Riding In Any Kind Of Weather.

[tabl10s]

How Hardcore are you? 30 years ago I rode in temps from 18-126 degrees(- 7.77-53.33 Celsius). This morning I wanted to ride after work as it was nice and warm but the ash from several brush fires from a far as three hours away were floating around and stinging my eyes while driving with windows open.

I played Chess instead.

[ParisCarbon]

If the weather isn't in my favor in the summer I jump on my Tacx Neo trainer and ride a Tacx video... its a bonus being one of the video beta testers... never a dull moment in any virtual part of the world! In fall though I generally just jump on my cross bike and ride the river trails... have a nice 40km ride that hits side residential streets and winds along river trails, gravel paths, and woodchip trails...

[themidge]

It never gets above 35 degrees centigrate here in Scotland, and if it's cold (<0 degrees) then there's often ice everywhere but the horrible main roads. So as dictated by conditions, I'm a total softie .

[Squashednuts]

I feel comfortable talking about this aspect of biking
Some of the threads require a technical knowledge or strong opinions about one manufacturer versus another etc...neither of which I possess

Weather....very comfortable
Coldest temperature in which I've ridden this year has been -4.4 deg C
Most winter mornings are below 2 deg when I cycle

There's always a wind which is generally a head wind on my return journey, I live at one 'end' of Christchurch and always head out in the same direction, either up the hills or along the s a front

It rarely gets above 30 in the summer

I'm not too demotivated by rain, it can be a uniquely enjoyable experience cycling hard in the drizzle/driving rain

[joejack951]

I’ve cycled to work with a -26C wind chill, 50 kph winds and sleet, 0.5C and pouring rain, and 43C temps, obviously on different days. Typical year of weather in the north east US. Studded Nokian tires help in the winter and learning to take it easy in the heat will get you by on those 40C+ days. I always feel very ‘alive’ after finishing a ride in some sort of extreme weather.

[Caadnme]

+1, riding to work in any kind of weather. Canadian winters require good studded tires. I have used Nokian 38 mm but now prefer 45NRTH Xerxes, Gravdal, or Shwalbe Winter 30 mm, depending on conditions.
I have seen -32 C, +37 C, freezing rain, wind so strong that my rear tire was skidding on frozen pavement, or 90 km/h wind gusts. Rain so heavy that I had to tilt my head down to breath without swallowing water, really felt like swiming crawl.
Often snow. Hard packed, or melting, or fluffy, any kind. Just a trace, a few inches, up to 15 inches. Traffic jam packed because of snow, but I could always manage at least 15 km/h on my bike.
A bike is always unstoppable. And I agree about that feeling of being alive, the real life!

[RussellS]

I've ridden in all sorts of weather. Most not really by choice. Commuting requires you to get to work no matter what the weather is like. So not a choice I freely make. And on some rides, you don't really have a choice on whether you ride. Kind of like Andy riding the Gavia. It was in the middle of the Giro so he really didn't have a choice on whether to ride in freezing cold snow.

BUT, if I have a choice, I only ride if its pleasant weather. I ride for enjoyment. No need to add suffering to it.

[wheelsONfire]

Winters suck for obvious reasons. Then there is the dark....

[NickJHP]

Cold I don't mind so much - you can always put more layers on, winter cycling boots, balaclavas, etc. Here in Canberra we very rarely get snow in winter, but it can get well below zero (Celcius). Coldest morning we've been out riding this winter was -8C. In summer it can get to over 40C, and there's nothing much you can do to cool down in those conditions. Here's a plot from a ride a few summers back, elevation above, temperature below. Climbing the third mountain with the temperature at 46C was not at all pleasant. There were quite a lot of riders on drips in the medical tent at the end of the ride:

[kdawg]

It never gets above 35 degrees centigrate here in Scotland, and if it's cold (<0 degrees) then there's often ice everywhere but the horrible main roads. So as dictated by conditions, I'm a total softie .

Above 35? Usually doesn’t get anywhere near there!

So extreme heat isn’t really an issue and we don’t get crazy cold winters either - but I tend to not ride when it’s icy as that’s silly.

Other than that I usually commute every day - a few years ago I did the entire year just to do it. Last winter I had a few days off when we had a lot of snow - the main roads were mucky but it’s geting there from my house which was the problem.

I find it weird riding in heat - even 30 feels strange for a few days. I can’t imagine what 50 is like.

[KCookie]

This winter here in Adelaide has been one of the coldest I can recall, dropping to 2-3c in the mornings, so on the weekends I start my rides about lunch time. I will definitely not go out in the rain but don't mind to much if I get caught out in it.
Summer is terrible with temps hitting high 40s for weeks on end, this I do not ride in, it half kills me. This is where the Kickr comes in useful.

[RussellS]

I will definitely not go out in the rain but don't mind to much if I get caught out in it.

Agree. If its raining when the ride is to start, I don't go. Summer, spring, fall, doesn't matter, I don't start if its raining at the start. But if it starts raining in the middle of a ride in the summer, then OK.

[themidge]

Above 35? Usually doesn’t get anywhere near there!

You can say that again , I've ridden here when it was 35 in the sun, minimal effort and bombing descents helped to keep cool.

but I tend to not ride when it’s icy as that’s silly.

The cycle paths I have to ride on to get out of Edinburgh are almost always wet in the winter, so ice forms pretty easily and doesn't melt under the trees. Puts a hold on winter riding quite often .
But yeah, most of the time it's alright for riding here, so my opportunities for riding in extreme weather are quite limited .

Winters suck for obvious reasons. Then there is the dark....

I hate winter because of the dark, it's usually too dark to go out even at 4pm.

[kdawg]

I’m in Edinburgh too and avoid those paths in the winter - they’re filthy with damp leaves and then icy often as you say.

I got a cross bike late last year which was great when there was snow - SPDs don’t get clogged up nearly as easily as SPD-SLs and the tyres were useful. I was at a meeting in town the day everything shut down with snow and it was a fun ride home!

[sungod]

Above 35? Usually doesn’t get anywhere near there!

being scotland, i assumed it was a typo and he meant fahrenheit