It's Not A Mask Mandate, But.....

Cold weather calls for breaking out the serious pogies!

I have a 'rule' of sorts when it comes to cold weather riding. Well......I have a couple of rules, really. One: "I don't have to do anything to prove anything to anybody." So, I don't have to go ride in stupid cold weather so I can post it on social media and have everyone "oooh!" and "aaaah!" over my so called 'accomplishment' . I don't have to show anyone my disgusting 'ice-beard' to show how tough, or whatever, I am. If that offends any of you, sorry......not sorry. In the end, you do you. This is what I think about that stuff in relation to cold weather cycling and myself. 

Rule #2: In light of Rule #1, I don't ride when it gets much below 0°F and especially if there is a windchill. Why should I? It hurts. It takes forever to get dressed/undressed for it. I can get ready for a brisk walk in less time and get my exercise in less time than a bike ride would take. That is- if I even want to get outside. Sometimes even just being out of doors in Winter is a risky business around here. 

Thursday last week it was -3°F and the winds were pretty strong out of the Northwest resulting in a wind chill temperature of -30°F. Definitely not a day to get out and ride, right? Well, rules are made to be broken and I had some experimenting to do! This pandemic thing and its various accoutrements have given rise to an idea for cold weather riding which I wanted to explore. 

The ubiquitous surgical masks, which are a symbol of these times, maybe could be put to use as a face mask for cold weather riding. I had always had issues with any sort of mask for cold weather riding. I've tried several things, even one of those Cold Avenger masks. Nothing really worked all that great for me. I almost always ended up pulling off whatever mask I had on because they drive me nuts. Fogging, wetness, freezing up, slipping, and more things were just too much trouble and when I got to breathing hard, and I wanted the mask thing-a-ma-jig of the day off? I often could not do that quickly while riding, and of course, getting it back on was out of the question without stopping.
 

There's a surgical mask under that Buff.

Well, I thought maybe a surgical mask, which just loops over your ears, might work. They have a bit of structure around the top of the nose to seal off that area, which is critical to keep steam off your eyes, and they are easily moved on and off. I decided to throw on a Buff as a second layer and for more coverage. Then off I went into the sub-zero gales. 

Did it work? Well, let's just say it did well enough that I think with a little tweaking it will be almost perfection for me. Here's the only downfall in my opinion: The mask section which covers your mouth can suck in and out with your breathing. I found a way around that, but it isn't ideal. What I need to do is to build up a little bit of structure there that can support the mask bit someway. How I haven't figured out just yet. 

But as far as keeping the breath- the steamy exhaling- off my eyes? Perfect! Plus I could take the mask down easily and replace it easily with one gloved hand while riding. This is important for eating and drinking, not just for the heaviest breathing sections, but obviously, it works there as well. And if it worked well in those conditions, well, there is some promise there for my uses and needs.

Anyway, that's it! I thought I'd just share what I was doing to let you all know that these surgical masks don't have to be tossed out if you wear them a few times. I got this one and used it, washed it, it even went through the drier, and it came out well. Of course, I am not going to use it for, you know.....a mask mandate area, but for cold weather riding? Heck yeah!

It's Not A Mask Mandate, But.....

Cold weather calls for breaking out the serious pogies!

I have a 'rule' of sorts when it comes to cold weather riding. Well......I have a couple of rules, really. One: "I don't have to do anything to prove anything to anybody." So, I don't have to go ride in stupid cold weather so I can post it on social media and have everyone "oooh!" and "aaaah!" over my so called 'accomplishment' . I don't have to show anyone my disgusting 'ice-beard' to show how tough, or whatever, I am. If that offends any of you, sorry......not sorry. In the end, you do you. This is what I think about that stuff in relation to cold weather cycling and myself. 

