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How Cold is Too Cold to Ride a Bike Outside?

 

Question: I’ve been riding when temperatures get above 25F degrees, but I recently read about a pro who says he never rides outside if it’s below 40. I can’t be tougher than a pro, can I? What is the minimum temperature for training outside? — Barry M.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: If you’re dressed correctly and have the right equipment, you can ride outside regardless of temperature. Iditabike racers handle below-freezing (sometimes below zero) temperatures for more than 24 hours while riding on packed snow and dodging ill-tempered moose.

But there’s a big difference between riding outside and doing meaningful training. Although you can ride when your bottles freeze solid and icicles form on your balaclava, it’s difficult to do an interval session in those conditions.

Climbing is okay because you warm up from the combination of exertion and lack of air movement at slow speed — but then you freeze solid on the descent.

So, in cold temperatures, by far the most effective training is accomplished indoors on a trainer or stationary bike. The specific temperature depends on your individual tolerance, road conditions, type of training you have planned and other factors such as wind direction.

The cut-off for many riders occurs in the 30-40F range. When the temperature is freezing (including the windchill factor), the trainer may be a better option unless your objective is simply to get some fresh air — or escape the trainer!

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Coach David Ertl says

    March 1, 2018 at 1:49 pm

    I agree completely. While you can ride when its really cold, you get more meaningful training done inside. Yes, riding in the winter builds character, but how much character does one need? With all the smart trainers and indoor training apps, riding inside is getting better and more realistic all the time. My cutoff is about 35.

    Reply
  2. wle says

    March 1, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    you don’t HAVE to freeze going down the hill, that is what brakes are for..

    Reply
  3. Greg says

    March 1, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    It depends on what you are training for. If you are training to ride the Arrowhead 135 or Iditabike or the Fat Tire Birkebeiner or one of the many winter bike events in the north country, you need to develop the tolerance to ride in cold conditions. You can’t get that on the trainer. My record cold ride is -24F (-48F wind chill).

    Reply
    • Mark Gordon says

      January 7, 2022 at 8:45 am

      Personally, I feel like the best workouts I get happen outdoors at <0F/-16C. My HRM does not lie at those temperatures and all the clothing requires watts to move and push through the air.

      Reply
  4. Greg says

    March 1, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    I would add that cross country skiers train and race in sometimes very cold conditions, and if you watched hometown favorite Jessie Diggins in the Olympics, you noticed that she was remarkably fit.

    Reply
  5. Terry says

    March 1, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    Thank you for confirming for what I learned in the last few years, trying to do intervals outside at less than 40 degrees. My trainer bike has rear speedometer, & tires are always 100PSI + a fan in my face. Not fun, but effective. I also use a HRM.

    Reply
  6. Phil11764 says

    March 1, 2018 at 9:53 pm

    I’ve ridden as low as 14F, which actually isn’t too bad if you’re properly dressed for it. But at sub freezing temps, I usually opt for my mtn bike.

    Reply
  7. Alanm9 says

    March 5, 2018 at 1:07 am

    [quote=Coach David Ertl] With all the smart trainers and indoor training apps, riding inside is getting better and more realistic all the time.[/quote]

    and how, exactly, does riding more indoors make riding outdoors safer for all of us? Thank you for encouraging riders to stay off the roads! Everyone knows motorists will respect us more if there are fewer of us!

    Reply
  8. Bruce Miller says

    March 5, 2018 at 2:51 pm

    Ice is more the issue than temps.

    Reply
  9. Schubert John says

    March 6, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    Replying to Greg: The comparison with cross country skiing is strained, because the wind chill factors are different. Cross country skiing is similar in speed to running (of which I’ve done many thousands of winter miles). The wind chill factor from your speed varies much less than it does when cycling over rolling terrain, so you can match your clothing to the average combination of body heat and wind chill. That said, I don’t run intervals in cold weather either.

    Reply
  10. John Apple says

    March 23, 2018 at 1:21 am

    Agree with Bruce that ice is more important than temps. I’ve had more than one friend injured in a bike fall due a patch of ice.
    Another issue for some is the nosebleed. Cold air is dry air (low absolute moisture content), and hard exercise in the cold can cause the nasal passages to crack and bleed. Even breathing hard through the mouth, there is some nasal airflow. IMHO- If it hurts to breath through the nose, it is too cold out to ride (or run or ski).

    Reply
  11. wade griffin says

    October 25, 2018 at 11:12 pm

    I.m not training, I might just go to the grocery store 3.5 miles away. How’s that in 35-.

    Reply
  12. wade says

    October 25, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    I was wearing shorts today while riding my ebike in 40 degree temp, with no wind.

    Reply
  13. Ronald says

    December 7, 2020 at 12:37 pm

    It is funny how few here consider guys like me that are just trying to get to work
    Reading between the lines I will use 25-30F as my limit

    Reply
  14. Ken says

    November 2, 2021 at 10:52 pm

    My concern would be subzero air going down into your lungs, inhaling cold air at a fast rate, is that damaging to your lungs over a long period of time?

    Reply
    • Joe says

      December 18, 2022 at 8:13 am

      Last night about 24°F, I rode my bike about a mile up a steep hill to a friend’s house. They weren’t home, so without warming up I rode the mile back down the hill. Almost back to my house, I started feeling very hot and uncomfortable and started removing clothing. At the very end of the downhill slope, there’s a steep hill going up and I threw my bike in the ditch because I didn’t have it in me to walk with it anymore. Was this anything like what hypothermia victims experience when paradoxically undressing?

      Reply
  15. Michael says

    December 19, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    I’m not training for anything. I just like riding for activity and fun. My real question is what clothes are necessary to make it enjoyable (and a priority) and whether it is worth it for the day. Winter days are likely to be mid-30s to low 40’s

    Reply
  16. arto says

    October 8, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Many riders in Northern Canada are out all Winter, even as families. Temperatures of -40 are doable but dressing properly is important….and I don’t mean putting on as many layers as possible since Winter riding generates intense body heat. Mechanical resistance increases as grease tends to gain viscosity with every decreasing degree of temperature. Personally, I use googles and a no-fog mask to protect my face and seal off any areas for the cold to penetrate. My eyes are always warm (and safe) when Winter riding.

    Reply

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