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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Inside for awhile
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2025 09:22:06 -0600
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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On 1/20/2025 12:28 AM, Catrike Ryder wrote:
> On 20 Jan 2025 05:53:42 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
> 
>> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> On 1/19/2025 8:41 PM, Mark J cleary wrote:
>>>> Well in Central Illinois is now 3 degrees a bit warmer than my north
>>>> neighbor Andrew but still too cold to ride anywhere. Hell it is too cold
>>>> to go anywhere too unless emergency. I see Minot ND is going to -55
>>>> windchill tomorrow night.
>>>>
>>>> Do you you think the bike manufactures can build a bike that you can
>>>> ride and stay warm in that environment? They keep going for fast a light
>>>> and want warm and usable daily.
>>>>
>>>> Let see......a generator heater that works off the hub and keeps the now
>>>> enclosed cockpit warm. Then you have some wires leading to the feet for
>>>> heat. A glove that plugs into the hub to keep the hands warm.
>>>>
>>>> Someone here for sure this is Rec.bicyles.tec after all.
>>>
>>> Let's see: A bike to stay warm below zero? The first step is, as you
>>> say, an enclosed cockpit. I don't have any experience riding such a
>>> thing, but I wonder if that plus warm clothing might be all you need.
>>> For a while, many decades ago, I had a Zzipper fairing on my bike when
>>> commuting in cold weather, and it seemed to help. And IIRC, the fully
>>> enclosed and streamlined bikes used for speed record attempts have some
>>> problem with riders overheating.
>>>
>>> Human muscles, metabolism etc. are only about 25% efficient at producing
>>> power. That means for every 100 Watts you output in pedaling, you're
>>> delivering 300 Watts heating to your body. If you're inside an enclosed
>>> fairing and you use enough insulated clothing to keep that heat from
>>> being lost, I think you'd be fine. I'm including feet and hands, which
>>> would not have the wind chill if they were inside a fairing enclosure.
>>>
>>> But I can envision other problems. When it's intensely cold, seeing
>>> where you're going through a windshield could be a challenge. Enclosing
>>> an upright bicyclist would probably lead to big problems from crosswinds
>>> due to the huge lateral area, and you'd have some problem with that even
>>> if you reduced lateral area with a recumbent posture. So to prevent wind
>>> toppling you, you might need a trike instead of a bike. That leads to
>>> further complications, like finding three clear paths instead of one
>>> through snow, ice or whatever.
>>>
>>> Sorry, I can think of no practical way to ride very far when it's very
>>> cold. My record was -4 Fahrenheit, but it was just a brief and
>>> uncomfortable utility ride. I don't plan on trying it again.
>>>
>> I don’t think a road ride at such temperatures would be particularly
>> pleasant with added windchill etc.
>>
>> In my experience off road removes a lot of that, as you tend to be riding
>> slower, plus riding in the woods can get shelter from the wind.
>>
>> Clothing helps a lot, as does being young! Noting that despite being sub
>> zero temperatures last week the young lasses still had their crop tops on!
>> Which was slightly painful to view in such temperatures!
>>
>> I’ve certainly ridden and comfortably in similar temperatures though not
>> necessarily same type of conditions on the MTB.
>>
>> Ie larger more bulky warm clothes plus extra load ie effort of riding off
>> road potentially snow etc.
>>
>> But utility and certainly road cycling is going to be unpleasant!
>>
>> Roger Merriman
> 
> I had an office for a while in downtown Madison, Wisconsin near the
> Capital. This was in the era of miniskirts. We used to go out for
> lunch and we'd see the young girls on the street, all bundled up with
> fluffy jackets on top, bare legged below. My friend used to say,
> "those gals aren't cold, they got a little heater under those skirts.
> 
> --
> C'est bon
> Soloman

+1
At our location downtown, in the 'no autos' zone, there were 
many days when most people were well wrapped in many layers 
but always at least one person per day walking out of the 
liquor store with a six pack in shorts.

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971