Hi, ho, the Wind and the Cold

Winter brings with it the cold and wet conditions that active people around here don't have to worry about much the rest of the year except when in the mountains.

Lightning is a big reason not to exercise out of doors, as rubber soled shoes or riding a bicycle, motorcycle or ATV on rubber tires offers no protection against it.  It's pure folklore that the rubber keeps you from being grounded and thus protects you from lightning.  The reason that a car affords protection is the metal frame of the vehicle, which acts as what scientist call a Faraday cage against lightning.

"According to Gauss' Law, the electric field inside a hollow conducting shell [of any shape] is zero. So in principle you could even sit safely inside a van de Graff generator charged to a million volts without fear of electrocution or even a shock," according to scientist Vince Calder of Argonne National Laboratories.

Calder didn't advocate testing that particular thesis, however.  Lightning doesn't always read the textbook.

Because they offer no Faraday cage, bikes, running, hiking, golf, tennis, motorcycles or ATVs offer no shell protection against lightning. 

If there is no lightning attached to inclement weather, or it's just cold outside, there are not very good reasons to avoid the outdoors and exercise.

"The main thing you want is a pair of gloves with fingers," said Rick Tanner, owner of Banning and Beaumont's only local bike shop, or LBS:  .  Tanner carries some excellent Specialized gloves for this purpose in his store, but any pair that won't retain a lot of water should work fine.

That eliminates cotton, which soaks up water and conducts heat all too readily as a result.  The mountaineers say, "Cotton kills," which is to say that the fabric offers no insulation whatsoever when it gets wet;  it's almost as useless as wet down.  The only natural fibers that bear up in cold, damp weather are silk and wool.  Silk is quite warm, and outdoor companies make underwear from it that will help keep you warm.  The same goes for wool, especially the expensive Merino variety that has all the insulating power of wool, but isn't itchy.  That said, synthetic fabric garments manufactured for outdoor use are cheaper and work very well.

The head is at the top of the chimney of your body, so a lot of heat escapes there.  As a result, a warm cap or balaclava (a bag over your head and neck with a hole cut for the face) keeps you a lot warmer.  Tanner sells a cap for cyclists, but I've found that all I need in cold weather is an ear warmer band around my head and ears. 

I often commuted by bike to work in Chicago, notoriously cold and damp in winter, and my getup included fingered gloves, synthetic sweatpants over my cycling shorts, a long-sleeved jersey, fiber vest and a Gore-tex jacket with a hood.  In rain or wicked cold, I'd put the hood over my head before putting on my bike helmet.  I think my coldest commute was about 12 degrees with a wind chill of -15;  once I got pedaling, I was quite comfortable.

Add good sunglasses to that list, too, for protection against debris and the wind.  It's amazing how cold your eyeballs can get without glasses.  If it's gloomy outside, use clear lenses (safety glasses will work fine).

In what passes for cool conditions in Banning and Beaumont, a sweatsuit and gloves should be all you need in dry weather, with a rainsuit in wet.  I don't use rain pants when I run and often don't wear sweatpants;  I just let my legs get wet.  For cycling, pants are more important, especially if your bike doesn't have fenders.  Riding in the rain will stripe you—the rotation of the rear wheel kicks a line of water right up your spine.  It's not too bothersome if you're out for an exercise spin, but all-day cyclists like bicycle tourists can get serious hypothermia from constant striping, which is why touring bikes often have fenders. 

Rain gear won't keep you dry, trust me.  If it's really waterproof, you'll perspire and get damp.  If it doesn't fit perfectly, some rainwater will get inside of it.  But rain gear will keep you dry enough and help quite a bit to retain body heat.

Your body has to work a lot harder in cool weather.  If the weather is below 45 degrees, which it will get to this week, you'll burn about 20 percent more calories doing the same amount of exercise.  The extra burn is to keep you warm.

Tanner doesn't carry a huge inventory of winter gear in his shop, but he is willing and able to order gear.

"It rarely takes us more than a couple days to get what people need," he said, "and our prices are competitive."

Not to mention that it's a great idea to support your LBS.