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Cycling in Waterloo Region - Printable Version

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RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Canard - 04-17-2018

I’m like you. I’d been biking all winter, but this past week I didn’t do any. It’s killing me! Wednesday night open up a bit...

I don’t care if it’s -17°C, I’ll be out there, but only if the sun is shining. Smile

My commute to work is long (25-30 km) and I rely on a lot of MUT’s to be clear. I can’t bike to work if I can’t be guaranteed that I’ll be able to make it. I already did it once a few weekends ago for some Saturday OT, but the ride home was messed up because the Blair Trail was closed in some spots.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday are all that is keeping me going... it’s going to be so good!!


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - jamincan - 04-17-2018

I'm in the same boat as you guys; I've been riding outside regularly since the beginning of February, and this weekend was the first time the weather has really properly chased me off the bike. Last Thursday night was actually a gorgeous evening for riding, and I'm hopeful for tonight as well.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - chutten - 04-17-2018

I have a lot of residential streets in my commute, and they... Well, they're not in a fit state for cycling or driving.

So I guess I'll live vicariously through you folks until conditions improve.

This, too, shall melt, eh?


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - clasher - 04-17-2018

I've been getting out whenever it's decent but this spring has really made me want to buy proper winter cycling boots. I'm excited the long-term forecast seem to be very favourable for the P2A. If the forecast holds for this week I'm gonna put up some serious km back to back.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - jamincan - 04-17-2018

What do you currently use for footwear? I'm personally okay with heavy wool socks, my normal shoes, and lightly insulated shoe covers down to -5 or so. Specifically these shoe covers: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5041-652/Asphalt-H2O-Shoe-Cover?colour=BK000


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 04-17-2018

(04-17-2018, 10:36 AM)jamincan Wrote: What do you currently use for footwear? I'm personally okay with heavy wool socks, my normal shoes, and lightly insulated shoe covers down to -5 or so. Specifically these shoe covers: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5041-652/Asphalt-H2O-Shoe-Cover?colour=BK000

I ride flats and just wear boots or shoes depending on the temperature, but I've been looking for something that can help with water proofing, in the rain I usually end up with wet feet.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - plam - 04-17-2018

(04-17-2018, 10:45 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(04-17-2018, 10:36 AM)jamincan Wrote: What do you currently use for footwear? I'm personally okay with heavy wool socks, my normal shoes, and lightly insulated shoe covers down to -5 or so. Specifically these shoe covers: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5041-652/Asphalt-H2O-Shoe-Cover?colour=BK000

I ride flats and just wear boots or shoes depending on the temperature, but I've been looking for something that can help with water proofing, in the rain I usually end up with wet feet.

Might be better to just change socks. But then you have wet socks with you.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - jamincan - 04-17-2018

Have you tried plastic bags over your socks in the shoes? Has a few down-sides, but depending on your type of riding, it might be a reasonable solution. Waterproof boots/shoes aren't going to breath as well and will be hotter. Shoe covers on shoes that do breath often don't really stop the shoe from getting wet as they necessarily have openings on the bottom of the cover.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - clasher - 04-17-2018

(04-17-2018, 10:36 AM)jamincan Wrote: What do you currently use for footwear? I'm personally okay with heavy wool socks, my normal shoes, and lightly insulated shoe covers down to -5 or so. Specifically these shoe covers: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5041-652/Asphalt-H2O-Shoe-Cover?colour=BK000

I've got regular/summer mtb shoes, one or two pairs of socks, bontrager waterproof socks and then some neoprene overshoes... this setup will keep me comfortable for an hour if it's -5 and around 2 hours if it's closer to zero. This approach doesn't work well in heavy rain (but then what does) since the water gets in then it can't get out.

I just get really cold feet easily, I have to wear seriously insulated boots in the winter at work otherwise my feet just perish. The best boots I ever wore cycling were my snowboarding boots but they make it hard to pedal properly. I've been meaning to go over to Ziggy's and see what their winter boot selection is like. I might just consider more mountain biking in the winter since the wind isn't as bad in the bush, usually.

I've ridden some really serious rain and nothing seems to work all that well, the only thing I think I might try in the future is stocking foot hip waders but I am not all that eager to buy some, though these ones are really cheap. I'd put them on over my cycling clothes and into the shoes... that way water would have to soak through instead of running down the socks... if I buy something else from amazon maybe I'll toss these in the cart and see how it goes but I don't really have high hopes. Realistically I'd only use them in cold rain since I've found the rain in the summer isn't nearly so bad if it's warm out.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - chutten - 04-17-2018

I feel like I'm sitting firmly in the "person who bikes" category by biking in exactly the sandals, boots, or shoes I walked my kid to school in. If it keeps me cool/warm on the 20min walk to school, it can keep me cool/warm on the 15min bike to work afterwards.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - robdrimmie - 04-17-2018

(04-17-2018, 03:31 PM)chutten Wrote: I feel like I'm sitting firmly in the "person who bikes" category by biking in exactly the sandals, boots, or shoes I walked my kid to school in. If it keeps me cool/warm on the 20min walk to school, it can keep me cool/warm on the 15min bike to work afterwards.

I feel like I'm sitting firmly in the "person who bikes" category, despite my shoes and clipless pedals, because I don't bike unless it's 5 degrees or warmer. So we are all wannabes in our own way. If you ride a bike at all you're a cyclist.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - timc - 04-25-2018

Just to note, I was uptown today, and the bike-lane-to-be was still full of parked cars and there were no notices on any windshields.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Canard - 04-25-2018

Status quo.

When does construction start?


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 04-25-2018

Construction was supposed to start middle of April, while I'm not surprised at the delays given the weather...well, who knows anymore...


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Canard - 04-25-2018

The city ignores me on Twitter now (guess they got sick of me berating them about the lack of enforcement), so someone else will have to ask...