[Closed] Do you find it more difficult/tiring/hard to cycle in relatively cold weather?

yep, i get the same. i wonder if it's to do with the cold air going into your lungs reducing oxygen uptake or something. my body generally slows up in winter. road rides are about 15 mins faster in summer over 2 hours than in winter.

no

I find the ice enough of a problem to simply resort to using the car. But I don't find riding any more of a chore due to the cold, at the most you may lose a little more heat through your head etc but not enough to account for performance loss. Probably purely psychological.

YES. minus 2 in the peak this morn. just the cold nipping your hands and toes can be enough to put you off your rythym. for me performance is at least 30% mental, as soon as you factor in 'oh im abit cold etc etc' it starts dropping off quickly.

it encourages me to pedal harder to keep warm 🙂

Seen the same thing, seem to have more joint aches when it's cold too. I think the biggest problem is when the cold gets into your muscles. completely saps your strength.

Yep I definitely run better when it's hot; as long as I'm taking in enough fluids.
The cold weather just seems to slow my muscles down.

Yep, for me the clothing feels a bit more restrictive, which I wouldn't have thought would make much difference, but seems to for me. Maybe the difference in proprioception causes the muscles to fire differently?

You're probably not wearing enough to get or stay properly warmed up.

In cold weather I can ride at a steady, comfortable pace without sweating or feeling unduly cold but if I'm anywhere near race pace I'll get very warm indeed under my kit and usually have to remove a layer after I've warmed up. I find winter hardest to maintain a comfortable temperature when riding hard because wearing all the kit needed to stay warm stops the sweat from doing it's job of cooling me down.

It's definitely easier to control your heart rate when it's a bit colder
so you should be able to perform better

http://www.snowbikers.com/articles/cold_air.html

nope, love riding in the frosty cold. If anything heat and humidity seems to sap my energy.

isn't there more oxygen in cold air? Cars run with more power when the air is cold, and so should you.

Well I've always known that somewhere in the deepest recesses of my psyche I'm a lizard...possibly a Squamata Loungeius.
I need sunshine and warmth to move properly whether there's more oxygen in the air or not.

I think the biggest problem is when the cold gets into your muscles

ie you are dead 🙁

isn't there more oxygen in cold air? Cars run with more power when the air is cold, and so should you.

not exactly, but the same volume of air contains more stuff (oxygen & nitrogen etc) as the temperature gets lower

Keva - Member
nope, love riding in the frosty cold. If anything heat and humidity seems to sap my energy.

Heat and humidity gets me really fired up to ride hard. Just shows we're all different despite being built to pretty much the same design.
I'll confess to taking it steady the morning I had to ride 35 miles in 40+C on a Greek holiday.

Smoke a nice warming fag as you ride. The warm smoke will counter act the chill on your lungs.

No. I'll be plenty warm enough after 5 mins on the bike even if I start out in subzero temperatures. MTFU.

Overall in winter I'm slower generally. Possible reasons:

More air resistance, both because it is colder and air is more dense, and also because you tend to wear more and bulkier clothes.

Higher winds (even if you get a tailwind one way, you are still less efficient overall).

Supposedly you use more energy in the cold, due to energy used to keep yourself warm or something. Although some studies claim that this isn't an issue for people exercising very hard, only for moderate/light exercise - depends how hard you commute.

Traffic goes slower so you spend more energy stopping and starting while you wait for cars to get out of your way.

More rain - again makes you slower.

More riding in darkness, so you hold back a bit more on the big descents - I know I have one descent I can happily hit >60km/h on in the light, but in the dark I get up to 45-50 (maybe less of an issue in London commutes!).

Joe

Try warmer leggings - really warm. I noticed that it really helps. I was perfectly comfortable in my normal tights and one day went out overdressed and my legs actually felt really warm - and it really helped my riding actually. I think it's easy not to notice that your legs are under temperature.

I picked up a really cheap pair of merino leggings in a size too big that are nice and thin but warm. I just washed them on too hot a wash and they shrunk down to my size perfectly 🙂

it's easy not to notice that your legs are under temperature.

perhaps because they aren't ? Your [b]skin[/b] may be cold, but underneath your muscles are pumping out 4 times more power in heat than the mechanical power of pedalling

I'm so glad you said that. I feel the same, I thought I was losing it. Sometimes when it's cold I feel like I am slogging away and getting nowhere. I still love it, but feel as if I am going really slowly. None of this is scientific, by the way, so I might just [i]feel[/i] slow. Also if I get really cold on the last bit of the ride home (because it's warmer in town than it is out here) I feel really sleepy when I get in.

the riding bit is fine, its the excess clothing required and shitty end result which I despise.

