What do you use to stay warm on the bike in winter? Do you have any more hacks to keep your hands and feet warm on a ride? Let us know in the comments below 👇
Kind of a tech question, but I'm new to riding. When it's colder weather do you over inflate your tires a little to compensate for the loss of pressure due to temperature change from bringing my bike from in my house to the winter weather?
Felt liner for your shoes. Breathable fabrics underneath and a good wind resistant outer layer. Wool neck warmer that you can pull up over your face. If it's really cold you can tuck the neck warmer over your ears and under a toque. Poagies!
Yeah, if you use the regular supermarket thin foil. There are some foils, which are thicker and therefore will not turn your socks all sprinkly and glam :)
Actually, I was out for a ride and about 20 miles in the weather dropped down to freezing unexpectedly, but I had left without shoe covers. I did however have some egg bites wrapped in foil. I stopped, rubbed my freezing feet for a bit and wrapped the toes in foil over the socks. It worked amazing.
Chris and James are real HEROS! Going out in the nasty weather to teach all of us how to ride in nasty weather should never be un- appreciated. Thanks guys. If we ever meet, you will never have to pay for a drink! Cheers!
Good merino wool socks and either skiing gloves or something even heavier, depending how freezing it is. Most important is some sort protection to keep your breath warm enough, something like wool buff.
A couple things, as a bike courier who's busy through the Canadian winters, after taking care of the basics (core/non-compressed layers) my last resort to not get freezing purple toes riding in frozen slush or freezing 0 deg. rain (which is worse than a little snow at -15) all day are Gaiters. Even with Gore-tex/thermo/winter cycling shoes, after an hour or more of riding, the frozen wet splash above your ankle will seep in and slowly amass a icy puddle inside your waterproof shoes for you to endure another few hours. The Gaiters (gore-tex) will do the trick in shielding the bottom half of your leg from frozen splash. The rest of your legs will be a 'comfortable" wet, as there is no such thing as "stay dry out there'. Another tip, if it's dry-ish but very cold, say -10 to -30 with the wind factor is putting some face/body cream(substantial like Coconut based or Shea) to moisturize you face and hands so they don't crack, literally. They'll withstand the cold wind for longer.
Decades ago I learned while skiing that it is absolutely necessary to keep blood flowing to your hands and feet. If your gloves or shoes are too snug it doesn't matter how much insulation they contain your hands or feet will freeze. Make sure your socks and gloves aren't too tight.
Having struggled with cold hands while winter cycling and winter climbing for 25 years, the best cycling glove I found are fleece lined work gloves treated with a few coats of wax. They look out of place but are awesomely warm. I cycled 120 miles in minus temperatures and was fine. And they cost about £10
it helps keeping warm but this is about hands and feet, although its much more effective to keep everything warm especially your core, so your body doesnt go into heat saving mode and cuts off hands and feet from warm blood.
I’m sure everyone’s grandmother told them, “If your feet are cold, put on a hat.” Works for cycling too, or at least should be the first step. Someone mentioned earlier that the body’s priority is to keep the core warm but that is not true. The body’s priority is to keep the brain warm, THEN the core organs. Grandma knew of which she spoke!
As a general rule, keep your core warm and your hands and feet will be warm. Will you sweat? Hell yeah but that's normal if you're core isn't sweating at all then its getting cold.There are folks with poor circulation who will still feel their hands and feet are cold, those folks need more warmer layers on their hands/feet.
Electric heated gloves and dedicated winter cycling boots have transformed my winter! in Utah we have mostly dry weather but cold, well below freezing in the morning and evening, my prime ride/commute times. Neck warmers also nice addition too!
Latex gloves do not keep your hands dry (2:50). They block air flow, which will keep your hands warmer. However, the moisture (read: sweat) from your hands will soak the inside of the gloves. Also, Aluminum (3:55) is a conductor, not an insulator. It probably works for the same reason as the plastic wrap or the latex gloves. It blocks air flow (i.e. heat loss by convection).
while it conducts heat, it also reflects radiation without absorbing any. in cold conditions you are radiating more heat to the enivornment than the environment is radiating to you, so reflecting your radiation back help a LOT. also it's mostly conducting along your foot, not to the outside air. putting aluminium foil on you windows in hot summer to keep your house cool works for the same reason, but then reversed.
Greetings from northern Minnesota! Wind is a killer. I think the tin foil and plastic wrap are great ideas. Hands I think are the most difficult to keep warm .They're pressing on the bar which limits circulation and you can't really wear mitts, which are far better than gloves up here, so lobster gloves are the closest you can get. Hand warmers are good to at least carry with you for emergency. If your hands reach frostbite territory, warmers could be a life saver, especially when your fingers don't work well enough to open the car door (I speak from personal experience here!) Don't forget ear protection either.
Here's my gear that I used just two days ago at +1...-2°C: -My normal Shimano summer shoes -Normal socks -Wetproof overshoes -technical underlayer shirt -padded underlayer boxers -fleece inlined windproof jacket + trousers -neoprene water resistant gloves -technical sporty cap under the helmet or Buff scarf works too! I GOT SWEATY! Greetings from the real winter area =) Just adding layers if it gets colder and put skiing cloves on. I really got surprised by the gloves I mentioned and also that wetproof overshoe blocked cold that effectively with summer shoes :O
I prefer plastic grocery bags over foil. Put them on over your socks and then put on your shoes. Keeps the water from getting to the socks and helps with wind breaking.
Tin foil and other things a that ‘reflect back 90% of radiated heat’ are bit of a waste, as we don’t lose much heat via radiation until it gets proper cold, -20 or so. Same with space blankets, they work to keep the wind off (heat loss by convection) but not radiated heat. Better to wrap tin foil over your helmet.
Excellent ideas! Thank you. Good merino wool socks are great in cold weather, and I have used the foil wrap for many years on the coldest rides. Skip the crisps bag suggested by Mat S. a few years back - too greasy!
On a cycling trip in 2016.the temperature went from 15 to zero with snow & rain. I had no feeling in my fingers which became abit dangerous but I wasn't jumping into the follow car first. Thanks to the follow car I found 2 packets which I tied over my fingers. 5min later I had full I was flying again with warm fingers
Warm Hello from Indonesia to both of you, in Indonesia is very hot so i ride my bike without wearing the glove and proper shoe. Hehe.... Nice video GCN.
