Warm and Cozy Winter Bike Commutes (or any time you want to stay warm!)

For those of you out there who are truly hardcore, bicycling is not just a summer activity. This instructable is meant to help you keep you from freezing while pedaling through snow, ice and wind. Of course, this can also be used for other activities in which staying warm is preferred. Give it a try!

Step 1 Materials

Here are some things you might want for the grueling journey:

1. Long Underwear (a must!!!!)
2. Thick or windproof pants (rain pants work well for this)
3. Nice, thick, warm sweater
4. Newspaper
5. Gloves & Mittens
6. Scarf or Buff (buffwear.com)
7. Ski Goggles (also a life saver)
8. Hat (one that will fit under your helmet)
9. Warm socks

Comments

[BobMarleyFan]

With regard to the hat, if you have a warm helmet already, but freezing ears, ear muffs could work as well

[caarntedd]

Theoretically, wouldn't all that protection make you "soft core"? : )

[GreatCthulhu]

Aw, come on, everyone knows the true hard core biker doesn't even use a bike, this is so soft core. Course I am so soft core my bike has a 160hp engine and seats 4 very comfortably. Even comes with AC and heater. This is good for biking on a day long trek and survival, I like it! I am looking for one to support a 30 minute ride in rain and 34degF to work in an office and back. Wouldn't do to show up bundled in news papers and 4 layers there, they don't even like it when I don't wear a shirt with full row of buttons.

[ArcticNemo]

The BMX helmets with a chinbar are plenty warm in winter. A relatively thin face cover is enough to ward off frostbite, and the extra protection makes plain glasses function well down to about 10*F.
I did see one airsoft mask modified with a neck gaiter and top trimmed to fit helmet, YMMV.

[big d lester]

Winter biking is a good time. My preferred setup is a patagonia capaline pants/shirt over the skin. smartwool sox, eccw army issue cold weather goretex pant's/jacket for outer layer. Usually don't need much else to stay dry, warm, and comfortable besides the basic hat, gloves, and shades.

[ogrecorps]

I get the link to this site from my mother who worries I'm going ot freeze to death on the trail. I wear a cotton t-shirt, a cotton long-sleeve dress shirt (sleeves rolled down), jeans, long underwear on the legs, latex gloves, ski gloves, ski mask, and goggles. I am considered woefully under-dressed by most I meet and any winter sports enthusiasts scream when they hear how much cotton I wear. I need two things from my outfit: keep the wind off of me and keep me cool. At the end of my ride my shirts are soaked with sweat where my backpack sits as are my hands in the gloves. In fact, I had to start wearing the latex gloves because otherwise I had to turn my ski gloves inside-out to dry. Basically, I generate lots of heat while riding so don't worry about layering. I worry about losing as much heat as possible to a point and breaking the wind on skin.

[occupada]

Fazdraw, that's a great idea actually.  I ride year-round (in Wisconsin, so cold weather is part of my world) but I have asthma that makes it tough to bike in traffic.  A small gas mask under a balaclava or scarf may work great as long as it allows for elevated respiration rate and volume from exercise.  I'm going to give that a try.

[thonosv]

 Dude, that is SO COOL!!!   I'm kinda like like your goggle!  :]

[PNEUMONIAexpert]

Nice! Dudes!

[doodleneiman]

thanks for the tips:i have found that treating both my glasses and  the ski goggles with anti fog drops (used for swimming goggles) work just fine.

[dkulcinski]

They make a glove liner that is woven with metallic thread.  This helps to reflect your body heat back at your hands.  It can be gotten at some stores that sell skiing type equipment.

[DoItOrDie]

To me, this is too much. The real enemy is the wind. If the wind can get through, you will be cold. What you really need is plastic and/or rubber. When I rode a motorcycle full time, I found a good way to keep warm was to wear a moderate of insulating clothing and a rain suit with rubber boots. The boots, especially, were great for keeping my feet warm. For your hands, wear regular gloves covered with rubber gloves or plastic baggies. Sometimes insulated rubber gloves alone are enough. A water resistant down jacket is also good for the upper half. Finally, instead of goggles, get a helmet with a full face shield. The other head gear is still needed, but it will work better for you. If this stuff will keep you warm on a motorcycle, it will certainly work on a bicycle.

[thomco02]

There is, however, a big difference between riding a motorcycle and a bicycle - it is much more likely that you will break into a sweat riding a bicycle. That is why I hesitate to recommend the impermeable layer. If the moisture stays inside that layer, it will make you much colder. It would definitely help if you are not concerned about overheating, but if there is a chance you may perspire, the rubber or plastic should be avoided.

[bicyclecolorado]

From long experience...I agree. You've got to get the moisture off and out. Never, Never wear cotton next to the skin.

[iamunique127]

 I biked for 3 winters in Manitoba, Canada. It gets pretty cold here.
You can't wear cotton. Synthetic fibre layers are a must, as is breathable outerwear. The wool sweater is a good idea- wool is as good or better than synthetics for warmth when it's wet..
Don't dress too warmly when you start- you should start off feeling cool because you will soon warm up and sweat too much.
Your outer layer should break the wind and breath. I used Gore-tex but there are new versions now.
The newpaper sounds like a good idea as do the plastic bags on hands and feet. They are the hardest to keep warm.
Goggles never worked for me- they always fogged. Good wind glasses were the best, either clear or sunglasses.
Wear similar clothing to cross country skiers and you are on the right track.