Rule #2: In light of Rule #1, I don't ride when it gets much below 0°F and especially if there is a windchill. Why should I? It hurts. It takes forever to get dressed/undressed for it. I can get ready for a brisk walk in less time and get my exercise in less time than a bike ride would take. That is- if I even want to get outside. Sometimes even just being out of doors in Winter is a risky business around here. 

Thursday last week it was -3°F and the winds were pretty strong out of the Northwest resulting in a wind chill temperature of -30°F. Definitely not a day to get out and ride, right? Well, rules are made to be broken and I had some experimenting to do! This pandemic thing and its various accoutrements have given rise to an idea for cold weather riding which I wanted to explore. 

The ubiquitous surgical masks, which are a symbol of these times, maybe could be put to use as a face mask for cold weather riding. I had always had issues with any sort of mask for cold weather riding. I've tried several things, even one of those Cold Avenger masks. Nothing really worked all that great for me. I almost always ended up pulling off whatever mask I had on because they drive me nuts. Fogging, wetness, freezing up, slipping, and more things were just too much trouble and when I got to breathing hard, and I wanted the mask thing-a-ma-jig of the day off? I often could not do that quickly while riding, and of course, getting it back on was out of the question without stopping.
 

There's a surgical mask under that Buff.

Well, I thought maybe a surgical mask, which just loops over your ears, might work. They have a bit of structure around the top of the nose to seal off that area, which is critical to keep steam off your eyes, and they are easily moved on and off. I decided to throw on a Buff as a second layer and for more coverage. Then off I went into the sub-zero gales. 

Did it work? Well, let's just say it did well enough that I think with a little tweaking it will be almost perfection for me. Here's the only downfall in my opinion: The mask section which covers your mouth can suck in and out with your breathing. I found a way around that, but it isn't ideal. What I need to do is to build up a little bit of structure there that can support the mask bit someway. How I haven't figured out just yet. 

But as far as keeping the breath- the steamy exhaling- off my eyes? Perfect! Plus I could take the mask down easily and replace it easily with one gloved hand while riding. This is important for eating and drinking, not just for the heaviest breathing sections, but obviously, it works there as well. And if it worked well in those conditions, well, there is some promise there for my uses and needs.

Anyway, that's it! I thought I'd just share what I was doing to let you all know that these surgical masks don't have to be tossed out if you wear them a few times. I got this one and used it, washed it, it even went through the drier, and it came out well. Of course, I am not going to use it for, you know.....a mask mandate area, but for cold weather riding? Heck yeah!

Cold Weather Head Gear Strategy

The Blackborow DS post ride.

Everytime we get some "Real Winter" to enjoy I am thinking a lot about how to deal with the cold weather. I have a lot of my cold weather strategies figured out now after having the opportunity to be on a fat bike every year since 2011. Even the few years before that I was regularly out riding 29"ers in the Winter trying different things to stay warm.

One thing that has often been a struggle for me is how to keep my face warm when it gets around 0° or below with any wind at all. Exposed skin is vulnerable to frostbite pretty quickly in these temperatures and the first instinct is to cover everything up. That may work for some folks, but for me, it was never an option. Everyone has their own issues, preferences, and style when it comes to cold weather head gear, but I thought it may be helpful for some of you dealing with these things to read about a solution I have found works great for me. But first, here's what I don't like.....

I don't like balaclavas because I feel uncomfortable in them and they shift on my face enough that I spend way too much time futzing with the position to get it "just so" that I get frustrated. I have tried using the Cold Avenger thing which I found wasn't dealing with my air intake efficiently and it just felt awful to me. It didn't fit right and no amount of positioning could help with that for myself, anyway.

Then I tried Buff type fabric tubes. This has been a lot better deal for me, but I still had issues with how the fabric, in my case the synthetic type meant for cool weather uses, compressed my nose down if I tried using it as a face mask/balaclava-like deal. I almost always pulled it down to just cover my mouth, if that, and well.......then your nose is sticking out there. Not ideal in sub-zero weather.