I deliver food on a moped year round... jars my tricks to stay warm with wind speeds of 45+/- amd temps 0/60 in winter. Hands get 1 pair knit gloves with hand warmer on top the 1 layer latex gloves THEN insulated winter golves so 3 pair of gloves per hand. Latex top of knit to keep air flowing so they dont sweat. Feet get goot socks and boots. Leg get 1 layer thermal tight pants then sweats then wind breaker to keep heat in. Last winter denim. Top is same except riding jacket instead of denim. You forgot face protecton... I wear a full face helmet and even that is not enough. A winter mask is a must.
I have a life hack. A lot of heat from the hands, leaves through the metal handlebar (despite the rubber grips). Therefore, in the winter I put on the grips thermal insulation for pipes. It helps! Insulation cut to length, and fix by cable tie.
Wear neoprene overshoes and duct tape the top of the overshoe to the skin of your ankle, pull your bibs over that and wash your gear with an anti rain repellent. There's two sides of this story though, first make sure you're staying dry because it's so much harder to stay warm when there's ingress of cold water. When you're sure your dry then make sure you're warm enough, I use thick wool hiking socks which are great as long as they stay dry. If it's torrential downpour and you're quite sure you will get wet to your skin then start using tinfoil, but so far I've been miserable as soon as I feel the water coming into my booties.. Staying dry worked quite well for me up to -15c. When not dry I can keep at it till 0c
I Use extra large latex gloves, fitting them over my gore winter gauntlets rather than under. . I carefully put them on at home before heading out on a run and if it rains your hand stay toasty and warm with no soggy gloves/ gauntlets to worry about.. Keep a few spare sets in your saddle bag as you inevitably rip the odd one when layering up after a coffee stop. or during a mechanical.
The plastic ones you get in filling stations will go over gloves and keep the gloves dry. Latex gloves over wet gloves won't keep your hands warm. Don't believe me, put on latex gloves and put your hands in a bowl of cold water. I keep a pair of filling station type gloves in my handlebars. Great for keeping gloves dry and hands clean if you have a mechanical.
@@raybarber9526 Ray You completely missed my point , I explained in my post that I put them on at home before starting my run or after a coffee stop. The point I was making is that its to late when you put them on over a wet gloves or gauntlets.Petrol station ones would work ok also, I have used the TRIPLE QX Latex Gloves mechanics pre powdered ones for about 10 years and never had wet hands. You can pickup a box 100 for about 4 quid from Euro parts.
@@raybarber9526 No worries Ray completely understand. What has happened is you have accidently posted your comment into a reply to my comment instead of the video its easy done,. All the best Ray and safe cycling Bud, yours in sport Tom
Rode to work today and yesterday at about 18F/-8C. Wear Pearl Izumi ski-type glove and it works well enough for the 25 minute commute. Feet don't get too cold thanks to heavy wool socks.
In Toronto when it's below zero Celsius, I'll use my thermal Assos socks, then Assos toe caps on the shoes and then my Fugu booties over everything. Works quite well. Glove liners are key to warm fingers... always take a spare pair and swap at the coffee stop for warm dry hands for the return home.
I'm an Aussie, I'm used to heat not cold so when it drops down to below 5C in winter my fingers freeze. I've even tried ski gloves but my poor peripheral circulation still has my fingers freezing. I've been told that silk inner gloves are good in conjunction with winter gloves, but I'll need to buy some gloves one size up to fit the inners...
For me its always cold toes. I have a winter cycling boot 2 sizes larger then I need so that I have room. Merino wool socks and Hot Hands toe warmers inserted in the tip of the boot. They last a couple hours, only because the require air to keep hot. So I plan a coffee stop around then and take the pads out to heat up again for the last part of the ride. I do this combination for temps as low as -20C.
I grew up in the upper Midwest USA.. Winter riding meant very cold temps. Did a 60 mile fum ride that started at -3 F (-20 C). Luckily when below freezing getting wet isn't the problem. Two pairs of socks, silk ski liners under wool socks, Winter shoes a full size bigger. Covered by a wind proof cover. Legs don't need much ski liners cover calves and a good pair of long riding pants is all it takes. Top, layers is key. First layer is a wind proof on front and vented on the back, zipper vents under the sleeves. Wool jersey and a good jacket. wind proof on the sleeves and front breathable on the back, and with a good collar. Skull cap that covers your ears and a windproof helmet cover, shower cap works great. Hands are the key. A thin set of gloves covered by latex gloves and a really good set of gloves, windproof on the top and enough thickness . You're good to go, except that when the temp gets up to 15 or 20 F you have to loose the helmet cover and start opeing vents on the jacket.
Hat covers! Usually hi viz too. These keep your head cosy from those icy breezes, helping the rest your body to stay warmer, including the extremities.
I used suffer with terrible cols feet. I used to use old shoes that I previously raced with. I brought some shoes slightly bigger, use merino wool socks & decent overshoes & now never have a problem.
I just bought a pair of Northwave XCM 2 GTX winter boots to replace my very old winter Shimano shoes. With the Shimano’s I’ve ridden hours in rain and in dry 20 deg F weather. Obviously have winter kit too.
In shoe stores one can find isolating soles made of wool on the top and aluminium foil under. These help keeping the warmth of your feet without having to layer it too much. Just replace the original ones with these and go. I wear these for my motorcycle boots too and in the past on some ski boots. Works well.
Foil is NOT an insulator! It’s a conductor. What it does do, if you use heavy duty foil and not the thin stuff, it radiates heat back to your feet and blocks air. It keeps my feet warmer on cold days. (It’s not tin foil, it’s aluminum foil (aluminium for the Brits), I dare you to find tin foil!)
Living near equatorial area of the globe, there is only two season: hot and overraining sesson, and hot-but-a-bit-less-rainy season. Both with ocasional "cold" random days, around 17 Celsius
Last time I went cycling in really cold weather (-12 degrees celcius) I neglected to wear the same combination of gloves as usual, and my hands got rather cold (who would've guessed?) I rode home after two hours stuffing my hands under my armpitsn this worked quite well, but it might just impede your ability to handle your bike...
Gore C5, Proviz 360, or if super cold , Castelli Estremo gloves, sometime with liners, winter cycling shoes, mine are Lake CX145 and Shimano MW700, sometime with wind proof socks , sometimes with merino wool socks. I’ve taking them down to about 25F for super early morning commutes, doesn’t get much colder than that here though.
