how cold is too cold to commute on the bike?

Started commuting on road this year but facing my first winter..

Used to live on the South Coast with no real ice but now further north so feeling a little nervous about slippery roads

so tell me when do you leave the bike in the shed ?

0
1
2
3
4 degrees?

Any views on cold weather cycling?

MC

PS Don’t tell me about studded tires – no such thing for a Brompton!

never too cold in the uk.

No fear of icey side roads?

Never too cold, wrap up warm and enjoy the frost, you can’t beat a snowy commute through the woods. Even better is the smug feeling seeing cars slipping and sliding in the snow as you pedal past!

-10 last winter and I still rode in. Only 4 miles each way though.

too cold ! pah, wimps.

All year round men here in Scotland

an old lady trundles past my house every morning at 6:50 on an electric wheel chair thing to go and open her shop which i might add is at least 6 miles away.
the only days i didnt see her last year was when the snow was to deep.
she is old and she cant pedal to stay warm.
dont be a big shandy drinking girl. 😀

All year round here as well.

Its very rare you get anything nasty on the road IME

endura make winter ace……. 8)

I’m going to risk it in the morning, -1 here earlier, they’ve had the gritters out. it’s not wet though roads are dry as a bone, as long as I take it easy on the downhill off-camber roundabout of death in the morning, should be fine.

never too cold in the UK.

yes we get ice but just take extra care and ride according to the road conditions.

Woah there chaps !

Cold off road no worries,

but on road ice…..

Shirely time to leave the skinny wheeled thing at home?

MC

It’s not the cold you get put off buy, in fact the colder the better more times than not is the best.

What grates are high winds and incessant rain.

Are you on gritted roads or back lanes?

Never had a problem even in the Snow last year, but it was an urban commute and when everything went tits up traffic was slow and I rode in the tracks made by them (28 mm tyres).

However I would be cautious if I had some big hills on my commute in a rural area. Shaded areas under trees can be terrible when really cold as ice will persist. I have a friend who was in a small group, he was just behind and watched three people drop on a sheltered bit of ice under some trees. I think one them broke a bone.

If you are urban though I definitely would not worry, just take it easy and be sensible.

Mixture of back roads and mains /train/ and then in London mains and then quite a way along the South Bank

PS Endura’d up as well..

When your bike looks like this…

I think there was one day last winter I didn’t get to work and I live in the Pentlandshire Alp.

Roads are tricky though – I have the Ice Spikers on order for the Onion.

Gritted roads in cities etc – fine, but as seemingly forgotten by the city boys above, country roads could easily have you off on black ice.

I came off a couple of times last year on ungritted back roads, even when carefull and holding off the brakes I still went down. Luckily I didn’t have a tipper wagon following. Hard to judge but I’d keep to the verges and look to land a foot on the grass rather than riding more centrally if in doubt.

cynic-al – Member
Gritted roads in cities etc – fine, but as seemingly forgotten by the city boys above, country roads could easily have you off on black ice.

That was my point too. Urban no worries, different judgement rural depending on the road.

I had black ice have me off last year but worst thing about it was landing in great big frozen puddle. Was truly frozen. Did find ice a great skills test after that. just makes it slow going. Was easier at times to get back on the mountain bike and go off road.

I wouldn’t risk it if it’s icy, but the cold isn’t so bad so long as you have good enough gloves/socks to stop your extremities going numb.

Already had an off last week on a country lane. 0645+mud&ice= me sliding then my mates bike landing on me 😆 i was stupid in the snow earlier this year. I will never do that again, but i do commute on countru roads that never get gritted.

It’s not the cold its the ice. You can still get it in the cities you know. 🙂

I’ve had hypothermia twice. MTFU

No such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.

Never too cold but watch out for ice. I cycled to work most days last winter. It was so cold that my wet hair would be frozen solid after a ten minute cycle to work.

The only problem I had was with a section that hadn’t been gritted at all and was icy.

Never too cold- when the roads get dodgy for the motorbike that’s when I switch to cycling

nedrapier – Member

“No such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. “

And what clothing is it that you’re wearing that melts sheet ice? 🙂

Had some great -5 or -6 rides in sunny Suffolk last winter, including one highly enjoyable one round Alton Water as the sun went down, racing a muntjack deer which was the only other creature out enjoying the crispness. Lots of impacted snow turning into ice sheets though, so some good sideways drift. As others have said, beware of black ice!

I did my 15 mile narrow country lane commute in minus 5 or 6C back at the start of the year, the cold wasn’t a problem it was the worry of sheet ice round the next bend.

I overtook the snowplough on the way to work last year. It’s only as good as the car it’s stuck behind.

Use your own judgement, you can ride when it’s cold enough for ice, but it can take you by surprise.

Rode gingerly I suppose and beware of a sudden lack of sound from your tyres which can be a sign you’re riding on ice.

when the polarbears ask for a ride………..:-x

Depends on the bike a lot too

A skinny tyred road bike with drops is a bigger handful than fat tyres & MTB bars
There’s was loads of early morning icy roads last year & during that spell of really bad weather, on the road out side my house we had a 6″ layer of solid ice for about a month & with a big crown on the road it was unrideable, I had to push to the main road before I could get going

Temperature no problem, but ice gives me the willies. Layhams Road is my nemesis, the rest is in the ‘burbs and town and no problem.

Wait, I’ve just remembered I read years and years ago that vigorous exercise in very low temperatures damages your lungs, but I think they were talking about -15. I will go and look it up.

I’m back, looks like I was talking rubbish: here’s a link from Runners World

Running in severe cold does NOT freeze your lungs

Depends on your commute – I wimp out severely when it’s icy. Country roads are treated around my way but they are also very busy and cars drive even more like total retards in bad conditions. Have come off a couple of times on ice just lucky there wasn’t a lorry full of rocks from the quarry on my tail.

Also, cold has quite an impact on reactions, once you get proper cold even pedalling hard won’t warm you up. According to my mate you might have well have a couple of pints of wife beater before you leave.

Put your saddle down a bit to ease foot down stylings and dismounts? I’ve commuted on my Brompton in the snow, just more slowly downhill.

minus 3 in sunny leeds this morning when i set off in.
roads gritted, cracking morning for pootling to work.

-6 in town. Forgot the skull cap. Ears felt normal again 24hrs later.

Out of town tend to stick to the MTB if it’s icy as the road bikes are just a bit ‘skittish’ for me. Maybe I should MTFU.