[Marsh]

This sounds fine if you're going to just stand around or take a leisurely stroll down to the park, but if you're going to get out and really ride you're going to need  a slightly different approach. No matter how cold it is, if you're exerting energy you're going to sweat. A cotton t-shirt is going to hold that sweat and then you're going to be wet and freeze. You're going to want something that will allow that sweat to evaporate away. Cotton won't do that.
 

[Yerboogieman]

Sweet Che flag.

[nomadic bowman]

shouldn't you put the goggles on before helmet

[fultondp]

try rubbing Dawn dishwashing soap on the inside of your goggles, and then buff like crazy to get the swirls and streaks off. The soap keeps the water vapor from attaching to the plastic. It works on the inside of cold car windshields too.

[Daenyth]

I use Dr. Bronnor's Peppermint soap for this exact purpose on my bathroom mirror when I shave. It doesn't lather up very much at all, so it leaves very little mess

[GEAR]

Do other dish soaps work as well?... I do not have any dawn.

[the_mad_man]

someone told me that spitting on the lenses kept them from fogging up

[urbanambush]

thats for scuba diving-- spitting on ski goggles doesnt help when cold- itll just freeze while they are off you face or mess with the delicate surface

[hydrnium.h2]

Yep. As a swimmer, I'd recommend it as a cheap way of keeping your goggles clear.

[Fazdraw]

I am new on here. But I saw this masked heat warmed person and it reminded me...when I was in the army at Fort Leonardwood Missouri in the early 70's we had a particular bad drop in temperature.......we had to improvise to stay warm and besides puttling on all the layers of clothing we had we slept in our Gas Masks.......this allowed us to breath and also to stay warm.......might look pretty strange riding a bike or motorcycle but old military gas masks are pretty easy to find....also the helmet liners are excellent for bike or motorcycle riding and do not look as strange...if you go to the Army surplus ask for a 'pile cap'....they should know what you mean.

[EMPulse]

why do i have to think about the 'hollow man' movies?

[Evil Bike]

what type of helmet cam /light attachment on ur helmet?

[thomco02]

NiteRider MiNewt Mini-USB. It is a great light and you can charge it through the USB port on your computer if necessary. Definitely a good investment.

[madmedix]

Use antiperspirant on your hands to stop the cold too before those mitts go on; stops the evaporation of water through the skin. Also pick up a gore-tex skull cap; wear this on your melon first, then a medium thick hat (seamless is best) then pull on the brain-bucket. You can go headfirst into the winter's north wind with this setup.

[stitches22]

wow, ima wear that all the time, just cuz it looks badass, thats awesome.

[hammer9876]

It is all about layering. If you are cold, you're not layering the right clothing. On the few cold days we get here I used to walk into work with a big down coat on with the hood up plus a scarf and gloves. Someone would always (ALWAYS!) ask if I was cold. No, Dufus. I am nice and toasty. How about you? (and where is that "I'm with Stupid" sign?)

[y0urm0msname]

I agree. Most mornings are in the teens here (sometimes colder) in northern Utah and I find layering effective.

It should be mentioned that you can be too warm. Once you start to sweat, it's usually too late and you will find yourself colder than you ever wanted to be. You can regulate body temp by shedding layers when necessary.

Lastly, I prefer a headband over a beanie because it keeps my ears warm without my head getting too hot. Keep ridin!

[jessyratfink]

The sweater in step 3 is amazing. I need one of those! Great 'ible as well! I like that you also mentioned the plastic bag in the shoes bit. I used that all the time before I got waterproof boots. :D

[rigtenzin]

I have lots of trouble with my goggles fogging. Your description implies that some goggles prevent fogging. Maybe I need to open my wallet and spend some bucks to get new goggles. Do you have any brands or models to recommend? Mine are old ski goggles from 1990 or so. Thanks.

[urbanambush]

fogged up lenses is a sign that your sweating...when its below -40 this fog can cripple your lenses by turning rock hard -- then you try to scratch the ice off and its over. Oakley goggles from my experience always screw up when super cold, so i pulled out my 27 year old smiths that I wore when I was a kid and they actually kicked arse, so its not a price thing (ANTI-FOG SPRAY). the real trick to foggy lenses is to not over dress- let your body maintain a "cool" temperature. If you do want to overdress taking off your hat or gloves to cool off...you can also punch out some extra vent holes at the top of the lenses. never put the goggles on a sweaty forehead always put over hat if theres no snow on it.

[thomco02]

A lot of the new ski goggles vent really well and have a coating on the lenses to prevent fogging. I have Scott goggles and have had good luck with them. But you cannot go wrong with any of them, really. Thanks for the comment!

[the_mad_man]

get double lenses. i use them for skiing and they have never fogged up at all for me.

[themonkeyz]

The best tip I had to prevent fogging is to put your scarf UNDER the goggles. Since I do this I've almost never had troubles. But don't forget to put your goggles up when you stop and you are getting hot.

[the_mad_man]

i hate putting my goggles up. coz i were a helmet and the foam gets all wet from the melting snow on it (damn global warming)

[shooby]

I find that a key trick to staying warm is to tuck in alternating layers at the waist level...so maybe undershirt tucks into underpants, shirt goes over underwear but is tucked into pants, next layer, eg sweater goes over pants, etc.