I use short Gore-Tex motorbike gloves. They're not the cheapest solution but when compared to some winter cycling gloves they seem like a bargain! Plus being goretex they breathe well.
Layers on the body and legs, Good shoe covers, thick commuter jacket and good quality gloves all help. Alternatively battery powered gloves and socks from Vulcan Sportswear are a nice treat 👌.
I'm in canada so layering is always key but for gloves, especially in wet, a trick I've really benefited from is using neoprene (I found mine in the canoeing section of my sports store). Even wet I'm quite comfortable down to about minus 10C, colder than that and I'll add a second layer.
@@gcn I have the MEC H2O gloves, I can't recall the thickness but I believe I have the 2mm version, they also have a lightweight option if you're willing to shed warmth to save a couple grams, which is probably worth it in warmer climates. If I do indeed have the 2mm gloves, I don't notice an appreciable difference in feel over my summer riding gloves in terms of grip or break lever feel. They are obviously a bit bulkier but nothing too unwieldy when compared to the gloves I use in minus 20C
Heat Pads (hand warmers) can be stored and re-used if you put them in a plastic storage bag, squeeze out the air, and seal them up tight. They should retain their heating ability for a couple of days. Pull them out for the bag for your next ride, shake them in the air and see if your can get a little more use out of them. Take another fresh set of Heat Pads with you in case the re-used ones die during your ride.
Full mudguards and some overshoes and your sorted for any spray your tyres may throw at you. as for the rain above i would use a skinny water proof layer on top of how many layers you need underneath. underwear thermals are a really good start. Also! Get some sugru and remove the sole from your shoe then fill the cleat area with the sugru and ensure its flat, once cured it will cure into rubber and provide a water tight seal if applied properly.
What I realized (and is consistent with scientific papers on the topic) is that the only thing that works for me is to ride aggressively enough that I sweat. At that point, my core is warm enough for my fingers to not hurt, a strategy that works down to a feels-like of around 25F provided I wear my PI padded thermal cycling gloves with a liner inside. In the teens and below, I think I just need to use battery heated gloves, otherwise as bizarre as it sounds, even if my core is sweating, my fingers will be slowly dying. The culprit I’ve concluded is the wind combined with the infeasibility of fisting your fingers while biking, which I say because my closed fists feel fine running in a feels-like of 25F with just liner gloves. What I’d like to figure out is how to fine-tune my biking so that I’m just on the edge of sweating but not sweat profusely and still have my fingers. It doesn’t really help me to wear less on the torso and more on the arms because my torso seemingly needs to be sweaty warm to pump out blood to my extremities, but I’m usually so anxious about my fingers getting cold (and to a lesser extent on timing my ride speed) that I end up overdoing it resulting in a nearly soaked base layer. (In general, e.g., in warmer weather, I’m one of the least sweaty people I know.) I’m awestruck when I sometimes see bikers casually riding commuter bikes and appreciating nature in 40F weather with bare hands. Nature just manufactured them with a more extremity-friendly circulatory system.
Best tip right here. Change our the plastic or carbon insole of cycling shoes with something that provides warmth. Giro and Specialized make arch support insoles that help keep the heat in and can be used year round
Love cycling videos just what I need to get it going the blood I love it. I always watch these before I go out and get my body moving. I always watch one of these, and then put up my heavy playlist like Delta Parole, Three Days Grace, System and then I just go haaaaard!!!! Tactic hasnt let me down yet.
A couple of questions: 1. What was the temperature of the ride in the Cold Hands/Feet video? New to cold season riding and trying to figure out what to wear on rides outside. 2. Were did you get the GCN long tights for winter riding - I can't find them on the website.
After decades of sub freezing commuting, I cringe at most of these hacks. Hands a feet sweat too and deserve special attention when we consider the unique relationship between water and freezing temperatures. Leave the tin foil and cling wrap for leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, your sweaty extremities will thank you for your wisdom. If you are a commuter, consider the obvious, invest. 10 years ago I bought winter shoes for 60 euros, still awesome. 12 years ago I bought gloves for 50 euros. Still awesome but need replacement. Glove and sock liners are just bonus. Fingers cold? Wiggle and change position . Feet cold? Wiggle or dismount and run a little. But whatever you do avoid sweating in winter.
all well and good to keep your hands and feet warm. but any thoughts on bibs and other clothing? I mean, riding in -5C will make your muscles hurt if not protected..
My advice as a former rower battling wet and cold Nothing beats neoprene/wetsuit material. I have neoprene booties(socks) and a swim cap designed for scuba in the pacific ocean. Keeps me warm at freezing temps and unlike a warm hat keeps my helmet is property on my head to protect me if i go down. I'm toasty warm and my fellow riders are miserable.
I have ridden on snowy roads below freezing with my neoprene gear.... toasty. The police officer's face as he slide down the road on ice unable to stop his car while I waved while riding to work...priceless.
For the hands, get away from one-way latex. Use the bags that come with the promos to your doorknob. Perfect for the thumb for shifting, breaking is fine and some recycling done as well
A great water repellent treatment you can use on your equipment is candle wax, all you need is a heat gun and candle sticks (I love the scented one's ) works on most materials, leather and fabrics. Do test applications on small areas first so you can gage how much to apply for different materials. Simply rub lightly your candle onto your item (let's say a glove, don't do your palms please. ) different materials may slightly discolour as you apply the wax,now use your heat gun to carefully melt the wax into the surface and it ready to go. Shove it under a tap and watch the water bead off. If you have a candle and a heat gun you can waterproof your gear, just top it when needed, works great on your footwear.
Neoprean gloves and socks. Your tootsies and fingers will be wet, but the insulating factor means you will stay warm. They're good for an hour, maybe two when it's really wet. Life savers during the wet winter months, especially good for your commutes.
When trying to keep skin warm you must never have any pressure on you skin. Double socking is a no no. If anything go a half size up in shoe. With gloves I use those gardeners rubber gloves which form a shell around the ends of you fingers. The shell does not collapse hence creates a space around your finger ends i.e. no pressure. If it gets super cold you can wear a pair of water proof (thin material) mittens over the top. Cling film is a great idea. Everything must be water proof. If you get caught short then plastic bags over hands and feet work well.
