Bay Area winter is upon us. The winter months in our neck of the woods are very different from the wet PNW winter I grew up with or the dark and bitter cold Midwest winter. It seems that Bay Area winters are getting a tad closer to what we had in the PNW. But that's by the by. How should you dress for wintery rides? Taking my experiences of when and where I ride (as early as possible, or at least when the light just starts coming out and everywhere), it gets cold fast. Especially when you start getting out in the valleys. Say I start, and it's mid-40s; you can expect low 30s in the dark valleys. When the rain starts, you can expect it to rain in buckets. If you are lucky enough to ride mid-day, it's totally different. I often start my rides bundled up. Tights or warmers, booties, winter socks and gloves, ear warmers, etc. 3-4 hours later, I see cyclists who are just starting their rides in shorts and short-sleeved jerseys with arm warmers (maybe) and a light vest. Rain is rain, and most folks just don't ride in it, but again, I've found that once you get out, it's ok if you dress for it.
Hands, Feet and Head
My mother always taught me to take care of my extremities and everything else will be fine. I can tough out most of the year here in shorts (with embro) as long as my feet, hands and head is taken care of. And, of course, your core. A really good vest is gold around here. It's not one of the summer windbreaker things, but something warm. It's easy to regulate temperature by unzipping and zipping up when needed or taking your gloves off when needed. At the minimum, this will get you through some of the colder days.
No Sweat
Sweat is not your friend in the winter months. Where is the sweet spot between being comfortable and being overly comfortable? You should not be too warm at the beginning of the ride. Once you start getting into the ride and warm up, you should be comfy. If you are just going out for a recovery ride or a super easy coffee ride, then it's ok to be warm from the start, but for real rides, I know I'll be too warm in as little as ten minutes if I'm cold when I start. And yeah, getting super sweaty during a cold ride sucks. It goes back to what I said above: regulating your core temperature during a ride is critical to keeping you comfortable for the duration. Otherwise, you'll get super hot going up and then beyond cold heading down, which is a recipe for getting sick.
A Bike for All Seasons
When I lived up north, we all had dedicated winter bikes - full fenders and an overall build that we didn't worry about too much. Since I moved to California, I haven't been bothered. Usually, if it rains, you just have to wait a day, and it is good again. No need for a special bike. Now, though, I have finally gotten a dedicated rain bike. Having full fenders is so nice. Even in a downpour, you stay reasonably comfortable and can really extend your riding season. I also recommend at leastswapping out some components if you use your nice bike. Things like your drivetrain parts and wheels. There's no reason to thrash a $300 cassette when the $100 version will do just fine, same with the wheels. Another thing that I used to really love and look forward to is getting off my super heavy Surly Crosscheck and then, on March 1st, jumping back on my race bike. That felt amazing and shows you instantly how nice bikes can make a difference.
Winter Loops
In winter, I ride the same routes as the rest of the year. That being said, I know those routes really well, and the main thing is that I try to stay away from really crap, pothole-filled roads in heavy rain. Mainly because the water fills up those holes, which are hard to see; it can be a surprise when you fall into one unexpectedly. I do like climbing more in the shit weather, though, as it keeps me warmer (as long as I have a good kit for going down).
The Hose Off
If I'm really grimy, I'll the garden hose to myself and bike right when I get home to get most of the dirt and sand off, which helps keep the washing machine in better tune. I then get my kit in the wash right away as I want to have as much time to get it all dry since I hang dry it. I don't go in the shower right away as the hot water is too much for my cold feet, and instead, I have a good (and hopefully warm) recovery meal. For shoes, nothing beats the newspaper. Just take the insoles out, and don't put the shoes on top of the heater, as I've definitely melted a few over the years
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