Cruising some internet information on fat bikes I started to notice guys wearing strips of fabric across their noses which were like bandanas. Separate from whatever they had on their face/jaw area. Jay Petervary then posted about what he was doing. He used a cut down Buff and then put it around his head to just cover the nose with another fabric tube used lower down over his jaw/mouth area. Of course, he had head gear on up top, but that isn't hard to figure out. I decided to give that idea a try this Winter.

Not much  for looks! But it was the best set up I've tried.

I happen to have about five fabric Buff-like tubes, all stretchy, thin ones meant for warmer weather use, but for my uses, work perfect in Winter. Anything that keeps the wind off is all I need, typically. That said, Buffs come in heavier fabrics like wool if you want to go with a more insulating layer.

My head gear layers went something like the following:

• Polarfleece beanie
• Twin Six Wool hoodie
• Buff fabric tube over the top (The camo piece you can see in the image here.)
• Red cotton bandana rolled up to just cover my nose with a corner draped down over my mouth.
• Spy Optic amber lensed "shield"type eyewear.
• "Old Man Winter" Bontrager coat

That was it. The temperatures I was riding in were at 5°F or slightly below with a bit of wind, so the windchill was well below zero. Now typically I would be only able to put up with cold on my face like that by either using a system I was unhappy with and had to fuss over constantly, or this new set up which was a joy to use. The difference maker was the bit over the nose and how I had it set up.

With the bandana corner hanging down over my mouth, I had a couple things going on that were pluses. One was that my breath was directed away from my glasses which kept them fog-free throughout the ride. Secondly, if I needed to drink, spit, or just wanted to have my mouth free I simply flipped that corner of fabric up and I could easily have access to my mouth or be able to spit, etc. Note- The bandana froze at the corner which made this even easier to do.

Now, I am not saying this is "the way to go" for everyone. I am suggesting that what JayPee and others are doing is a smart solution and by using different fabrics and arrangements you probably could achieve similar results. As for myself, I am good with my simple, easy to use, and readily at hand solution for these brutal temperatures and conditions. I rode 2.5hrs with this set up and went home only because I wanted to. I could have ridden a lot longer in total comfort.

By the looks of things, I may not have to bust this system out again this Winter, but if the really cold stuff comes back, I will be ready.

Cold Weather Head Gear Strategy

The Blackborow DS post ride.

Everytime we get some "Real Winter" to enjoy I am thinking a lot about how to deal with the cold weather. I have a lot of my cold weather strategies figured out now after having the opportunity to be on a fat bike every year since 2011. Even the few years before that I was regularly out riding 29"ers in the Winter trying different things to stay warm.

One thing that has often been a struggle for me is how to keep my face warm when it gets around 0° or below with any wind at all. Exposed skin is vulnerable to frostbite pretty quickly in these temperatures and the first instinct is to cover everything up. That may work for some folks, but for me, it was never an option. Everyone has their own issues, preferences, and style when it comes to cold weather head gear, but I thought it may be helpful for some of you dealing with these things to read about a solution I have found works great for me. But first, here's what I don't like.....

I don't like balaclavas because I feel uncomfortable in them and they shift on my face enough that I spend way too much time futzing with the position to get it "just so" that I get frustrated. I have tried using the Cold Avenger thing which I found wasn't dealing with my air intake efficiently and it just felt awful to me. It didn't fit right and no amount of positioning could help with that for myself, anyway.

Then I tried Buff type fabric tubes. This has been a lot better deal for me, but I still had issues with how the fabric, in my case the synthetic type meant for cool weather uses, compressed my nose down if I tried using it as a face mask/balaclava-like deal. I almost always pulled it down to just cover my mouth, if that, and well.......then your nose is sticking out there. Not ideal in sub-zero weather.

Cruising some internet information on fat bikes I started to notice guys wearing strips of fabric across their noses which were like bandanas. Separate from whatever they had on their face/jaw area. Jay Petervary then posted about what he was doing. He used a cut down Buff and then put it around his head to just cover the nose with another fabric tube used lower down over his jaw/mouth area. Of course, he had head gear on up top, but that isn't hard to figure out. I decided to give that idea a try this Winter.