Tried most of these & to no avail for extreme weather, in the end I started using mittens as my fingers stay warmer for longer simply because they are together, when fingers are separated then they turn cold fast, my shoes i would take of my clip ins & wear normal trainers with 1 pair of thick socks then when feet started to get cold I could reposition my feet & push down with toes & generally rotate different positions to keep circulation going, no matter how hard you try to tape up those cycling shoes due to the harder leather & sometimes plastic outer shoe it just won't keep your feet warm, Inner gloves work though exspecially the sking tin foil weave ones, keep those digits moving & they will warm up
I tend to take the inner sole out and line my shoe sole with tin foil.when you put the inner sole back in it keeps the tin foil in place Especially good around the cleats...tried this morning in Glasgow at minus 2c
@@japsniper1980 I use Lenz already few years, really helps even in minus. Also design is compact and you can still spin/handle. The rest advices are only for +10
I wear bright yellow jackets with the scotch reflective tape. They are waterproof and being bright yellow (along with 5 different headlights and 3 different tail lights) help me to be seen. I also wear a yellow brainsock
WHAT I USALLY DO TO KEEP HANDS WARM WHILE RIDING IN WINTER WHEN I GET TO A STOP ILL GO BEHIND A CAR AND PUT MY HANDS OVER THE TAILPIPE AND WARM MY HANDS UP WORKS GREAT KEEPS YOU WARM AND COZY 🙂
As others have commented these hacks are not effective for really cold (Canadian, et al) temperatures and/or for a thin rider who has difficulty maintaining a high core temperature. I wanted to be able to do sub zero, -10°C, -20°C, long rides, 140+km, and finish without painfully cold hands and feet. Last winter I was finally able to achieve this, yay! I have the same Assos gloves shown in this video. While they are light weight and flexible, at 5°C my hands were freezing cold. Glove liners helped but weren't effective for really cold temps. For that I went to heated glove liners. I looked around for the ones with the largest batteries, and selected the motionHeat liners.The Assos gloves that on their own fail at 5°C can easily do -20°C now. The liners are very thin (I think I measured at 0.4mm a while ago) with heating elements running around the fingers. Gripping the handle bars can be cold since the glove liners don't have elements in the palms but the lighter grip on my aerobar addons was comfortable. I had a problem with one of the gloves causing an small electrical burn but was quickly sent a replacement by the mfrr, (excellent service) I was using my summer shoes with Endura Freezing Point covers and shoe vents covered with electrical tape But this was not very effective. A little below 5°C and my toes were purple and the warm up was painful even after a short ride.I looked at several winter boots but many had vents (really??) or thin covers and looked less effective than what I was already using. Next I looked at adding heated socks. The Lenz 1,0 heated socks weren't too effective but the Lenz 5.0, with all the heating elements in the toes, were effective and, gag, expensive. I finally got spare batteries for both the socks and gloves last winter and that allowed me to do a long ride.
I'm not a fan, but friends of mine swear by Bar Mitts to keep your hands warm. They do work, but I'm not of fan of the restriction of where I can keep my hands. It's also helpful to write down what clothes worked at what temperature. I have a temperature chart that let's me know exactly what to where at what temperature. It can be a bit tricky when the temperature swings 20 degrees F during a ride. You have to make compromises then.
A simplified version of a log comment I have read. Your hands and feet can only be as warm as your core or arms/legs are. Keep them warm first. I notice your bikes have no mud guards! even if it is raining hard you will get more cold water from the road than the air! Add mud guards to the bike in winter.
Prevous two rides i had to cut short. 1st my hands got too cold. Then on second ride: my feet. First two truly cold rides, so still finding the optimal gear. Not too hot nor cold.
What do you use to stay warm on the bike in winter? Do you have any more hacks to keep your hands and feet warm on a ride? Let us know in the comments below 👇
Kind of a tech question, but I'm new to riding. When it's colder weather do you over inflate your tires a little to compensate for the loss of pressure due to temperature change from bringing my bike from in my house to the winter weather?
functional underwear is missing it's in my opinion the most important "hack".
@@justinbouchard Lower pressure helps when its slippery.
(Or of course if your definition of winter cold is 5 C, it makes no difference)
Mudguards! Wet "bits" chill much more quickly.
Felt liner for your shoes. Breathable fabrics underneath and a good wind resistant outer layer. Wool neck warmer that you can pull up over your face. If it's really cold you can tuck the neck warmer over your ears and under a toque. Poagies!
In the Winter, I will often use a wood stove and a chair
next to a large window where I can watch all the cyclists go by.
LOL so true. Ingenious. More should know about this truest of hacks.
😂😂😂😂😂
Dont wrap your toes in foil. Some guy called Matt suggested it and I ended up with socks sprinkled with a 1000 shredded foil pieces😂🤦♂️
Yeah, if you use the regular supermarket thin foil. There are some foils, which are thicker and therefore will not turn your socks all sprinkly and glam :)
@@kaupo80 yea its not something I'll be repeating. Think taping the vent holes in the cleats is more practical than glittery cleats
yeah wont be doing that again
Hahaah lol same thing happened to me , doesn't work at all lol
Actually, I was out for a ride and about 20 miles in the weather dropped down to freezing unexpectedly, but I had left without shoe covers. I did however have some egg bites wrapped in foil. I stopped, rubbed my freezing feet for a bit and wrapped the toes in foil over the socks. It worked amazing.
It was 33F yesterday, so I tried all these tips. My wife found me passed out on the floor next to my trainer from heat stroke.
😆
Chris and James are real HEROS! Going out in the nasty weather to teach all of us how to ride in nasty weather should never be un- appreciated. Thanks guys. If we ever meet, you will never have to pay for a drink! Cheers!
Good merino wool socks and either skiing gloves or something even heavier, depending how freezing it is. Most important is some sort protection to keep your breath warm enough, something like wool buff.
Ride a gravel or mountain bike in the forest and avoid the wind chill of high speed riding.
This is really true, and this is why I switched to MTB in the winter.
Isn’t enough. If you ride for multiple hours the cold will make it’s way to your fingers
The movement of the upper body really helps on the mtb in winter. I’ve got reynaulds nd the roadie can a no go in winter
A couple things, as a bike courier who's busy through the Canadian winters, after taking care of the basics (core/non-compressed layers) my last resort to not get freezing purple toes riding in frozen slush or freezing 0 deg. rain (which is worse than a little snow at -15) all day are Gaiters. Even with Gore-tex/thermo/winter cycling shoes, after an hour or more of riding, the frozen wet splash above your ankle will seep in and slowly amass a icy puddle inside your waterproof shoes for you to endure another few hours. The Gaiters (gore-tex) will do the trick in shielding the bottom half of your leg from frozen splash. The rest of your legs will be a 'comfortable" wet, as there is no such thing as "stay dry out there'.
