With all the talk about how Victoria is in for a cold winter — temperatures this week are forecast to hover around zero during the day, then dip as low as -7 at night — every cyclist I know has had only one question on their lips: Will you ride?
(The nice thing about Victoria is, of course, that we usually don't have to contend with the cold question. Just the wet one.)
For me, the answer is yes, but with these exceptions: If the roads are really icy, I probably won't ride my bike. Ditto for slush or snow. Part of that is because I don't want to slide into the middle of an intersection as I attempt a turn. But it's mostly because I don't want anyone else to slide into me. (That said, plenty of people do ride in those conditions. Just be careful out there!)
But clear cold days are ideal for riding. All you need to do is layer up.
My winter riding strategy is simple: I hate being cold. Riding takes the chill off, but fingers and toes need help to stay toasty.
Here are my essentials — things I also wear off the bike (with the exception of some of the rain gear):
• merino wool leggings/long underwear/leg warmers
• rubber boots with liners to keep my lower legs warm and dry
• mitts or gloves
• cowl or scarf that I can pull up over my chin
• hat (I suffered cold ears all last year, but finally have a toque that fits under my helmet)
• warm jacket, possibly with fleece or sweater underneath
• rain jacket or poncho
• (or pants, if I’m tired of being slightly damp)
Still, I sometimes get it wrong, a little affliction I like to call seasonal amnesia disorder.
I got a case just a few weeks ago. I was only 500 metres from my house on the first cold day in November when it struck me: I’ve made a terrible mistake.
I left the house with my legs basically exposed, leaving my legs numb by the time I got to work.
It’s a seasonal ritual, replayed every time there is a shift in weather: I have at least one ride where I am woefully under- or overdressed. How is it that I, a fully functioning adult — honest — can forget how to dress for winter? It’s been less than a year, after all. Is it optimism?
Whatever the cause, the cold ride — I was wearing a dress and flimsy bamboo leggings, though I did manage to throw some leg warmers on — prompted me to dig proper clothes out of storage.
I threw everything on for my next ride. I was much too warm, of course.
