1. I discovered something new while riding my electric bike to the store a few miles away in the chilly weather. Instead of using the throttle, I relied on pedal assist 2 to tackle the inclines, which required me to pedal harder. This not only warmed me up but also provided the right amount of assistance to make my journey easier. To make it even more effective, I shifted into fifth gear, making the pedal a bit harder on inclines and keeping me warmer on that cold winter day.
Staying warm while riding In the cold winter
- Thread starter kev1940
- Start date
mrgold35
Well-Known Member
Noticed that when I started work commuting full time all year (except during rain, snow, or icy roads). Learned to try and pedal consistent at one PAS level, pick riding gear that is wind resistant, dress in layers, and have ways to quickly pull down/unzip to regulate heat build-up.
scottsdalecommuter
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Great idea to pedal more to get the body heat pumping! Few things I do: grew out my beard which helps the face a bit, got the battery heated gloves this year which helps the hands instead of the bar mitts, alpaca socks and light boots for the feet, tuck pants into socks for wind, and a balaclava for the face neck. My legs don’t get too cold but in really cold wind I’ll put on snow pants. Hood up on jacket with drawstring tight for wind. Try and get jacket sleeves in gloves too to keep wind out. Luckily it’s been warmer this December in Illinois so not too cold yet but it’s coming!
indianajo
Well-Known Member
I pull my battery off the bike & store it in the garage Nov-May. So plenty of body heat occurs. I don't ride 30 miles per trip those months. Battery could not take me that far anyway with 50% capacity of cold weather. Cannot charge below freezing at destination summer camp. Those of you with bosch mid-drives, forget it. you would spin the motor with your feet without the battery.
Below 25 F I wear 6 layers, including Carhartt insulation lined overpants. Into 4th mile of trip unzip jacket to reduce perperation. Hands, farmers mittens, below 10 f oven mitts over those. Feet below 32 f, 2 pairs socks nylon then polyester, below 25 F + combat boots. Below 32 f I wear a welder's helmet liner for the ears. I wear a full face helmet at all times, block mouth vent with saran wrap below 25 F.
Below 25 F I wear 6 layers, including Carhartt insulation lined overpants. Into 4th mile of trip unzip jacket to reduce perperation. Hands, farmers mittens, below 10 f oven mitts over those. Feet below 32 f, 2 pairs socks nylon then polyester, below 25 F + combat boots. Below 32 f I wear a welder's helmet liner for the ears. I wear a full face helmet at all times, block mouth vent with saran wrap below 25 F.
Last edited:
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
It is a well known fact. You are replacing the part of the assistance as delivered via the throttle with your own effort. It is also more behind that: The wind-chill effect dramatically increases as we are riding fast. Reducing the assistance during the cold weather makes us ride slower, which reduces the wind-chill effect.
There are two option: increase the gear and grind the pedals or downshift and pedal at a really high cadence: either way makes the body produce more effort and more body heat. I choose the high cadence approach for winters.
All the above are good ways to survive the cold on the ride.
It is always hard to choose the proper number of layers, or the parts of the clothing for the cold rides, as there is a substantial difference between riding at -4, 0, or +5 C, and it also depends on the wind and condensation.
My lightweight and low power Vado SL is possibly the best of my e-bikes for the cold weather. It forces me to pedal harder/faster than my full power Vado, and it is slower (good for the wind-chill). I have equipped it with Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus studded tyres for riding on the ice. (The photo taken on a ride of yesterday).
After several weeks of a real Winter, we got as much as +5 C (40 F) yesterday but also raining and a massive wind. The big difference compared to rides taken at -4 or 0 C was I did not wear my merino wool shirt for the ride of yesterday but the most lightweight and breathable MTB T-shirt as the base layer. The water/windproof sailing jacket was everything else I needed for my torso:
The clothing set for that ride consisted of:
- Base layer: Merino wool longjohns and a thin MTB t-shirt (short sleeve)
- Long thick cycling bibs made of water/wind resistant fabric
- Very thick, warm, soft and long socks
- Standard cycling shoes (Adidas FiveTen Freerider Pro)
- Helly Hansen Crew Midlayer Jacket (it's worth every cent!) As you can see, it got totally wet outside but it was dry and warm inside!
- A balaclava
- UVEX snowboarding helmet (it is very warm)
- 100% Over-The-Glasses goggles
- Warm five-finger gloves with an inner membrane.
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Define cold. No idea where the OP’s location is so it’s virtual a coin toss as to what’s deemed appropriate. I do agree that one can still work up a sweat even during the coldest months of the year so it’s just as important to wear breathable/wicking apparel that will keep you warm and also dry. With that in mind, it’s generally accepted that layering is key and in my neck of the woods I usually beef up the inner/outer layers with something more robust the colder it gets. Thicker poly/merino wool layered under medium to heavier outer shells or perhaps even a down/synthetic insulated jacket depending on how severe the conditions get. The HD Leatt Hydra-dri mtb shell below teamed with a Patagonia poly sweater kept me warm and dry throughout yesterday's -14C trail ride.
I wear my mtb helmet with a balaclava on milder days but come Jan/Feb during the coldest months of the season, on most occasions I’ll don my ski helmet with ear padding which also has an adjustable vent to allow for excess heat to escape.
