tower@inmet.UUCP (01/14/85)
What do you other winter time bikers do about face protection?
I currently put on ear muffs, a deer hunter mask, and welder's goggles
under my trusty Bell helmet. I choose welder's goggles because they fit
over my eye glasses and the vents don't allow my breath inside where it
would condense and impede visibility (note that any condensation on the
outside quickly evaporates into the very dry breeze that seems to be
whipping by me ;-} ).
This keeps my head and face warm enough, but has these disadvantages:
- The ear muffs decrease my hearing significantly.
- It takes a lot of time to put on, getting all the conflicting
straps in their proper place (with the added complication
of my eye glases).
Ideally, I am looking for a one piece helmet that would surround my head
have holes near the ears for the sound to enter, and a positive seal
between my eyes and nostrils to prevent interior condensation. I've
tried a borrowed motorcycle helmet, but it fails on both the hearing and
condensation specs.
Awaiting to hear what the rest of you do.
-len tower UUCP: {ihnp4,harpo}!inmet!tower
Intermetrics, Inc. INTERNET: ima!inmet!tower@CCA-UNIX.ARPA
733 Concord Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 661-1840
U.S.A.manheimer@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ken Manheimer) (01/17/85)
Before I comment on what I do to keep my head parts warm on a cold bike ride,
I should mention I live in Maryland, which gets only moderately cold at worst,
relatively speaking. Nonetheless,
I've been very surprised by the effectiveness of a goretex-hood (together with
a goretex running jacket) over a polypropelyne balaclava. First of all, the
combination fits nicely under the bell helmet and is certainly sufficient for
this climate at its coldest. Sound is dulled but not too much and the
balaclava, which covers my mouth, breathes enough to keep water vapor from
being forced up into my glasses. In general I think the most important thing
in cold weather riding is a good windbreaker, and then layers of air-trapping
material between you and the wind shell.
Ken Manheimer {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!nbs-amrf!manheimer
(Existence is influence. Probably.)mink@cfa.UUCP (Doug Mink) (01/17/85)
> What do you other winter time bikers do about face protection?
I've found that a jacket with an insulated hood which keeps my trunk
and most of my head warm will force waste heat generated while bicycling
hard through my face, keeping it warm, or at least not frostbitten,
down to at least 20F. For temperatures of 10F or below, I add ski
goggles and a paper fiber painter's mask of the kind bought in packs
of five at any hardware store. These masks fit tight across your nose,
preventing the warm air that they trap around your mouth from steaming
up glasses. How about some fool-proof ways to keep HANDS warm on a bike?
I've found that hiking boots with two pairs of socks will keep my feet
warm well below 0F, at least for a 3-mile commute.
Doug Mink, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
60 Garden St. Mail Stop 20
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
UUCP: {harvard|genrad|allegra|ihnp4}!wjh12!cfa!mink
Phone: (617) 495-7408