Another tip, if it's dry-ish but very cold, say -10 to -30 with the wind factor is putting some face/body cream(substantial like Coconut based or Shea) to moisturize you face and hands so they don't crack, literally. They'll withstand the cold wind for longer.
I love my 80% Merino wool socks. They're cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Plus, they're wicking.
Decades ago I learned while skiing that it is absolutely necessary to keep blood flowing to your hands and feet. If your gloves or shoes are too snug it doesn't matter how much insulation they contain your hands or feet will freeze. Make sure your socks and gloves aren't too tight.
Having struggled with cold hands while winter cycling and winter climbing for 25 years, the best cycling glove I found are fleece lined work gloves treated with a few coats of wax. They look out of place but are awesomely warm. I cycled 120 miles in minus temperatures and was fine. And they cost about £10
Hi any chance of a link or example of what you mean?
Oh, you forgot balaclava for the head! Those help immensely
it helps keeping warm but this is about hands and feet, although its much more effective to keep everything warm especially your core, so your body doesnt go into heat saving mode and cuts off hands and feet from warm blood.
I’m sure everyone’s grandmother told them, “If your feet are cold, put on a hat.” Works for cycling too, or at least should be the first step. Someone mentioned earlier that the body’s priority is to keep the core warm but that is not true. The body’s priority is to keep the brain warm, THEN the core organs. Grandma knew of which she spoke!
@@pr0faker they should wear a winter coat.
As a general rule, keep your core warm and your hands and feet will be warm. Will you sweat? Hell yeah but that's normal if you're core isn't sweating at all then its getting cold.There are folks with poor circulation who will still feel their hands and feet are cold, those folks need more warmer layers on their hands/feet.
**Laughs in Scandinavian**
Yeap. last winter was riding even in -20 degrees. There's no bad weather, only bad clothes.
laughs in canadian ;)
latex gloves are a joke compared to my ski doo mitts
Yeah. This has zero relevance for those of us that ride when it's *actually* cold...
haha yeah...these tips wont even work during the summer here :D
A T-1000, advanced prototype
Electric heated gloves and dedicated winter cycling boots have transformed my winter! in Utah we have mostly dry weather but cold, well below freezing in the morning and evening, my prime ride/commute times. Neck warmers also nice addition too!
Latex gloves do not keep your hands dry (2:50). They block air flow, which will keep your hands warmer. However, the moisture (read: sweat) from your hands will soak the inside of the gloves. Also, Aluminum (3:55) is a conductor, not an insulator. It probably works for the same reason as the plastic wrap or the latex gloves. It blocks air flow (i.e. heat loss by convection).
while it conducts heat, it also reflects radiation without absorbing any. in cold conditions you are radiating more heat to the enivornment than the environment is radiating to you, so reflecting your radiation back help a LOT. also it's mostly conducting along your foot, not to the outside air. putting aluminium foil on you windows in hot summer to keep your house cool works for the same reason, but then reversed.
Greetings from northern Minnesota! Wind is a killer. I think the tin foil and plastic wrap are great ideas. Hands I think are the most difficult to keep warm .They're pressing on the bar which limits circulation and you can't really wear mitts, which are far better than gloves up here, so lobster gloves are the closest you can get. Hand warmers are good to at least carry with you for emergency. If your hands reach frostbite territory, warmers could be a life saver, especially when your fingers don't work well enough to open the car door (I speak from personal experience here!) Don't forget ear protection either.
Thank you for the tips!
All great winter cycling hacks for a Californian where it was 70f/20c yesterday. Its damn cold here!
Here's my gear that I used just two days ago at +1...-2°C:
-My normal Shimano summer shoes
-Normal socks
-Wetproof overshoes
-technical underlayer shirt
-padded underlayer boxers
-fleece inlined windproof jacket + trousers
-neoprene water resistant gloves
-technical sporty cap under the helmet or Buff scarf works too!
I GOT SWEATY! Greetings from the real winter area =) Just adding layers if it gets colder and put skiing cloves on. I really got surprised by the gloves I mentioned and also that wetproof overshoe blocked cold that effectively with summer shoes :O
Anyone who thinks tin foil is an insulator could be in for a nasty shock! Very useful tip if you want your shoes full of tiny bits of silver paper :-)
Lobster gloves are amazing for Chicago winters.
I will say that I haven't had very much luck with the aluminum foil in my shoes.
Dang it! You tried the foil? I never thought about it but it makes sense. I still might give it a go one day when the temps drop a little cooler
I prefer plastic grocery bags over foil. Put them on over your socks and then put on your shoes. Keeps the water from getting to the socks and helps with wind breaking.
Tin foil and other things a that ‘reflect back 90% of radiated heat’ are bit of a waste, as we don’t lose much heat via radiation until it gets proper cold, -20 or so. Same with space blankets, they work to keep the wind off (heat loss by convection) but not radiated heat. Better to wrap tin foil over your helmet.
good thing I live in a tropical country but still props to the cyclists that has winter weather out there
Great hack with the tin foil but works better with the shiny side in, ie. reflecting side.
Excellent ideas! Thank you. Good merino wool socks are great in cold weather, and I have used the foil wrap for many years on the coldest rides. Skip the crisps bag suggested by Mat S. a few years back - too greasy!
On a cycling trip in 2016.the temperature went from 15 to zero with snow & rain. I had no feeling in my fingers which became abit dangerous but I wasn't jumping into the follow car first. Thanks to the follow car I found 2 packets which I tied over my fingers. 5min later I had full I was flying again with warm fingers
We put news papers on our chest in Czech to keep body core warm .works great and its cheep
Warm Hello from Indonesia to both of you, in Indonesia is very hot so i ride my bike without wearing the glove and proper shoe. Hehe.... Nice video GCN.
My favorite cold weather hack - Zwift!
😂
Rechargeable hand warmers in back pocket keeps lower back and your core warm. Great for those very cold days and lasts for hours.
I deliver food on a moped year round... jars my tricks to stay warm with wind speeds of 45+/- amd temps 0/60 in winter.