Not much  for looks! But it was the best set up I've tried.

I happen to have about five fabric Buff-like tubes, all stretchy, thin ones meant for warmer weather use, but for my uses, work perfect in Winter. Anything that keeps the wind off is all I need, typically. That said, Buffs come in heavier fabrics like wool if you want to go with a more insulating layer.

My head gear layers went something like the following:

• Polarfleece beanie
• Twin Six Wool hoodie
• Buff fabric tube over the top (The camo piece you can see in the image here.)
• Red cotton bandana rolled up to just cover my nose with a corner draped down over my mouth.
• Spy Optic amber lensed "shield"type eyewear.
• "Old Man Winter" Bontrager coat

That was it. The temperatures I was riding in were at 5°F or slightly below with a bit of wind, so the windchill was well below zero. Now typically I would be only able to put up with cold on my face like that by either using a system I was unhappy with and had to fuss over constantly, or this new set up which was a joy to use. The difference maker was the bit over the nose and how I had it set up.

With the bandana corner hanging down over my mouth, I had a couple things going on that were pluses. One was that my breath was directed away from my glasses which kept them fog-free throughout the ride. Secondly, if I needed to drink, spit, or just wanted to have my mouth free I simply flipped that corner of fabric up and I could easily have access to my mouth or be able to spit, etc. Note- The bandana froze at the corner which made this even easier to do.

Now, I am not saying this is "the way to go" for everyone. I am suggesting that what JayPee and others are doing is a smart solution and by using different fabrics and arrangements you probably could achieve similar results. As for myself, I am good with my simple, easy to use, and readily at hand solution for these brutal temperatures and conditions. I rode 2.5hrs with this set up and went home only because I wanted to. I could have ridden a lot longer in total comfort.

By the looks of things, I may not have to bust this system out again this Winter, but if the really cold stuff comes back, I will be ready.

Cold Commuting With The Cold Avenger

Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava

With Triple D coming up, I figured I'd best be prepared for any eventuality in terms of weather. In many ways, I've been "lucky" the last two years in that it hasn't been "stupid cold" or really windy. I almost wished I had pogies last year, but it warmed up enough during the mid-day that I made it through without them. But you just never know in mid-January what weather you'll get.

I was hearing about this special balaclava and I have looked into it before, but took the chance that I wouldn't need it and passed on it. However; this year I took the plunge and ordered the Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava.

I've had this sitting on the shelf for about ten days now, but I couldn't use it since the air temperatures were so balmy of late. However; as many of you may have noticed, the Mercury has headed South and in its wake we are experiencing truly bitter cold air temperatures. In tandem with the wind out of the Northwest yesterday, it felt like -22°F. Perfect! I got the Cold Avenger balaclava out and "suited up" to do battle with the frigid air and 6 inches of fresh snow on By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk. A simple, (normally it would be simple), commute turns into quite the adventure at these temperatures and with these conditions.

Like something from your worst nightmare!

The fit of the Cold Avenger is worth commenting on, because it is unusual, and by past reviews on this item, I do not seem to be alone in my views of it. The Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava is a two piece design. There is a "traditional" balaclava hood made from some fleece that is claimed to be four times more wind resistant than "traditional fleece" product and that due to it being "tightly woven". On either side of the "hood" there are copious amounts of hook material. This mates with the loop material on the second, "mask" portion of the Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava. The "mask" portion is held onto the "hood" portion by the means of this hook and loop set up, and allows you to remove the mask when you need to eat, drink, or clear your nose without removing the hood part, or any other head gear you may be wearing as well. The "mask" part is the heart of the system which allows for the breathing of the wearer to be more comfortable and "normal".

