Well I just finished my 20 mile commute from Romulus to Ann Arbor. It's a nice 34 degrees outside and I just finished thawing my fingers out under warm water. I think it's about time to move to another state. Anybody else riding yet in Michigan?
Not in Michigan, but I too rode to work this morning here in the DC area. I think it was ~38. Too cold!
jeff
Not in MI either, but one day last week I decided to ride to work, 29 degrees, 50 mile commute. I've decided to get some of those electric gloves. If I can keep my hands warm, I'm usually ok, but your right, damn it was cold.
its been cold in VA too and ive made some very very cold rides.
i just got back from MIami beach though and maaaaan i wish i had my bike down there i was so sad that i didnt cause all the hotties and bikes were out on the strip
I've had a couple weeks of 20F mornings... but I only have a half-hour commute, at 30-40mph, with lots of stoplights to flex and warm the fingers. I'm comfy wearing ColdFront gloves and a Roadcrafter suit, except for my right thumb, which still does get numb.
For now, I've quit doing anything to get more comfortable in the cold. Every day just gets warmer and warmer, so there's not much point worrying until fall. 30F outside, woo-hoo!, makes me want to call in sick and go throw the Aerobie around :)
(http://gs500.specialgreen.com/img/weather.jpg)
I am also in the DC area. I rode in yesterday, but couldn't today. I don't have winter gloves and just have liners inside my Teknics. By the time I got home from my 38 mile commute I had lost feeling in 3 of my left fingers and 2 or my right. I also lost mobility in 2 of the left and was only able to use my index finger to pull the clutch.
It took almost 2 hours for the sweeling to go down and full use to coe back after I got home. So no riding for me until it either warms up a bit more or I get winter gloves.
If my commute had been about 10 miles shorter I'd have been ok with just cold fingers, but the last part just froze my poor hands.
I'm in Ontario...and it's not that bad...just gotta put my bike back together and i'll be riding...
How much did the heated gloves cost? Because that sounds like a real good investment.
;) http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/tenday.html?locid=93277
Quote from: JeremichiWell I just finished my 20 mile commute from Romulus to Ann Arbor. It's a nice 34 degrees outside and I just finished thawing my fingers out under warm water. I think it's about time to move to another state. Anybody else riding yet in Michigan?
77F/25C @ 4:00pm today Had to take my liner out of my jacket to ride!
Quote from: JeremichiHow much did the heated gloves cost? Because that sounds like a real good investment.
tdan said he was thinking of getting heated gloves. I just have TourMaster Cold Front gloves (not heated, but pretty good). I got them because I wantet winter gloves, but didn't want to give-up having armor:

$54 at
NewEnough or
CASportTouringThere are probably other good winter gloves out there, but I have to say that these are really very warm! During winter, when I couldn't ride the GS, I took the bus. That meant standing outside for 5-15 minutes most days. Once I had a conversation that went like:
Quote
neighbor: do you think it's below minus 10?
me: just a sec...
(I shut my eyes for a few seconds, then open them again... one eyelid reopens, but the other sticks shut, frozen)
me: I make it about -14F.
neighbor: yep
I quit wearing my other winter gloves, in favor of the Cold Fronts. Wearing carbon-fiber stuff on the bus is a fashion no-no, but ... :shrug:. After trying mine on at the bus stop, my neighbor was cussing out his fancy-schmancy "Arctic Crossing" gloves from REI.
I'm sure that there are other good winter gloves out there, but these are pretty good. The only thing I'd change would be to make the thumbs a tad longer, and to add a face-shield wiper blade on the right thumb (so you can clear the face shield at stoplights... it already has one on the left thumb).
I was out last weekend around Dearborn before the rain got heavy. I use a cage for daily commuting though. Too much gear to carry on a bike.
I will definitely be out this weekend.