Cold Weather Biking

I have been doing a lot of pre-dawn bikes this fall -- short ones, to be sure, no more than 9 miles, but they are fun. But as the temps have been as low as 28F, I've had to beef up my cold weather gear.

So, what do I wear when it's 28 and DARK?

--Base layer of cold-weather UnderArmour

--PolarTec long-sleeved bike jersey

--My favorite Pearl Izumi yellow windblock jacket

--UnderArmour tights

--Pearl Izumi fleece-lined tights

--Balaclava

--Smartwool heavy biking socks

--Windblock booties (made by Terry in my tiny size, yay!)

--Double gloves

And, of course, my huge Oakley glasses, which block 95% of the wind to my irritable, dry eyes.

So far, this ensemble has worked very well. When temps are in the high 30s or 40s, I shed a layer of tights, and substitute a regular jersey for a fleeced one.

I am amazed at how warm my feet stay with the booties. It's like they're in front of a fire. My glove combos are less successful, but if I wear regular liners and a good, heavy REI glove, my hands eventually warm up enough that they're not distracting.

At this point, I am on track to log more than 3,000 miles for the year. Not bad, considering that this past winter, I was out for some weeks with my knee surgery. (I am happy to report that my surgical knee is fully recovered, and is actually better than the un-cut-upon knee. Yes, even in tights.)

We are going to Florida at the end of the year; that will pile a few more miles on. We're going to stay in Dunedin, and bike the Pinellas Trail. I can't wait . . .

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Oh, forgot to mention: I picked up a wonderful gossamer jacket at REI, that's very warm but small enough to wad up and stuff into my under-seat bike bag. Here's the link: it's the Novarra Stowable Bike Jacket. Really, really wonderful, and only $54.

You can spend a whole lot more, of course . . . this WSJ article on "Braving the Cold Cycle" will point you to the pricier bike tech duds, if you so desire.