Bicycle in Rain and Snow

[tylerrr]

So I live in Boston...In case you haven't noticed recently, we are buried with record amounts of snow.

I've been driving more than normal when I can shovel out my car. I've noticed some bicyclists with snow tires , which look great.

Question: What is the best gear you've found for your hands and head? I've bicycled in snow here before, but my glasses fogged up. I'm thinking i could get nice big ski goggles that would fit over my glasses and prevent them from fogging up? Or else I could just wear contacts on snow days.

and what are your necessities for bicycling in the rain? I'll be full time in graduate school soon and would like to always bicycle even if it snows or rains. Do you wear anything special to keep your head dry in rain or just wear a hood? particular gloves or shoes/boots? I don't have clips on my pedals. It's just a normal hybrid bike with regular pedals so I can wear any type of shoes.

thanks....

[theanimal]

Ski goggles is a good idea. If you're wearing some type of mask like a balaclava they may still fog up. For hands something like pogies would be good. See: http://barmitts.com/ You could probably diy this somehow, but my brain is struggling to think of ideas. Or just wear regular mitts if you have those.

[tylerrr]

Ski goggles is a good idea. If you're wearing some type of mask like a balaclava they may still fog up. For hands something like pogies would be good. See: http://barmitts.com/ You could probably diy this somehow, but my brain is struggling to think of ideas. Or just wear regular mitts if you have those.

thanks for the link. Those mits are kinda cool. Never seen those. I'd probably rather have some kind of glove that is waterproof and very warm. The ends of my fingers get cold even when i wear winter gloves and I'm out in the snow. I think some people's hands just get cold easier.

[theanimal]

Tyler- those are waterproof. They're made of neoprene. They'll be fairly warm as well. Traditionally they're used by sea kayakers/whitewater paddlers etc. If you combine those with mitts or gloves you'll be pretty warm. I'm sure you can find them somewhere else for less.

[Natha]

I bike around town all winter long in Wisconsin. I use "Gordini Gore-Tex Gauntlet Mitts" for my hands (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063M6ZHQ/) and highly recommend them. The gloves are plenty warm by themselves, but I also wear generic stretch-knit gloves as liners inside. The purpose of the liners is (1) to make it easy to lock/unlock my bike without completely exposing my hands, and (2) to prevent smells from developing in the expensive mittens over time.

I also highly recommend wearing wool long underwear while biking. Long underwear are good for many winter activities, but I found the improvement to be especially noticeable when biking. Wool ones are good because you can leave them on at your destination without overheating.

Don't feel that I have good recommendations regarding shoes or face protection. For the face, I don't use ski goggles - I've thought about trying over-the-glasses goggles, but they are expensive and many reports (e.g., theanimal's above) suggest that fog might be a problem anyway. One improvement I made this year is to use an infinity scarf instead of a normal scarf. The advantage of the infinity scarf is that it doesn't untangle itself while you're riding, something I've constantly struggled against with normal scarfs. (But maybe I am just bad at knots.) With a thick knit scarf, I can usually adjust it so that I can direct air appropriately to keep my face reasonably warm but my glasses unfogged.

[Sclass]

I've seen images online of students making their own DIY studded tires using screws or thumbtacks. Perhaps that's common practice in icy areas? (I'm a CA native - snow ignorant)

[Gilberto de Piento]

Cold/Snow:
I'll second the barmitts. They are great at keeping hands warm. The downsides are that they could easily be stolen if you are in a rough area and they take a little getting used to as it is harder to get your hands on and off the bars. They would be easy to make with any type of stiff fabric so that you can get your hands in and out of them. I find the mitts are much more effective than either of the $50 pairs of gloves I have.

When it goes below 0 I wear dirt bike goggles and a cheap fleece mask. Ski goggles would be better as they are designed to prevent fogging but I already had the dirt bike goggles.

I like studded tires a lot if you're dealing with ice. Fat bikes are very popular right now too but they don't solve the ice problem without studs too.

Rain:
I wear waterproof pants and coat intended for hiking. The really cheap rubbery/plasticky gear is bad for cycling as it doesn't breathe. The more expensive the more it breathes and the longer it lasts.

I have winter boots that are waterproof. I wear these in the winter and on cold/rainy days in the spring as they are waterproof. I change when I get to work.

I have very short hair and never have to ride in the rain for a very long time so I wear a cycling cap that is not waterproof and eventually get wet. One option is Goretex helmet covers and cycling caps that are waterproof. Another option is to wear a skater style helmet without vents. I don't like hoods because they restrict vision.

I don't have a great solution for the hands in rain. I wear waterproof winter gloves if it is still cold or accept that my thinner gloves are going to eventually soak through if it is warmer.

In both winter and rain I like lights and reflectors. It's dark and hard to see and people aren't thinking of bikes. Fenders are nice to have too.

Good luck!

[startbyserving]

A few years ago I rode motorcycles down to 20-30 degrees. I had similar problems with fogging up with motorcycle helmet. I usually wore a scarf and tried to wrap it as high on my face as possible. Motorcycle helmets typically leave a gap that allows airflow between your neck and lower face The scarf helps keep this area covered, and will help a little at keeping the visor from getting fogged. I try directing breath down or to the side. I Typically open the visor when at a complete stop.
As a skier, I had similar problems with ski goggles. They become fogged very easy, so I try to use the scarf to try and keep breath from getting into the goggles.

Which would I choose? Comes down to personal preference. If you don't mind the look / weight of a motorcycle helmet that might work for you. I'd say goggles will probably work equally as well. Since we are approaching the end of skiing season over the next couple months, you might get a deal on them soon too.

As far as gloves, just a big bulky waterproof snow glove. Sometimes I wear a thin pair of gloves under them. I've gone as far as to to put plastic grocery bags over my gloves or shoes to work as a wind break. (Of course my feet are not peddling, so this might be dangerous on bike.)

[tylerrr]

Great suggestions everyone. I think I'm going to try the ski goggles while bicycling.

[vexed87]

Best avoid covering the eyes to avoid fogging altogether! I ride with clear glasses when its dark, when fogging up its typically because your riding too slow for the air to carry away the condensation, when you speed up it tends to go away, so when slowing down take the glasses off you are good!