The thing is, the dang hood part is cut silly. The "cap" part on top of your head is not "deep" enough, so the opening's top runs way up high on your forehead and the lower part runs right under yer eyeballs. Seems like if one could magically "shift" the opening downward a bit on the hood it would be a better fit for a lot of people. This isn't unfixable, but at $80.00 retail, this is a bit of a disappointing discovery with this product. I am able to work around it as it is, but it is a tad frustrating.

Now the "mask" part? That is brilliant. I really was pleased with this part of the product. The mask has an internal wire across the bridge of the nose which is formable so you can customize the fit and feel of the Expedition Balaclava. But besides that neat little feature, your breathing in the mask is really free and it works as advertised. If you've ever worked yourself hard in sub-zero temperatures, you know what I mean when I talk about "lung burn"- that awful feeling you get when you are sucking down really cold air into your breathing passages. The mask eliminates this altogether and you can suck air as hard as you need to without restriction. Sweet!

Don't let that Sun fool ya- It was super cold!

So, I set myself up with this balaclava on first, then my thick, Polar fleece hat, and tried my Oakley Jawbones with this set up and along with the rest of my gear, headed out into the -22°F windchill, straight into the wind, for my 5 mile ride to work. I didn't get very far before I realized two important things: One- you really need to concentrate on breathing with your mouth with this system. It seems to keep the fogging to a minimum with regards to eyewear. Secondly: Eyewear will likely fog over anyway, leaving you blind.

I ditched the Oakleys on top of my hat where they stayed for most of the ride. Then the next thing that cropped up was that aforementioned bad opening on the balaclava proper. I fussed with this off and on during both trips on my commute. It was a bit frustrating, but I could eventually get it to sit where I wanted. I will say that it was a warm set up and no wind whatsoever touched my skin where it was covered. In that regard, the balaclava works great.

Coming home the ambient air temperature was slightly above zero, and going with the wind proved to me that the Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava was on the verge of being too warm for me. So, I think I know when I will be using it in the future, and that will be if the air temperatures, or windchill combined with the air temp gets to be zero degrees or colder.  Above this temperature I think I will end up becoming too hot and perspiration management will be more difficult.

Conclusions: For the asking price, I feel that the balaclava is a let down. Theoretically the idea for this product is awesome, but the execution of the important balaclava component is a fail. It just fits really badly. Yes- I could work with it as it is, but for $80.00 I am not at all pleased with that part. That said, Cold Avenger offers a "half mask", which gets you the awesome "respirator" part, for $59.99. In my case, I will likely fit the mask portion to another, better fitting balaclava, or try to get the Cold Avenger one modified a bit to fit better.

I would not recommend this product until Cold Avenger addresses the ill fit of the balaclava. If they do, I feel it would make this worth the benefit. As it stands I feel I have a nearly worthless balaclava due to poor cut and fit of that part of this product. And as I stated, from reading other reviews of this product, I am not at all alone in this.

Note: I paid the full retail price for this product and was not asked by Cold Avenger to review or test this item. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review and I strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Cold Commuting With The Cold Avenger

Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava

With Triple D coming up, I figured I'd best be prepared for any eventuality in terms of weather. In many ways, I've been "lucky" the last two years in that it hasn't been "stupid cold" or really windy. I almost wished I had pogies last year, but it warmed up enough during the mid-day that I made it through without them. But you just never know in mid-January what weather you'll get.

I was hearing about this special balaclava and I have looked into it before, but took the chance that I wouldn't need it and passed on it. However; this year I took the plunge and ordered the Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava.

I've had this sitting on the shelf for about ten days now, but I couldn't use it since the air temperatures were so balmy of late. However; as many of you may have noticed, the Mercury has headed South and in its wake we are experiencing truly bitter cold air temperatures. In tandem with the wind out of the Northwest yesterday, it felt like -22°F. Perfect! I got the Cold Avenger balaclava out and "suited up" to do battle with the frigid air and 6 inches of fresh snow on By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk. A simple, (normally it would be simple), commute turns into quite the adventure at these temperatures and with these conditions.