Hands get 1 pair knit gloves with hand warmer on top the 1 layer latex gloves THEN insulated winter golves so 3 pair of gloves per hand. Latex top of knit to keep air flowing so they dont sweat. Feet get goot socks and boots.
Leg get 1 layer thermal tight pants then sweats then wind breaker to keep heat in. Last winter denim.
Top is same except riding jacket instead of denim.
You forgot face protecton... I wear a full face helmet and even that is not enough. A winter mask is a must.
I have a life hack. A lot of heat from the hands, leaves through the metal handlebar (despite the rubber grips). Therefore, in the winter I put on the grips thermal insulation for pipes. It helps! Insulation cut to length, and fix by cable tie.
Wear neoprene overshoes and duct tape the top of the overshoe to the skin of your ankle, pull your bibs over that and wash your gear with an anti rain repellent.
There's two sides of this story though, first make sure you're staying dry because it's so much harder to stay warm when there's ingress of cold water.
When you're sure your dry then make sure you're warm enough, I use thick wool hiking socks which are great as long as they stay dry.
If it's torrential downpour and you're quite sure you will get wet to your skin then start using tinfoil, but so far I've been miserable as soon as I feel the water coming into my booties..
Staying dry worked quite well for me up to -15c.
When not dry I can keep at it till 0c
BUY WINTERSHOES!
I Use extra large latex gloves, fitting them over my gore winter gauntlets rather than under. . I carefully put them on at home before heading out on a run and if it rains your hand stay toasty and warm with no soggy gloves/ gauntlets to worry about.. Keep a few spare sets in your saddle bag as you inevitably rip the odd one when layering up after a coffee stop. or during a mechanical.
The plastic ones you get in filling stations will go over gloves and keep the gloves dry. Latex gloves over wet gloves won't keep your hands warm. Don't believe me, put on latex gloves and put your hands in a bowl of cold water. I keep a pair of filling station type gloves in my handlebars. Great for keeping gloves dry and hands clean if you have a mechanical.
@@raybarber9526 Ray You completely missed my point , I explained in my post that I put them on at home before starting my run or after a coffee stop. The point I was making is that its to late when you put them on over a wet gloves or gauntlets.Petrol station ones would work ok also, I have used the TRIPLE QX Latex Gloves mechanics pre powdered ones for about 10 years and never had wet hands. You can pickup a box 100 for about 4 quid from Euro parts.
@@Tom.Connolly Sorry, I think it was in the video that they say put latex under the gloves, I wasn't referring to your post.
@@raybarber9526 No worries Ray completely understand. What has happened is you have accidently posted your comment into a reply to my comment instead of the video its easy done,. All the best Ray and safe cycling Bud, yours in sport Tom
Tinfoil is also really good to make hats.
Rode to work today and yesterday at about 18F/-8C. Wear Pearl Izumi ski-type glove and it works well enough for the 25 minute commute. Feet don't get too cold thanks to heavy wool socks.
In Toronto when it's below zero Celsius, I'll use my thermal Assos socks, then Assos toe caps on the shoes and then my Fugu booties over everything. Works quite well. Glove liners are key to warm fingers... always take a spare pair and swap at the coffee stop for warm dry hands for the return home.
Thankyou for your uploads
I'm an Aussie, I'm used to heat not cold so when it drops down to below 5C in winter my fingers freeze. I've even tried ski gloves but my poor peripheral circulation still has my fingers freezing.
I've been told that silk inner gloves are good in conjunction with winter gloves, but I'll need to buy some gloves one size up to fit the inners...
For me its always cold toes. I have a winter cycling boot 2 sizes larger then I need so that I have room. Merino wool socks and Hot Hands toe warmers inserted in the tip of the boot. They last a couple hours, only because the require air to keep hot. So I plan a coffee stop around then and take the pads out to heat up again for the last part of the ride. I do this combination for temps as low as -20C.
Wellington boots, waterproof trousers, my Helly Hansen coat and thick water resistant skiing gloves. Might not look cool or go quickly but it works.
It’s nice living in California where the weather is cycling friendly year round. The only winter gear I own is a cape for morning rides.
I grew up in the upper Midwest USA.. Winter riding meant very cold temps. Did a 60 mile fum ride that started at -3 F (-20 C). Luckily when below freezing getting wet isn't the problem. Two pairs of socks, silk ski liners under wool socks, Winter shoes a full size bigger. Covered by a wind proof cover. Legs don't need much ski liners cover calves and a good pair of long riding pants is all it takes. Top, layers is key. First layer is a wind proof on front and vented on the back, zipper vents under the sleeves. Wool jersey and a good jacket. wind proof on the sleeves and front breathable on the back, and with a good collar. Skull cap that covers your ears and a windproof helmet cover, shower cap works great.
Hands are the key. A thin set of gloves covered by latex gloves and a really good set of gloves, windproof on the top and enough thickness .
You're good to go, except that when the temp gets up to 15 or 20 F you have to loose the helmet cover and start opeing vents on the jacket.
You can also use clear boxing tape to cover the helmet vents to keep your head dry and warmer than without tape.
Love my Northwave GTX boots when the weather turns. Great soles for the commute too.
Hat covers! Usually hi viz too. These keep your head cosy from those icy breezes, helping the rest your body to stay warmer, including the extremities.
I used suffer with terrible cols feet. I used to use old shoes that I previously raced with. I brought some shoes slightly bigger, use merino wool socks & decent overshoes & now never have a problem.
I just bought a pair of Northwave XCM 2 GTX winter boots to replace my very old winter Shimano shoes. With the Shimano’s I’ve ridden hours in rain and in dry 20 deg F weather. Obviously have winter kit too.
In shoe stores one can find isolating soles made of wool on the top and aluminium foil under. These help keeping the warmth of your feet without having to layer it too much. Just replace the original ones with these and go. I wear these for my motorcycle boots too and in the past on some ski boots. Works well.
Silk sock liners and also silk glove liners👍🏻
Foil is NOT an insulator! It’s a conductor. What it does do, if you use heavy duty foil and not the thin stuff, it radiates heat back to your feet and blocks air. It keeps my feet warmer on cold days. (It’s not tin foil, it’s aluminum foil (aluminium for the Brits), I dare you to find tin foil!)
Regular ski gloves work pretty good.
