scrapers are good for scraping but a good snow fall needs something better suited.

I used to have much trouble with snowplow piles (sometimes 3-4 feet high) but now this makes the work a breeze.

[accolay]

I've got scrapers and grain scoops which both work pretty good, but there are very large driveways. I'm not an out of shape person, but with a couple properties it's a lot of shoveling.

[Guses]

Do you find that the snow blower saves you time as well or only effort?

Judging by my neighbors (which may not be good benchmarks), it takes about half as much time to hand plow my double driveway compared to their single driveway. That thing sure looks heavy!

With heavy snowfalls, I think the blower gains in speed (or, more accurately, it takes more time to shovel).

[accolay]

I bought a single stage snowblower that weighs 89 pounds. Just delivered. The dual stage heavy duty machines have problems with wet snow (as you know the kind that sucks the most to shovel) plugging up the impeller. This can be fixed with a kit, but I digress. I also didn't want to spend the big money on a "good" dual stage ($800-$1700 used Honda dual stage) at this time. I'll let you know about time savings. I did a few months of deciding on this thing.

The two driveways I have: one about the space of six to seven cars, the other for four cars. It's a lot of snow. It took two hours for the one property as it's also a corner lot and have the long sidewalk to do as well.

One big reason I didn't want to buy one is because it's another engine I have to maintain. We shall see. My wife's all about paying someone else to do it, so it was a compromise (rationalization?) of sorts. I'll report back.

[katscratch]

I am sick of winter, but mostly the super windy -30F windchill yucky wind part :) 

My lungs apparently don't like it that cold, even with hitting the inhaler before I leave the house and keeping my face covered. And now that I've had a few weeks off, it'll be really hard to get up a bit earlier to bike tomorrow. But it's supposed to be mid-20s in the morning! Yay!

[Guses]

Thank you dear winter.

Because of you and your cold embrace, my freehub seized and would not engage. I had the pleasure of looking like an imbecile trying to will my bike to cross the street by swinging my body forward.

Much love,

Guses

[GuitarStv]

Thank you dear winter.

Because of you and your cold embrace, my freehub seized and would not engage. I had the pleasure of looking like an imbecile trying to will my bike to cross the street by swinging my body forward.

Much love,

Guses

Well, the down side is that your free hub seized.  The up side is that now you get to learn how to service a freehub!

[Guses]

Thank you dear winter.

Because of you and your cold embrace, my freehub seized and would not engage. I had the pleasure of looking like an imbecile trying to will my bike to cross the street by swinging my body forward.

Much love,

Guses

Well, the down side is that your free hub seized.  The up side is that now you get to learn how to service a freehub!

Just waiting on a 10mm hex key to service it. :)

I am hopeful that it can be resurrected as it only shows symptoms when its VERY cold. So it points to hardening gunk being stuck in the mechanism.

[powersuitrecall]

Thank you dear winter.

Because of you and your cold embrace, my freehub seized and would not engage. I had the pleasure of looking like an imbecile trying to will my bike to cross the street by swinging my body forward.

Much love,

Guses

Well, the down side is that your free hub seized.  The up side is that now you get to learn how to service a freehub!

Just waiting on a 10mm hex key to service it. :)

I am hopeful that it can be resurrected as it only shows symptoms when its VERY cold. So it points to hardening gunk being stuck in the mechanism.

I had the same thing happen earlier this winter.  It was on one of the cold-ass days that followed some mild temperatures.  I opened up the hub to find a rusty nightmare inside.  I cleaned out what I could, lightly re-greased it and put it back together, then promptly ordered a new hub from ChainReaction.  The hub was about 10 years old so it was probably time.  In my case I'm sure the seals had gone so it was only a matter of time before it acted up again.

Good luck Guses!

[Cork]

This morning everything was covered in ice.  Not thin ice, but like 1/8th inch of ice.  So 6am I am out trying to scrap off my windshield for 10 minutes and only made a 6x6 inch progress.  6am and sleepy-angry I pulled out my bike and rode to work riding on whatever surface wasn't caked in ice. 

There is no feeling quite like throwing down the ice scraper, getting on the bike and thinking, "I'm not gonna be part of your system!"  Sandberg-style.

[attackgnome]

This morning everything was covered in ice.  Not thin ice, but like 1/8th inch of ice.  So 6am I am out trying to scrap off my windshield for 10 minutes and only made a 6x6 inch progress.  6am and sleepy-angry I pulled out my bike and rode to work riding on whatever surface wasn't caked in ice. 

