Weather Out There

Last night brought Boston about an inch of snow. While the roads were plowed and salted this morning, for bikers that mostly meant wading through small piles of slush.  Tonight and tomorrow will inevitably bring ridges of ice to contend with. This morning I rode the dirty laundry to the laundromat, which meant extra time on the road. And although the temperature was supposed to be in the 30s, the extra biking, greater weight, and heavy winter coat caused me to break an unseasonable sweat.

Clothing: As in the other winter modes, I wore my work outfit with a heavy winter coat, rain pants, and waterproof shoes. I definitely overheated today, although I’m not sure why.

Slushy ground is definitely a time when you will bless your fenders. It also means you need to get on top of your maintenance, as that wet, dirty, salty sludge is toxic to moving parts.

Given the unseasonably warm weather in Massachusetts, I managed to persuade my fiance to go on an overnight bike tour around the Quabbin Reservoir spanning New Years. We followed the Seven Hills Wheelman King’s Tour of the Quabbin starting and ending in Barre, and staying in Amherst. (We made a wrong turn right at the beginning and added a few miles that way, and then darkness fell while we were still in Belchertown, and we took a cab to the Amherst Inn, where we had an awesome stay.) The trip was awesome, and I’d love to do more all-weather touring.

The weather on the first day was around 40, very hazy and damp, but the rain had stopped by the time we started (around noon – is it a wonder we ran out of sunlight?). I basically wore my normal commuter outfit in those conditions — breathable shell, sweater, one short sleeve wicking shirt, one long sleeved shirt, wool gloves, jeans, long johns, two pairs of wool socks, timberland shoes. I wore the same combination the second day, minus one shirt (it was around 50 that day). My feet still got cold after four hours in the cold, but everything else was very comfortable. I packed extra layers for when we were off the bike.

My fiance had a similar setup, although she tends to run colder, so she had one some extra layers on top. She had less on her feet — one pair of socks and canvas shoes — and even on the second, warmer day, she described her feet after a couple hours as “blocks of ice”.

Following are some more data points you might want to know about me when comparing your own routine to mine.

Age: 26

Gender: Male

Years getting around on the bike: 3

Uses for the bike: Getting around, mountain biking, road touring, just going for rides

Commute distance (each way): 3 mi

Total miles per day (avg): 8 mi (add in those errands)

Basic commute attire: I work in an office, so business casual. Shoes get a lot of abuse, so I leave a pair at the office. Roll up the pant leg. 55-70 degrees

Summer attire: Pack the dress shirt, add it when I get there. 70+ degrees

Summer mid-day attire: Nothing you can do: just embrace the sweat and ride slow.

Winter attire: Heavy Eddie Bauer jacket, wool gloves. Scarf around the face when it’s 20 or below. You can break a sweat at any temperature. 30 degrees and below.

Rain attire: Whatever I would wear otherwise plus rain pants, waterproof shoes, hooded waterproof jacket.

Any other temperature: Mix and match with lighter jackets and gloves.

Any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.

Today was cool but not cold, about 40 degrees, lots of water on the pavement but no rain. My prediction that the wet, cold, windy storm from yesterday scared away all the bikers for the season has one data point of support.

Clothing: Same as yesterday, no fleece. Perfect temperature, not a cold or warm moment. Kind of like riding in a bubble.

Equipment: Same as yesterday, rode the studded commuter bike. The unused studs put me in the odd position of hoping to see ice so I can poke it in the eye.

Weird observation: the wider, treaded tire throws up less water (or am I going slower?) than the road tires I normally ride. Further investigation is warranted.

I enjoyed the ride in to work today.

Clothing: Marmot rain jacket with a sweater and fleece underneath, EMS rain pants. I put the hood under my helmet. I closed the bottom of the rain pants with reflective velcro bands. Waterproof Timberland shoes. Heavy woven wool gloves.

Bike: I was afraid of ice today, so for the first time I put my studded tires on (Nokian A10 32mm). No ice, but maybe tomorrow. Fenders. Typhoon pannier on the back rack.

Conditions: Moderate rain, heavy winds. I think it was in the 30s coming in today. I got quite the blast of wind approaching the river and coming up Cambridge street downtown. I was warm, and actually started to break a sweat. It would have been frustrating to be in a rush, and I took it easy. Totally dry, as usual.

Overall thoughts: I stayed dry and warm today. I like biking in the rain because the drivers are usually in a panic to see you (when they see you), and there are no other bikers to contend with. I may ditch the fleece next time around – you gotta compensate for the heat output.

I like biking in all weather, and I thought others might benefit to hear what one other biker is actually wearing and riding in different conditions. So, I’ll try to post here regularly, especially in the bad weather, what I’m wearing and how it’s working.

Like most, I have a few standard setups, depending on conditions.

Bikes: I have a Surly Crosscheck as my regular commuter. I’ve got a back rack and front rack, 16 speeds, and fenders. Battery lights that I’m working to switch for a dynamo hub. It may weight 40 pounds, but I can carry a good 80 pounds of cargo (2 panniers+front rack) comfortably. For the winter, I have Nokian studded tires. The rest of the year, Michelin road 28mm road tires.

I also have a Surly (I know, I love them) Steamroller fixed gear for the nice weather. The last two winters I rode only fixed, but this year I’ve relied on the Crosscheck a lot more. No fenders, no racks. I might throw some race blades and 35mm dirt tires on if the weather’s bad and the mood suits me (that setup worked very well in the past.)

Clothing: I have three modes for commuting. For the cold and snowy I break out my heavy duty Eddie Bauer down jacket: it’s worth its weight in gold. Once they start salting the roads I wear rain pants almost every day in the winter to keep the crap off me. For warmer and rainy, I wear a jacket or sweater with a breathable rain jacket on top, and the rain pants. If it’s hot out, I ride with my shirt untucked (I’m an office worker, folks) or just in my undershirt (and add the button-down at my destination). Yeah, sometimes I break a sweat: that’s life.