Keeping my extremities warm are vitally important so thick wool socks and boots that have removable liners do the trick down to -20C. The 45 North boots that I wear also have a no lace, no fuss BOA system. I’ll usually slap on a pair of gaiters if the snow is especially deep.
Motion Heat glove liners under insulated lobster mitts generally keep my fingers warm for a few hours in subzero temps.
With that said, I’ve virtually given up venturing out in temps below -15C as I find that my body doesn’t cope as well under extreme conditions. If I do, it’s usually on shorter outings.
I wear my mtb helmet with a balaclava on milder days but come Jan/Feb during the coldest months of the season, on most occasions I’ll don my ski helmet with ear padding which also has an adjustable vent to allow for excess heat to escape.
Keeping my extremities warm are vitally important so thick wool socks and boots that have removable liners do the trick down to -20C. The 45 North boots that I wear also have a no lace, no fuss BOA system. I’ll usually slap on a pair of gaiters if the snow is especially deep.
Motion Heat glove liners under insulated lobster mitts generally keep my fingers warm for a few hours in subzero temps.
With that said, I’ve virtually given up venturing out in temps below -15C as I find that my body doesn’t cope as well under extreme conditions. If I do, it’s usually on shorter outings.
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
I’m might be out of my realm then as I assume that many here likely won’t have to deal with snow and extreme cold. Then again if you live further inland near the Cascades staying warm during winter would be important.
spokewrench
Active Member
- Region
- USA
Forty years ago, I discovered that a cowboy hat was great "climate control" outdoors. It shaded my eyes. Deflecting wind from my face was very helpful in cold weather. It also kept bugs away. However, it could blow off. It needed a cover in prolonged rain, and it got sweaty in hot weather. I'd wear a straw hat in summer, but a straw hat without a cord would blow off easily. The hats were a bit dangerous in that the broad brims could obscure a low beam as I approached.
A few years ago I supplemented my Stetson with a plastic cowboy hat. Weighing more than a pound, it stays put in wind. It's great in rain. It's a hard hat with a suspension, so I don't get hurt if I walk into a beam. In really cold weather, I can loosen the suspension and wear it over a knit cap. In hot weather, the airflow keeps my head dry.
For my first year on an ebike, I wore a helmet. Then I realized I was like American bicyclists in the 80 years before it was fashionable to bend over double and zip through traffic. I'd modified my bike for a more stable sitting position, I rarely exceeded 20 mph, I made myself as visible as possible, and I minimized interaction with traffic. In the old days, nobody wore a helmet because nobody got thrown headlong.
Two years ago, the plastic cowboy hat became my bike hat. Keeping wind, bugs, rain, and sun out of my eyes, it lets me see better, and the big white object way up high is very visible and identifiable. In winter, it's pretty warm even without a knit cap, by deflecting wind from my exposed face. It doesn't keep wind off my neck, so I wear a scarf.
A few years ago I supplemented my Stetson with a plastic cowboy hat. Weighing more than a pound, it stays put in wind. It's great in rain. It's a hard hat with a suspension, so I don't get hurt if I walk into a beam. In really cold weather, I can loosen the suspension and wear it over a knit cap. In hot weather, the airflow keeps my head dry.
For my first year on an ebike, I wore a helmet. Then I realized I was like American bicyclists in the 80 years before it was fashionable to bend over double and zip through traffic. I'd modified my bike for a more stable sitting position, I rarely exceeded 20 mph, I made myself as visible as possible, and I minimized interaction with traffic. In the old days, nobody wore a helmet because nobody got thrown headlong.
Two years ago, the plastic cowboy hat became my bike hat. Keeping wind, bugs, rain, and sun out of my eyes, it lets me see better, and the big white object way up high is very visible and identifiable. In winter, it's pretty warm even without a knit cap, by deflecting wind from my exposed face. It doesn't keep wind off my neck, so I wear a scarf.
Attachments
I am trying to determine what shoes or boots I want to wear once the temperatures drop. I have been wearing the Muckster II, which have been fine during the milder weather.
I am considering the Woody Sport Ankle Boot. That might work out for me when it gets colder here in Minnesota.
www.muckbootcompany.com
I am considering the Woody Sport Ankle Boot. That might work out for me when it gets colder here in Minnesota.
Muck Boots | Waterproof Boots | Farm Boots | Work Boots | Muck Boot Company
It all started with a universal problem - muck. Wet, messy, muddy, dirty muck. Shop our best selling boots for muck boots, waterproof boots, farm boots, work boots and winter boots
www.muckbootcompany.com
spokewrench
Active Member
- Region
- USA
What about socks? My feet were never warm in the cold until at 33 I discovered something I'd missed in the Boy Scout Manual. Wearing smooth socks under heavy socks will keep your feet warmer by keeping them drier. Palms and soles sweat from friction, not heat. The friction of thick socks causes soles to sweat when you walk, and the friction gets worse as the socks get damp. The smooth layer helps keep feet dry and warm. I keep plenty of silky wicking polyester liner socks on hand.
You probably already knew that!
You probably already knew that!
That is a great tip. I have double-socked when it gets cold. Usually a thin pair underneath and a thick boot sock over that. That is about as much as I knew.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
The three best things I'v purchased for winter riding are electrically heated socks and gloves and winter cycling boots (with clipless cleats).
Similar threads
