So glad it was helpful. I’ve been really impressed with how the facial cavity seal of the WileyX Tide glasses I got keeps my eyes warm in winter. Had them out in 5F the other day and it was definitely less comfortable than my full on ski goggles, but it wasn’t too bad. Given their convenience I may just stop using my ski goggles for biking entirely. The only issue I’ve had with them is that they can fog when I stop at lights. This isn’t from my breath, but from perspiration coming from my face itself. I’ve solved it by just sliding them down my nose a bit when I stop at lights. I push them back up when it goes green and they don’t fog when I’m moving.
With Omicron I’ve also moved from my Enro face masks to an Envo elastomeric respirator (https://envomask.com/). This doesn’t cover my cheeks as well as the Enro masks, but the hard plastic frame keeps it from touching my lips, even when I put my half mask on top of it. That combo is actually amazingly comfortable in the cold as it creates a pocket of warm air around my lips and nose. Breathing through the Envo is a bit harder than breathing through the Enro since it has a more effective filter, but the e-assist on my bike makes this a non-issue and when I do push hard its like altitude training for my lungs.
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
Andrew
2021-12-17 at 5:08 pm
Solid advice, though the temperatures you cite do certify you as a cold weather wimp. 😉 For a different perspective, I’m a furnace when I bike. My keys from 10 years of Alaska are: layer up and start cold. Zipper layers and especially pit zips in your wind layer are key to maintaining good temperature. I usually end rides well vented, even when below 0F. Your hands and feet are critical as they aren’t moving. I wear full on winter boots to solve the feet (many use toe warmers). Pogies are excellent and I often go barehanded on the bars at 10F in them once I’ve warmed up, and mine are just the lightweight neoprene ones. I’ve never found eye coverings to be worth it (though I’m under 10 mph on my fat bike) and I embrace the ice beard and usually forgot face covering too. The key is to experiment with what you have and take note at different temperatures what works for you. Buy new things last.
Alaska, now that is some serious winter! Most of the people in the US complaining about winter riding have never gotten close to that sort of cold. Great to hear about your bike experiences there, and good point on Pogies, they’re definitely useful, but also very bike specific. The gloves I have are so good that I don’t really need them down in PA, so they’re just one more bike specific piece of kit I can replace with a more general purpose one. If they help someone get on their bike in the cold though they’re totally worth it!
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
GreenMarketer
2022-01-13 at 4:41 pm
Love your post! I’ve spent the past few months stepping up my winter wear game so it’s comfy to ride… but it still isn’t there (yet).
Your advice about lined pants and eyewear is exactly what I need to get myself out there on the coldest days of the year (windchill of 0-10 F or so)
Thanks again!
Profit Greenly (Post author)
2022-01-13 at 7:35 pm
So glad it was helpful. I’ve been really impressed with how the facial cavity seal of the WileyX Tide glasses I got keeps my eyes warm in winter. Had them out in 5F the other day and it was definitely less comfortable than my full on ski goggles, but it wasn’t too bad. Given their convenience I may just stop using my ski goggles for biking entirely. The only issue I’ve had with them is that they can fog when I stop at lights. This isn’t from my breath, but from perspiration coming from my face itself. I’ve solved it by just sliding them down my nose a bit when I stop at lights. I push them back up when it goes green and they don’t fog when I’m moving.
With Omicron I’ve also moved from my Enro face masks to an Envo elastomeric respirator (https://envomask.com/). This doesn’t cover my cheeks as well as the Enro masks, but the hard plastic frame keeps it from touching my lips, even when I put my half mask on top of it. That combo is actually amazingly comfortable in the cold as it creates a pocket of warm air around my lips and nose. Breathing through the Envo is a bit harder than breathing through the Enro since it has a more effective filter, but the e-assist on my bike makes this a non-issue and when I do push hard its like altitude training for my lungs.
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
Andrew
2021-12-17 at 5:08 pm
Solid advice, though the temperatures you cite do certify you as a cold weather wimp. 😉 For a different perspective, I’m a furnace when I bike. My keys from 10 years of Alaska are: layer up and start cold. Zipper layers and especially pit zips in your wind layer are key to maintaining good temperature. I usually end rides well vented, even when below 0F. Your hands and feet are critical as they aren’t moving. I wear full on winter boots to solve the feet (many use toe warmers). Pogies are excellent and I often go barehanded on the bars at 10F in them once I’ve warmed up, and mine are just the lightweight neoprene ones. I’ve never found eye coverings to be worth it (though I’m under 10 mph on my fat bike) and I embrace the ice beard and usually forgot face covering too. The key is to experiment with what you have and take note at different temperatures what works for you. Buy new things last.
Profit Greenly (Post author)
2021-12-23 at 12:56 am
Alaska, now that is some serious winter! Most of the people in the US complaining about winter riding have never gotten close to that sort of cold. Great to hear about your bike experiences there, and good point on Pogies, they’re definitely useful, but also very bike specific. The gloves I have are so good that I don’t really need them down in PA, so they’re just one more bike specific piece of kit I can replace with a more general purpose one. If they help someone get on their bike in the cold though they’re totally worth it!