Yes, it is a major pain in the butt pulling on all those layers - and my poor commuting bike gets a real kicking in the winter 🙁

Think slower due to the road conditions meaning it would be very unwise to go at full speed. Not sure temp per se has any effect but on wet cold and icy conditions I am not going at full sppeed round corners so I am slower. Motivation is no problem I have no car so I have no choice

Perhaps its because the body concentrates the blood away from the extermities to maintain your core temp. Thus there is less blood being shoved around you limbs, hence less oxygen reaching your muscles? (This could be complete tosh, but hey ho).

2 things
1) only more difficult because traction is a bit compromised on ice and snow. Otherwise no.
2) [i]Squamata Loungeius.[/i] Binominal nomenclature FAIL. Small 'l' required.

Your skin may be cold, but underneath your muscles are pumping out 4 times more power in heat than the mechanical power of pedalling

No - if my skin were cold I'd feel it... what Bigyinn said.

AndyP - the word is taxonomical. Language FAIL 😉

I'll allow you to rethink that one. FAIL FAIL.

Hmm, dunno about slower (apart from slippy conditions obviously) but I've been taking a lot longer to recover from hard rides in the last few weeks. Not noticed it before but this has been the coldest jan in 20 yrs. So does cold affect recovery or did I [i]really[/i] over do it on food and booze this christmas?

the body concentrates the blood away from the extermities to maintain your core temp

and how this works is the capillaries in the [b]skin[/b] contract. The arteries feeding your major muscles do not. When you're pedalling with any enthusiasm your leg muscles will be generating more heat than the whole of the rest of your body and your blood will be preventing them from overheating by carrying the heat away...

I find it a lot harder riding in the winter - I did my normal "quick" loop (about an hour) yesterday in -10°C, and although it only took 10 minutes more than normal I was totally exhausted for the rest of the day.

I think it's a combination of the reduction in fitness over winter and the cold sapping the energy. No matter how hard I work my skin is still freezing to the touch and the "well-padded" bits of my body need hours to get back up to normal temperature afterward unless I take a bath.

😆 re: binominal/taxonomical I'm glad to see the STW pedants are still revolting.

[i] re: binominal/taxonomical I'm glad to see the STW pedants are still revolting. [/i]
well it's important. Two very different things. It certainly was a taxonomy fail but it was in jest therefore he can probably get away with it. But the capitalisation of Loungeius was inexcusable. 🙂

I'll allow you to rethink that one. FAIL FAIL.

No.. FAIL FAIL FAIL yourself.

and how this works is the capillaries in the skin contract. The arteries feeding your major muscles do not. When you're pedalling with any enthusiasm your leg muscles will be generating more heat than the whole of the rest of your body and your blood will be preventing them from overheating by carrying the heat away...

Not sure I agree there mate. Your limbs are often colder than your core body, and their temperatures fluctuate depending, although your core doesn't (much, else you die). It was on this TV programme I watched.

I did suggest that the OP try extra layers. I invite you all to do so. Try a nice warm pair of under-tights.. it definitely helps me.. but then according to the folk on here I'm a deluded impressionable unscientific simpleton who is entirely influenced by marketing, heresay, romantic ideas and the placebo effect... 🙄

Your limbs are often colder than your core body

how would you know ? The temperature sensors are on your skin, out where it matters. Inside your limbs, everything is bathed in blood at 38C (try cutting yourself anywhere if you don't believe me). If you're pedalling at say 200W power, your leg muscles will be putting out another 800W of heat, ie 8 times your rest metabolic rate, and your blood will distribute that heat over the surface of your body to prevent overheating

I find it harder but I imagine it's down to wearing more clothes. A buff round the neck and head, and extra layers on your top half while wearing longs is bound to be harder. More restriction to your movement comared to simple shorts and T shirt. I imagine there's a large phsycological part to it as well, even in summer I feel faster on sunny compared to cloudy days.

people ride in winter ? 😯

I'm glad someone else raised this question - I've always wondered if it really got harder to ride in the winter or if it was just me, been through the clothing/weather/temperatire affecting air pressure/resistance scenarios in my head.