Like something from your worst nightmare!

The fit of the Cold Avenger is worth commenting on, because it is unusual, and by past reviews on this item, I do not seem to be alone in my views of it. The Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava is a two piece design. There is a "traditional" balaclava hood made from some fleece that is claimed to be four times more wind resistant than "traditional fleece" product and that due to it being "tightly woven". On either side of the "hood" there are copious amounts of hook material. This mates with the loop material on the second, "mask" portion of the Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava. The "mask" portion is held onto the "hood" portion by the means of this hook and loop set up, and allows you to remove the mask when you need to eat, drink, or clear your nose without removing the hood part, or any other head gear you may be wearing as well. The "mask" part is the heart of the system which allows for the breathing of the wearer to be more comfortable and "normal".

The thing is, the dang hood part is cut silly. The "cap" part on top of your head is not "deep" enough, so the opening's top runs way up high on your forehead and the lower part runs right under yer eyeballs. Seems like if one could magically "shift" the opening downward a bit on the hood it would be a better fit for a lot of people. This isn't unfixable, but at $80.00 retail, this is a bit of a disappointing discovery with this product. I am able to work around it as it is, but it is a tad frustrating.

Now the "mask" part? That is brilliant. I really was pleased with this part of the product. The mask has an internal wire across the bridge of the nose which is formable so you can customize the fit and feel of the Expedition Balaclava. But besides that neat little feature, your breathing in the mask is really free and it works as advertised. If you've ever worked yourself hard in sub-zero temperatures, you know what I mean when I talk about "lung burn"- that awful feeling you get when you are sucking down really cold air into your breathing passages. The mask eliminates this altogether and you can suck air as hard as you need to without restriction. Sweet!

Don't let that Sun fool ya- It was super cold!

So, I set myself up with this balaclava on first, then my thick, Polar fleece hat, and tried my Oakley Jawbones with this set up and along with the rest of my gear, headed out into the -22°F windchill, straight into the wind, for my 5 mile ride to work. I didn't get very far before I realized two important things: One- you really need to concentrate on breathing with your mouth with this system. It seems to keep the fogging to a minimum with regards to eyewear. Secondly: Eyewear will likely fog over anyway, leaving you blind.

I ditched the Oakleys on top of my hat where they stayed for most of the ride. Then the next thing that cropped up was that aforementioned bad opening on the balaclava proper. I fussed with this off and on during both trips on my commute. It was a bit frustrating, but I could eventually get it to sit where I wanted. I will say that it was a warm set up and no wind whatsoever touched my skin where it was covered. In that regard, the balaclava works great.

Coming home the ambient air temperature was slightly above zero, and going with the wind proved to me that the Cold Avenger Expedition Balaclava was on the verge of being too warm for me. So, I think I know when I will be using it in the future, and that will be if the air temperatures, or windchill combined with the air temp gets to be zero degrees or colder.  Above this temperature I think I will end up becoming too hot and perspiration management will be more difficult.

Conclusions: For the asking price, I feel that the balaclava is a let down. Theoretically the idea for this product is awesome, but the execution of the important balaclava component is a fail. It just fits really badly. Yes- I could work with it as it is, but for $80.00 I am not at all pleased with that part. That said, Cold Avenger offers a "half mask", which gets you the awesome "respirator" part, for $59.99. In my case, I will likely fit the mask portion to another, better fitting balaclava, or try to get the Cold Avenger one modified a bit to fit better.

I would not recommend this product until Cold Avenger addresses the ill fit of the balaclava. If they do, I feel it would make this worth the benefit. As it stands I feel I have a nearly worthless balaclava due to poor cut and fit of that part of this product. And as I stated, from reading other reviews of this product, I am not at all alone in this.

Note: I paid the full retail price for this product and was not asked by Cold Avenger to review or test this item. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review and I strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.