Learned in June

Thanks to everyone who shared their learnings from riding in June this year…

Queens birthday long weekend was very cold but I have now equipped with sub zero weather gear. The trickiest for me would be a ride which starts at 4 or less degree and somehow get to 14–15+ mid day when it finishes. I ended up with kgs of gillet and over socks in my rear pocket.

Stephen Chan

Always feather your brakes when wet

Elizabeth Wieland

On the bike I run a built in redundancy approach to my lights with two Radbot 1000 mounted on the seat stays (these are on in two different flash modes) plus I also carry a Planet Bike SuperFlash hanging off my saddle bag as a back-up. I can see the Radbots via quick glance back so can regularly check their status. Up front I run a DiNottee 400 L plus carry a spare Fenix L2D with fresh batteries in my saddle bag.

On me, it really depends on the weather. In the wet I wear a cycling cap under my helmet which is very effective at keeping the rain off my glasses, a Showers Pass Elite 2 jacket, Seal Skinz waterproof gloves (jury is out on these), Showers Pass Storm Pants and BBB Waterflex shoe covers and oh Seal Skinz water proof socks. I don’t arrive dry but at worse a little damp. Still beats being wet and cold or worse.

Oh my commute is up to two hours each way and for example today was 1.5 hours into a 54 km/h headwind and it rained all the way (this is in Perth BTW ).

Aushiker

Ignore 4cast. Ride! If light rain/wet roads, fenders keep u dry. If heavy rain, nothing keep U dry, but U won’t melt

Cory Boardman

I use a ladies elastic head band – the type that holds hair back out of the face. I use it around my neck for a scarf effect without the bulk of a scarf. It is light weight and keeps the wind out and if you get a bit hot it’s easy to take off and fits easily into the back pocket of your jersey.

Chris Fenech

Tip for riding on winter mornings — layers. It was -5.5 when I left home this morning but I kept snug and warm dressed appropriately and in layers. I might look like the Michelin man at the start, but I am comfortable the whole ride. I just have to carry all the extra layers when I go home this afternoon when (hopefully) the weather is warmer! I also wore one pair of extra warm gloves this morning. I’ll wear the normal pair for the return trip this afternoon.

Elizabeth

Ride with friends. It gets you out there even if the weather is dodgy; it’s way more fun and you catch up on allll the news.

Helen Barry

I’ve really enjoyed riding so far this winter.
I have a short ride to & from work each day, which I do at a leisurely upright pace in office attire. I have a pair of sheepskin gloves to stop my fingers from freezing off & a carefully wrapped scarf – over the head, criss-crossed under my chin & over my shoulders & back again underneath. My wind-proof (the key bit for cycling in winter) jacket which keeps me toasty.
After work I head off on a flat-out road ride with long fingered fitted gloves under my normal bike gloves, & long woolly footy socks over leggings which are over long bike shorts, keep the fingers, toes & calf muscles warm. I also have a headlight & a flashing front light & two flashing rear lights – they make me feel a bit like a christmas tree on wheels (I sometimes have the urge to sing along as I ride…) but they seem to have made me safer from the b-double trucks who now give me a slightly wider berth as they hoon past. It’s the first year I’ve used the flashing front light – love it!

Ginny

The prize for most valuable contributor has to go to Cory Boardman for his regular, enthusiastic Twitter and Facebook comments. To him goes a Finish Line Chain Cleaner and a copy of the Little Bike Bible. The other contributors listed here will also receive a copy of the Little Bike Bible. Happy riding everybody – keep it up in July.

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