At least I'm not alone with this issue. I will sleep easier tonight.

I've always wondered if it really got harder to ride in the winter

so what ? You can only ride [b]now[/b], so get on with it!

how would you know ?

Sigh.. you must think I am stupid barnes.. really.

It was on a documentary on telly. Your CORE temperature is 38whatever but your limbs aren't necessarily at all. Ever had really cold hands that you can't do anything with? Ever descended on a winters day and have your face go all stiff cos your facial muscles have got too cold?

your leg muscles will be putting out another 800W of heat, ie 8 times your rest metabolic rate, and your blood will distribute that heat over the surface of your body to prevent overheating

Well aside from the fact that, at lower power your body's probably more efficient than that, but what do you think the rate of heat loss is per unit area of skin whilst whipping along with a single piece of fuzzy lycra between it and -2 C air at 20mph? How fast does the blood move around your body, so what's the heat flux from say your frozen cold toes to your core? No? So why would 800W be plenty of heat?

Ever had really cold hands that you can't do anything with? Ever descended on a winters day and have your face go all stiff cos your facial muscles have got too cold?

cold skin, yes

but what do you think the rate of heat loss is per unit area of skin whilst whipping along with a single piece of fuzzy lycra between it and -2 C air at 20mph?

fuzzy lycra ? Isn't that for tarts ? I always ride in shorts, yet can testify that I was far too hot yesterday in the conditions you describe, leading me to believe that I wasn't dissipating all that heat from my legs

How fast does the blood move around your body

well, I have no idea, but it must be quite fast to transport all that extra oxygen to the muscles as I'm breathing about 20 times harder when pedalling hard than when resting. Also I don't count fingers, toes and face as limbs...

I read somewhere that the optimum ambient temperature for peak performance is 17degC, as that is when your muscles are all warm enough to function. I guess that means that the colder it gets, the harder it is to maintain performance. Plus with extra layers it is harder to move (running in leggigs is definitely slower than running in shorts (for me anyway).

I am surprised no one has mentioned the rolling resistance increase from the cold air in your tyres. Everyone knows that cold tyres roll slower than warm ones (think squash ball - it only works when it's warm - up to that point it is much slower).

Of course the above post about rolling resistance increase of tyres when cold is almost certainly bo!!0xxs, but it will probably get the pedants going

cold skin, yes

Cold skin stops your full temperature muscles from working? That makes a lot of sense NOT.

Fact remains your limbs run colder than your body core and fluctuates more. That's why they call it core temperature, and why they take it in your mouth or up your arse, and not in say your elbow or knee.

as that is when your muscles are all warm enough to function

that assumes the muscles are passive, which doesn't even apply to cold blooded creatures. Note that the temperature inside your body is set by your autonomic system and not by the air temperature.

Yes. Hate the cold weather.

Hands freeze despite proper gloves. Lungs hurt from the cold air, teeth hurt, get bad ear-ache. Did I mention that I hate it?

Did I mention that I love it?

Simon - you can end up with cold muscles even when peddling hard. Its a complex thing to do with rates of heat loss and so on but it is easily possible. Basic physics and biology. As you say you might be generating 800 w of heat - but you could be losing 900.

As for being slower in the cold - I have not noticed it. Are you having very mild exercise asthma? Lower O2 uptake? Its the only thing I can think of is that your lungs are going into spasm or that you rare not breathing deeply.

Note that the temperature inside your body is set by your autonomic system and not by the air temperature.

Oh right. So hypothermia is a disorder of the central nervous system then? And I thought it was because of heat loss due to environmental factors! Are you telling me that when I'm cold it's cos I am imagining it?

Simon you are well wrong this time. Even TJ agrees with me!

Back to the anecdotal evidence.. I have beaten better riders than me on climbs when they were under-dressed and I wasn't. Keeping warm takes energy, so if your core is cold ie you're under dressed, you have to use more energy to stay alive and less is available for biking with 🙂

But seriously. Try more clothing on legs and see if it helps.

So hypothermia is a disorder of the central nervous system then?

no, that's when the autonomic system breaks down

Simon - you can end up with cold muscles even when peddling hard. Its a complex thing to do with rates of heat loss and so on but it is easily possible. Basic physics and biology.