Living near equatorial area of the globe, there is only two season: hot and overraining sesson, and hot-but-a-bit-less-rainy season. Both with ocasional "cold" random days, around 17 Celsius
You guys have access to top shelf cycling kit. You could really ride all year round no worries with all that Assos kit.
Last time I went cycling in really cold weather (-12 degrees celcius) I neglected to wear the same combination of gloves as usual, and my hands got rather cold (who would've guessed?)
I rode home after two hours stuffing my hands under my armpitsn this worked quite well, but it might just impede your ability to handle your bike...
Wool socks and adidas sambas, Boston bike messenger tested and proved for countless winters.
Gore C5, Proviz 360, or if super cold , Castelli Estremo gloves, sometime with liners, winter cycling shoes, mine are Lake CX145 and Shimano MW700, sometime with wind proof socks , sometimes with merino wool socks. I’ve taking them down to about 25F for super early morning commutes, doesn’t get much colder than that here though.
I use short Gore-Tex motorbike gloves. They're not the cheapest solution but when compared to some winter cycling gloves they seem like a bargain! Plus being goretex they breathe well.
Lenz heating socks and gloves 💕
Layers on the body and legs, Good shoe covers, thick commuter jacket and good quality gloves all help. Alternatively battery powered gloves and socks from Vulcan Sportswear are a nice treat 👌.
For feet - knee length medium smart wool with silk liner socks plus insoles. Sorted.
Avoid rides with long descents too. That added wind chill at low effort can be brutal.
I can't. The route I'm planning has a 40k descent and 2-10 degrees celsius with freezing rain.
I'm in canada so layering is always key but for gloves, especially in wet, a trick I've really benefited from is using neoprene (I found mine in the canoeing section of my sports store). Even wet I'm quite comfortable down to about minus 10C, colder than that and I'll add a second layer.
How thick are they?
@@gcn I have the MEC H2O gloves, I can't recall the thickness but I believe I have the 2mm version, they also have a lightweight option if you're willing to shed warmth to save a couple grams, which is probably worth it in warmer climates. If I do indeed have the 2mm gloves, I don't notice an appreciable difference in feel over my summer riding gloves in terms of grip or break lever feel. They are obviously a bit bulkier but nothing too unwieldy when compared to the gloves I use in minus 20C
Heat Pads (hand warmers) can be stored and re-used if you put them in a plastic storage bag, squeeze out the air, and seal them up tight. They should retain their heating ability for a couple of days. Pull them out for the bag for your next ride, shake them in the air and see if your can get a little more use out of them. Take another fresh set of Heat Pads with you in case the re-used ones die during your ride.
Full mudguards and some overshoes and your sorted for any spray your tyres may throw at you. as for the rain above i would use a skinny water proof layer on top of how many layers you need underneath. underwear thermals are a really good start.
Also! Get some sugru and remove the sole from your shoe then fill the cleat area with the sugru and ensure its flat, once cured it will cure into rubber and provide a water tight seal if applied properly.
What I realized (and is consistent with scientific papers on the topic) is that the only thing that works for me is to ride aggressively enough that I sweat. At that point, my core is warm enough for my fingers to not hurt, a strategy that works down to a feels-like of around 25F provided I wear my PI padded thermal cycling gloves with a liner inside. In the teens and below, I think I just need to use battery heated gloves, otherwise as bizarre as it sounds, even if my core is sweating, my fingers will be slowly dying. The culprit I’ve concluded is the wind combined with the infeasibility of fisting your fingers while biking, which I say because my closed fists feel fine running in a feels-like of 25F with just liner gloves.
What I’d like to figure out is how to fine-tune my biking so that I’m just on the edge of sweating but not sweat profusely and still have my fingers. It doesn’t really help me to wear less on the torso and more on the arms because my torso seemingly needs to be sweaty warm to pump out blood to my extremities, but I’m usually so anxious about my fingers getting cold (and to a lesser extent on timing my ride speed) that I end up overdoing it resulting in a nearly soaked base layer. (In general, e.g., in warmer weather, I’m one of the least sweaty people I know.)
I’m awestruck when I sometimes see bikers casually riding commuter bikes and appreciating nature in 40F weather with bare hands. Nature just manufactured them with a more extremity-friendly circulatory system.
Best tip right here. Change our the plastic or carbon insole of cycling shoes with something that provides warmth. Giro and Specialized make arch support insoles that help keep the heat in and can be used year round
Love cycling videos just what I need to get it going the blood I love it. I always watch these before I go out and get my body moving. I always watch one of these, and then put up my heavy playlist like Delta Parole, Three Days Grace, System and then I just go haaaaard!!!! Tactic hasnt let me down yet.
Chris, I think it's time for a set of new cleats!
A couple of questions: 1. What was the temperature of the ride in the Cold Hands/Feet video? New to cold season riding and trying to figure out what to wear on rides outside. 2. Were did you get the GCN long tights for winter riding - I can't find them on the website.
Sorry Chris they must be out of stock
Latex gloves should always be in the saddle bag handy if you get a flat keeps your hands clean
After decades of sub freezing commuting, I cringe at most of these hacks. Hands a feet sweat too and deserve special attention when we consider the unique relationship between water and freezing temperatures. Leave the tin foil and cling wrap for leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, your sweaty extremities will thank you for your wisdom. If you are a commuter, consider the obvious, invest. 10 years ago I bought winter shoes for 60 euros, still awesome. 12 years ago I bought gloves for 50 euros. Still awesome but need replacement. Glove and sock liners are just bonus. Fingers cold? Wiggle and change position . Feet cold? Wiggle or dismount and run a little. But whatever you do avoid sweating in winter.
all well and good to keep your hands and feet warm. but any thoughts on bibs and other clothing? I mean, riding in -5C will make your muscles hurt if not protected..
Another great option is to add the heating pads directly in your shoes to keep your feet warm when riding..
I sometimes tape to bars also...cause placing inside gloves can be waaaaay too hot!🥵
My advice as a former rower battling wet and cold Nothing beats neoprene/wetsuit material. I have neoprene booties(socks) and a swim cap designed for scuba in the pacific ocean. Keeps me warm at freezing temps and unlike a warm hat keeps my helmet is property on my head to protect me if i go down. I'm toasty warm and my fellow riders are miserable.
I have ridden on snowy roads below freezing with my neoprene gear.... toasty. The police officer's face as he slide down the road on ice unable to stop his car while I waved while riding to work...priceless.
