Bicycle Commuting Mama: Low-Temperature Cycling

I checked the temperature on weather.com before leaving work today, and it said 27 degrees…plus “feels like 14″. Brrrr! I suppose that’s normal in some parts of the country, but in Portland, Oregon these are probably some of the coldest days of the year. And yes, I’m still cycling, kids and all.

What do we wear?

Me: Tights, slacks, wool socks, turtleneck, wool sweater, fleece jacket, knitted muffler, wool hat with ear flaps, knitted gloves (I feel like a character from a Richard Scarry book now).  I have a wool coat for recess duty and other non-cycling times, but it was so cold today (the high was 31) that we had indoor recess.

Kids: Two layers of clothing, top and bottom. Wool socks or tights if possible. Puffy winter coats. Knit hats under helmets, but I think they just wear their hoods when not cycling. Gloves or mittens. Scarves if they want them (puffy coats generally cover the neck).

Does it work?  Mostly. I’m glad we don’t have to go too far. Coming back tonight, my fingers were getting pretty numb. I’m planning to use an extra pair of gloves tomorrow.  After I picked the kids up at school (half a mile from home), my face got so cold it ached, and the kids were complaining about their ears falling off. I’m not inclined to start wearing a face mask, though. Things will warm up again later this week, and I can keep the lower half of my face warm under my scarf.

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Photo by Jeff Williams