Gearing Up for the Cold
I'm still getting the hang of this cold weather riding thing. I've made two subfreezing rides in my life, and many in the 0-5°C range.
Last week, for a ride when it was about 4°, I wore tights and piled a wicking layer, a wool jersey, and a windbreaker on top. I thought I was going to die. After about a mile I had to unzip the windbreaker and the jersey. I wore my normal fingerless gloves though, and those were a serious chink in my armor.
Today the readout on my panel says -3°; I wore tights again, full gloves over my bicycle gloves, which provide padding the full gloves don't. My hands and legs were fine. On top, I wore a wicking layer and a sweater. I know my face is vulnerable, so I grabbed a fleece scarf and a hat to cover my ears. Unfortunately, the scarf would not stay in place over my nose and mouth, fine for today, but I'm going to need something better for colder temperatures. I also need to look into better footgear. My toes are still numb.