It has been too long.

I told myself that I was going to keep this blog up, but it seems I have failed... until now!

Indeed - this blog, which has mostly been about biking, will not stop just because the weather has turned shitty. Chicago is often a spiteful hag, except in the summer when she blossoms and emerges as a nubile young nymph. Wait.. what?

As I prepare myself for the onset of the long and bitter dark of winter, I have been going through my closet and digging out the gear necessary to bike in temperatures lower than -20C. Last year I made a concerted effort to keep biking consistently, if not often. I managed to get in about 20 or 40 miles a week even in the dead of February. Here are my secrets:

The most difficult thing to keep warm in the winter is your feet. If you use cleated cycling shoes (which every "real" cyclist does) you will find yourself freezing your feet off as soon as it gets around 5C. Until about 0 or -5C, you can get by with doubling up on socks. Wool, of course, is the best for the winter as it both insulates and wicks water away from your feet. Once the deep freeze sets in, you will struggle to keep your feet from going numb and freezing with just socks.

The key is to use neoprene booties. These are like big oversocks that go over your shoes and have a hole in them for your cleats (but it looks like the new ones get bolted on to your shoes). I used these last winter and my feet were toasty all the way down to -20C.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G7SNSM

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After the feet, you need to keep your hands warm.
I have had good experience with Pearl Izumi Cyclone gloves. They are a bit chilly when it gets really cold. At that time i switch to regular ski gloves.
$25
http://bicyclewarehouse.com/product/pearl-izumi-cyclone-gloves-34152-1.htm?site=google_base


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The last absolutely crucial piece of winter gear is the balaclava (ski-mask) I have a balaclava from Sugoi that is very light and breathable but stays warm enough down to -20C. Bonus - you can roll up the face part when it gets warmer and just use it as a hat.

$30
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSU_92917U.html

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I find winter spandex to be extremely useful although I know a lot of cyclists who just wear really warm pants. Again, these are from Sugoi. They are on the pricey side but I use them constantly. They keep my legs warm down to about 0C, and below that I can wear them under a pair of jeans and be perfectly warm in temperatures that make civilized folk shudder. Bonus - they make you look really awesome.

$45 on sale at rei!
http://www.rei.com/product/793745?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-793745&mr:trackingCode=55F83F9A-A4B2-DE11-93DB-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA