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I don't think I've had as much fun on my bike in ages. Last night was ace 😀
Car said it was -11 on Monday night when I got in at about 6.30pm. It was a lovely evening with almost full moon so I went out at about 10pm for a ride. Managed about 20 mins before giving up - I was getting colder and colder. Next morning it was -17. I did think about Brant and wondered how on earth he managed.
I've ridden a fair bit on the recent cold snap and have been pretty warm generally, even down to -10 or so. Only issues I've had are the Camelbak hose freezing up (even with the winter sleeve on it) and the cassette icing up and being left with one gear (mechs iced up too) Rear pro2 freehub has been fine after being rebuilt with Rock n Roll Super Slick grease. XT and XTR shifters have been freezing up a little too, a few squirts of GT85 before a ride usually sorts that out.
Only been out on the rigid SS, as little as possible to go wrong, but it still shed the LH crank. The clamp bolts hadn't worked loose I can only assume the steel hollowtech shaft has a greater coefficient of expansion / contraction than the ally crank and it shrank in the cold enough for the crank to slide off.
Nice crisp, cold day to be out though, didn't get that far, going ranged between having to carry through the deep stuff to lethal water ice on some of the untreated roads.
There's a good article in today's Observer on the subject of riding in the cold.
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/25/snow-cycling-blood-donation ]Link here[/url]
I've not really had a mechanical related problem riding in the cold. I'd suggest that cleaning the bike may well introduce water into voids/ spaces/ interstecies in cables, mechanisms etc that will then freeze. I find that my brakes make a lot of noise in very cold conditions. And air seals leak more than usual- I'm assuming that they stiffen and thus become less flexible and resilient in the cold. My shock pump has had something of a workout recently.
Decent gloves really help, forget waterproof, you need to let moisure escape so that you don't get sweaty and thus chilled. I use a pair of PI gloves, bulky but nice and warm down into sub double digits. Mits are even warmer.
In really cold weather I don't use my winter boots (too constricting), I use my summer ones, with a pair of wooly boolies, another pair of merino socks and then loosly laced up, so that my feet are not squashed. Cold at first, warm as toast later although it can come in waves.
Roubaix bibtights, perhaps with Ron Hills over the top and if an icy ride is anticipated, knee-shin pads for warmth/ knock protection. Toasty until you remove them.
As for the bloke riding with bare skin- rather you than me. I came into this game via Hilwalking/ climbing/ mountaineering and would never leave areas of skin exposed in such a way in the winter. You may not feel the cold as much on your legs but it is still capable of doing damage.