There is no feeling quite like throwing down the ice scraper, getting on the bike and thinking, "I'm not gonna be part of your system!"  Sandberg-style.

I'm over in Denver, and after lightly tapping the brakes and almost going down on my way to work, I decided to bike right over to the light rail stop.

If the ice is melted in the afternoon I will bike back home....

[accolay]

Just back from 9 days in Belize. That really helped with winter. A lot of people were riding bikes in San Pedro, but man those chains could really use some grease.

[Cork]

This morning everything was covered in ice.  Not thin ice, but like 1/8th inch of ice.  So 6am I am out trying to scrap off my windshield for 10 minutes and only made a 6x6 inch progress.  6am and sleepy-angry I pulled out my bike and rode to work riding on whatever surface wasn't caked in ice. 

There is no feeling quite like throwing down the ice scraper, getting on the bike and thinking, "I'm not gonna be part of your system!"  Sandberg-style.

I'm over in Denver, and after lightly tapping the brakes and almost going down on my way to work, I decided to bike right over to the light rail stop.

If the ice is melted in the afternoon I will bike back home....

Oh, don't get me wrong.  I ate shit almost immediately haha.  After that I rode on the grass and road the rest of the way

[kissthesky]

I bike to work in the winter so that probably qualifies me to post here, but it's more like 30 degrees F and no snow so not nearly as bad as others. But still better than any of my coworkers.

What works:
I wear my snowboarding gloves. I have really bad circulation and my fingers need the most protection.
Yoga pants + sweatpants
Dryfit shirt + hoodie + waterproof biking jacket
A bazillion lights & reflectors

What I haven't figured out:
I go from unbearably cold to unbearably hot and sweaty in t-minus 15 minutes. I hate being cold and hot, especially both in such a small time frame.

[katscratch]

I've had to stop bike commuting now that it's super cold and super dry... my inhaler can't keep up :( :( :(  I seem to be fine riding on the weekend (with preride puffs and avoiding hills) so maybe it's exercising my lungs too soon after waking up? I've tried various face/mouth covers, as well as making the bathroom super steamy before I shower, but haven't found a magic solution yet.

Any bad asthma/allergy folks in this thread?  Waiting for a bus is not as fun as hearing my studs pikpikpik!

[GuitarStv]

I bike to work in the winter so that probably qualifies me to post here, but it's more like 30 degrees F and no snow so not nearly as bad as others. But still better than any of my coworkers.

What works:
I wear my snowboarding gloves. I have really bad circulation and my fingers need the most protection.
Yoga pants + sweatpants
Dryfit shirt + hoodie + waterproof biking jacket
A bazillion lights & reflectors

What I haven't figured out:
I go from unbearably cold to unbearably hot and sweaty in t-minus 15 minutes. I hate being cold and hot, especially both in such a small time frame.

It has already been mentioned in this thread, but you want to feel cold when you first get on the bike and for the first 15 minutes or so.  Otherwise you're overdressed.  It takes about 10-15 minutes for your body to warm up and start pumping out heat, so maybe do a couple minutes of jumping jacks or something before heading out?

Clothing choice can also help a lot in this regard.  A waterproof jacket for example, tends to trap heat really well because it doesn't vent/breathe well.  I wear a mid weight long sleeved jersey (not waterproof or windproof) under a vest that's windproof in the front and just mesh in the back.  This outfit works reasonably well down to about 5 C (40 F).  You won't overcook when gunning it up a hill, you won't freeze as long as you keep moving (but you will get very chilly if you have to stop to change a tube).  :P

[kaadalac]

I live in Portland where the winter is a cold, bitter rain most days. What do you guys recommend for cold (40F) and rainy (1" of rain) days.

[moof]

Starting to feel like I should also make a sign saying, "It's okay. I'm Alaskan, I can handle it."

I use this line.  I spent 10 years growing up in Fairbanks, and now live in Portland Oregon.  If it is not actively wet I ride down to 30F in tights, a long sleeve synthetic shirt, and a second short sleeve shirt.  No hat needed.

At work our one "cold" conference room usually has me comfy, and others donning winter parkas.  I've been accused of not being human at times.

My favorite creature comfort for my bike is a pair of Bar Mitts overmits.  No more cold fingers!  Only takes a minute or to to put on or take off when the weather is nice.

This winter the bike needed fresh chain/ring/cassette, had to rebuild the front shock, seat broke, and still need to flush the spongy rear brakes.  Also got my spare bike up and working again as a backup after having to drive a few days while the main one was undergoing surgery.

On warmer rainy days I have to wear shell pants due to all the spray and grit, and I roast and show up sweaty more than wet from rain.