Hello New York riders. I will be moving over to New York from my native Australia in late September. I am a keen cyclist and have been thinking about bringing my road bike over to NY with me.
I checked out your club on the web and thought I'd post a message because I would be keen to join. The only thing that would deter me about bringing my bike would be the cold conditions - considering I'm coming in mid-Fall and will be here over the first two months of Winter - so I thought I'd get some background. Does the club still have regular rides during these months? What's the riding like from October to January? What sort of cold weather gear would I need to purchase? It's a lot warmer where I'm from (mind you, a downpour prevented me from going on a 6am ride this morning) so I've only got the usual summer gear of knicks and jersey etc.
I was really excited to read of your club. It sounds great. I'm keen to train hard and improve my fitness. Also, the social side of things would be great for me, considering that I will be a newcomer to the city.
I'm keen to get some background as I've never been to the US and don't know what to expect with riding in such cold conditions.
Peta
Potential NYCC member from Australia seeks info
Well first things first.
BRING THE BIKE.
NY offers 4 seasons of biking. I assume you mean road biking. September and October have beautiful days as the leaves change in late fall. November becomes cooler early in the month with temp during the day of 50F and lower as the month continues. Last season was fine and cold or cool riding until January. Then we had snow and temps below freezing.
There is no long and constant snow falls in the city. However, a few inches or more and freezing temps make for poor conditions for several days.
Bring any riding clothes you own and pick-up here what you need to suppliment, Tights, booties, gloves and any cold weather gear. Gore-tex type gear is always welcome.
I am sure you will be bombarded with more posts.
What is your riding speed or style?
Remeber we use Miles per hour vs KPH.
Rob
As a fellow Aussie, I found the winters very, very difficult. They are bearable, just, if you have the right kit.
If you get home sick head down to 8 mile creek on Mulberry (btn Prince and Spring) for some Coopers and Footy/Cricket.
The riding should be great for you.
October usually presents perfect weather. November is nice as well although it gets a little chilly but no problems. December begins to get cold but usually it is over 40 degrees F (about 5 celsius) and often the high temps go over 10C. January could be a problem, but even then we often have temps in the 5-10 C range. During some cold winters, the temps in January hardly rise above Zero C, and sometimes we have snow too but that is usually cleared quickly from the roadways.
I would be most concerned about your feet and hands. These areas get cold and stay cold. You could use good ski-type socks as well as booties, and even ski gloves depending on your sensitivity to cold. Dressing is tricky because when you leave your place you will be really cold but after a few minutes, you really heat up so you don't want to much clothing around your body (except feet and hands, of course). Light base layer clothing that skiers use works for me.
Best of luck in your travels,
Chris
G'day mate,
I have cycled in all the Austr states and terrs except Vict (have visited Vic, but didn't cycle there) I would like to meet you.
Our club does have rides listed all year round & on a sunny, windless 40 degree F day, cycling can be very enjoyable.
The bike shops here have all types of warm weather gear and as a NYCC member you can get discounts. I dont think the stuff would be any cheaper down there. I think flexibility and layers are a good idea. The early morning can be cold to very cold but it can warm up quite a bit on a sunny day. I especially recommend arm & leg warmers for late Sept/Oct. Also disposable hand (& foot) warmers (available in ski shops) are excellent for the winter
Hi Peta,
Winter riding can take a bit getting used to. It's much harder on the body: riding 40 miles in 35 degrees will feel much more taxing than the same 40 miles in 70 degrees. Also, accumulating all the necessary cold-weather bike clothing takes time and money. Make sure to invest in good-quality gloves (lobster gloves are great), booties, and a head covering, like a wool cap that will fit under your helmet.
Also a fender will help keep slush and road salt off your butt, going a long way toward making a winter ride pleasant.
And on those days when it's too cold to ride, you can go cross-country skiing. Everybody has their own temperature cutoff. You'll have to figure yours out, through trial and error.
Hope to see you on the road this fall!