A guy named Simon told me about Fizik R5 Artica winter shoes. Got mine in July new for $39, look who's feet are warm now.
I have noticed that a double layer of socks can also be a bad idea if the socks are snug because there is less blood flow.
I just ride flat pedals with my winter boots on; and a pair of larger size latex gloves over my winter gloves.
For the hands, get away from one-way latex. Use the bags that come with the promos to your doorknob. Perfect for the thumb for shifting, breaking is fine and some recycling done as well
Thanks for everything
There are recently more and more brands, that offer gloves and overshoes with electric heating systems. Of course relatively expensive stuff
A great water repellent treatment you can use on your equipment is candle wax, all you need is a heat gun and candle sticks (I love the scented one's ) works on most materials, leather and fabrics.
Do test applications on small areas first so you can gage how much to apply for different materials. Simply rub lightly your candle onto your item (let's say a glove, don't do your palms please. ) different materials may slightly discolour as you apply the wax,now use your heat gun to carefully melt the wax into the surface and it ready to go. Shove it under a tap and watch the water bead off.
If you have a candle and a heat gun you can waterproof your gear, just top it when needed, works great on your footwear.
Neoprean gloves and socks. Your tootsies and fingers will be wet, but the insulating factor means you will stay warm. They're good for an hour, maybe two when it's really wet. Life savers during the wet winter months, especially good for your commutes.
When trying to keep skin warm you must never have any pressure on you skin. Double socking is a no no. If anything go a half size up in shoe. With gloves I use those gardeners rubber gloves which form a shell around the ends of you fingers. The shell does not collapse hence creates a space around your finger ends i.e. no pressure. If it gets super cold you can wear a pair of water proof (thin material) mittens over the top. Cling film is a great idea. Everything must be water proof. If you get caught short then plastic bags over hands and feet work well.
Don't forget about the third sock. 😂
I use diving gloves, works great!
Tried most of these & to no avail for extreme weather, in the end I started using mittens as my fingers stay warmer for longer simply because they are together, when fingers are separated then they turn cold fast, my shoes i would take of my clip ins & wear normal trainers with 1 pair of thick socks then when feet started to get cold I could reposition my feet & push down with toes & generally rotate different positions to keep circulation going, no matter how hard you try to tape up those cycling shoes due to the harder leather & sometimes plastic outer shoe it just won't keep your feet warm,
Inner gloves work though exspecially the sking tin foil weave ones, keep those digits moving & they will warm up
I tend to take the inner sole out and line my shoe sole with tin foil.when you put the inner sole back in it keeps the tin foil in place
Especially good around the cleats...tried this morning in Glasgow at minus 2c
Everything tried with feets, but only battery warmed socks work here in Baltics, when it is bellow 5, even warmed glooves are perfect
I suffer from cold hands and feet and everything I've tried has failed. So the idea of battery heated gloves and socks sounds like the only option.
@@japsniper1980 I use Lenz already few years, really helps even in minus. Also design is compact and you can still spin/handle. The rest advices are only for +10
I wear bright yellow jackets with the scotch reflective tape. They are waterproof and being bright yellow (along with 5 different headlights and 3 different tail lights) help me to be seen. I also wear a yellow brainsock
WHAT I USALLY DO TO KEEP HANDS WARM WHILE RIDING IN WINTER WHEN I GET TO A STOP ILL GO BEHIND A CAR AND PUT MY HANDS OVER THE TAILPIPE AND WARM MY HANDS UP WORKS GREAT KEEPS YOU WARM AND COZY 🙂
Tried various ski gloves to keep my fingers warm, but is much harder to manipulate the sti levers. Any suggestions on trim and warm gloves?
I lol'd at the "traditional GCN trick" of using foil to wrap your feet. DEVIOUS...NAUGHTY :)
What a throwback ;)
What a nice place to ride!
As others have commented these hacks are not effective for really cold (Canadian, et al) temperatures and/or for a thin rider who has difficulty maintaining a high core temperature. I wanted to be able to do sub zero, -10°C, -20°C, long rides, 140+km, and finish without painfully cold hands and feet. Last winter I was finally able to achieve this, yay!
I have the same Assos gloves shown in this video. While they are light weight and flexible, at 5°C my hands were freezing cold. Glove liners helped but weren't effective for really cold temps. For that I went to heated glove liners. I looked around for the ones with the largest batteries, and selected the motionHeat liners.The Assos gloves that on their own fail at 5°C can easily do -20°C now. The liners are very thin (I think I measured at 0.4mm a while ago) with heating elements running around the fingers. Gripping the handle bars can be cold since the glove liners don't have elements in the palms but the lighter grip on my aerobar addons was comfortable. I had a problem with one of the gloves causing an small electrical burn but was quickly sent a replacement by the mfrr, (excellent service)
I was using my summer shoes with Endura Freezing Point covers and shoe vents covered with electrical tape But this was not very effective. A little below 5°C and my toes were purple and the warm up was painful even after a short ride.I looked at several winter boots but many had vents (really??) or thin covers and looked less effective than what I was already using. Next I looked at adding heated socks. The Lenz 1,0 heated socks weren't too effective but the Lenz 5.0, with all the heating elements in the toes, were effective and, gag, expensive.
I finally got spare batteries for both the socks and gloves last winter and that allowed me to do a long ride.
I'm not a fan, but friends of mine swear by Bar Mitts to keep your hands warm. They do work, but I'm not of fan of the restriction of where I can keep my hands. It's also helpful to write down what clothes worked at what temperature. I have a temperature chart that let's me know exactly what to where at what temperature. It can be a bit tricky when the temperature swings 20 degrees F during a ride. You have to make compromises then.
A simplified version of a log comment I have read. Your hands and feet can only be as warm as your core or arms/legs are. Keep them warm first.
I notice your bikes have no mud guards! even if it is raining hard you will get more cold water from the road than the air! Add mud guards to the bike in winter.
Prevous two rides i had to cut short. 1st my hands got too cold. Then on second ride: my feet. First two truly cold rides, so still finding the optimal gear. Not too hot nor cold.
Beautiful road, if not the weather. Can you add the location to the blurb?
Battery powered insole heaters, like Sidas. Clip the battery pack to the top of your shoe cover. Good for -20C riding, can't be beat.
Good video, great backing music, who is it?