I think you'll have to do more than merely assert that it's physics. The muscles are [b]generating[/b] the heat.

Keeping warm takes energy, so if your core is cold ie you're under dressed, you have to use more energy to stay alive and less is available for biking with

Bollocks. Apart from the basal metabolism running digestion and cell maintenance, the brain etc, if you want to generate more heat you have to operate the muscles (eg shivering), or some other physical activity like er, pedalling.

Try more clothing on legs and see if it helps.

it's not me with the problem, I get too hot despite wearing shorts 🙂

Simon - if you are losing heat faster than you generate it you get cold. its as simple as that - including your muscles. Thats what hypothermia is. You can exercise as hard as you like but if you are not generating enough heat to counteract the loss you get cold - even in the centre of the muscles. its a simple matter of heat in / heat out.

consider an extreme case - being in sub zero sea water You die of cold in a few minutes no matter what you do as you are losing heat faster than you generate it.

Simon - if you are losing heat faster than you generate it you get cold. its as simple as that - including your muscles. Thats what hypothermia is

obviously, and I've had it, but that's not what we're talking about. This about people feeling it's harder to ride in the cold, which I believe to be psychosomatic. I was on top of Helvellyn in high wind in shorts in November, and had to stop for a flattie, and in a few minutes, stationary, I got too cold. It wouldn't have happened if I'd kept moving and generating heat.

which I believe to be psychosomatic

No. You might be a god on earth but the rest of us mortals are affected by cold. Your experiences are a sample of ONE and can be in no way representative of the human population, can it?

Try more clothing on legs and see if it helps.

it's not me with the problem, I get too hot despite wearing shorts

So clearly and GLARINGLY obviously I wasn't ****ing well addressing you then was I?! Good god man.

Apart from the basal metabolism running digestion and cell maintenance

So, apart from the things that your body does to generate heat, you don't generate any heat... Simon you clearly know absolutely f*** all about metabolism or apparently physics. So why are you commenting so much on a thread about these two things?

Ever wondered why one tends to eat less in summer? Why things like salads are culturally considered summer food and hearty fatty proteiny things winter food?

Your experiences are a sample of ONE and can be in no way representative of the human population, can it?

why thank you 🙂 But I believe myself to be quite ordinary - the only difference being I like to work things out for myself rather than just accepting what everyone else tells me...

So clearly and GLARINGLY obviously I wasn't ****ing well addressing you then was I?! Good god man.

not obvious to me :o)

So, apart from the things that your body does to generate heat, you don't generate any heat

well, it doesn't arrive from hyperspace - but I don't know that the body has much scope for generating more heat just by sitting there and turning up the wick on the boiler (whatever that may be) which is why we shiver when we're cold to generate muscle heat - but the muscles are good at making heat as they're only about 20% efficient at turning food calories into mechanical power - though quite an achievement given the low termperature at which it's carried out

Simon you clearly know absolutely f*** all about metabolism or apparently physics.

that remains to be seen

I don't think it's useful to declare that "physics" says I'm wrong without actual stating which bit - there's a lot of physics.

the only difference being I like to work things out for myself rather than just accepting what everyone else tells me...

And I don't? From where I sit, you're not trying to work things out for yourself or learn or read up on things, you're jsut reiterating what you tihnk you know. Did you do any reading around for this "debate"? I certainly did but didn't find anythign directly citable.

Your body does have an internal thermostat which it can vary in addition to heat generated by shivering etc I believe, although I could be wrong.

And I didn't declare that physics said you were wrong, I said you didn't seem to know much about it.

This thread has gone way beyond anythign that coul dbe described as a useful application of technology so I think I'm going to leave it. Do some reading.

Quite apart from SFB being an argumentative cock as usual, yes, I've noticed that on a warm summers evening I veritably fly home, but do the same ruote a few dayslater with a chill in the air and it's like someone's raide the top of the hill to make it steeper. Might be psychological, might be physical, but I'm glad i'm not the only one to have noticed it.

I said you didn't seem to know much about it

you were guessing

This thread has gone way beyond anythign that coul dbe described as a useful application of technology

was it ever about that? I thought it was about people feeling slower in winter and pretending their muscles must be cold and so don't work as well when in fact they'll only be cold when they're at death's door. I'm not sure what I need to read about us having blood at 38C...