Rode 186 km (115 mi), beginning hypothermia at the end? Is their clothing that truly protects against -1/-2 celsius at night?

Training
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Something to consider taking is a light primaloft jacket - it’s something to put on as soon as you stop. You’ve generated that heat, don’t lose it! Doesn’t matter if the clothing you currently have is damp/wet, just shove that jacket on over the top.

Worth noting that you need to consider how all these work together, layers that go on top need to be bigger so they don’t compress the lower layers thus reducing their effectiveness. Similarly for shoes, don’t just shove thicker socks on and still use summer shoes, get some winter shoes that are sized appropriately to accept the extra layers.

In summer for the long distance events I do I obsess over every gramme. In winter I just take what’s needed.

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I run pretty warm, and use the Winter version in 0-15 temps. The Mille GT Winter is pretty awesome overall, can’t imagine using the Fall in your conditions.

An even warmer option is the Winter Ultraz version.

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Its pretty hard to stay warm for several hours in those conditions no matter what you’re wearing. No matter what you wear, you’ll get wet eventually if its raining. Either the water gets in or, if you keep it out your sweat will soak you. Once you are wet, it is only a matter of time until cold wins. If you lasted 115 miles, you probably nailed your gear despite being miserable at the end!

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I agree with this. Though I very rarely have winter rides that I finish shivering, I have never had a ride <35F that I didn’t finish without numb toes and just generally being pretty cold. And if there is any water present then it will eventually get in.

In the cold it’s a super tough balance of keeping the cold out while still keeping you cool enough to not sweat. That sweat will eventually just conduct your heat right away from your body and make you even colder.

So though you didn’t end in such great shape you still lasted about 6-7 hours before things fell apart. That tells me that you’ve nearly nailed your gear and there may only be some small tweaks to make to perfect it. And that may be as simple as something like putting on new, dry socks halfway through or something like that.

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Cold extremities ≠ cold core. Your body core should remain warm throughout. Many people — myself included — have cold hands and feet. That’ll cause discomfort, yes, but is alright. When you get the shivers, that’s a sign of a cold body core, which is a big no-no. That’s not something you should toughen out, IMHO that’s reckless.

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Yep - wet and just above freezing is way worse than dry and below freezing. I’ve ridden down to -20F (about -30C) in snow, and its possible to stay reasonably comfortable. Hands and feet tend to be the hardest to keep warm in those temperatures, and you need to be very careful not to sweat. Vapor barrier liners when used properly can also help - for feet in particular.

@iLLucionist - sounds like the conditions you had were tough - wet and cold. one piece of advice is as follows (cutting and pasting from another thread I posted in):

When riding in the winter, you need to dress primarily for cold weather, and not dress like a cyclist. People do outside activities routinely in temperatures well below freezing - skiing is an example that many can relate to. Wear big boots, big gloves (or pogies on the bike) and multiple layers. Use a frame bag as storage space for layering/delayering. As the saying goes, there no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

Another piece of advice is to choose a riding discipline where you are not riding very fast - helps reduce wind chill. e.g. riding a MTB with knobby tiers will slow you down. A fatbike in the snow also slows you down - a lot!

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Thanks for all the great input, really appreciated. I am always amazed at how helpful everybody is on TR forum (I hope I contribute to that in other places).

Normally I cite everybody, but the number of comments are overwhelming (thanks again!), so I hope you don’t mind if I just put it out here in one blob of text.

First, it started out raining, but I was dry all the time. But it was ridiculously humid and damp… like fog you don’t see but clearly feel. That is typical for the Netherlands - it’s always relatively humid, even when it is dry. That is why we often have freezing rain on the roads around this time even when it does not freeze, because still the ground gets cold and the damp freezes to it.

In the meantime, I ordered Assos Skin Layer Winter (rated 0-5 celsius), Winter Ultraz (rated < 0 celsius), and a merino wool base layer by a local shop here (Futurumshop) to test them out.

I will also go find a gillet (and thermal blanket), a coat to put on immediately when I get off the bike and thus a frame bag (I guess), and something like the Assos Mille GT Ultraz winter jacked (rated < 0 celsius). It’s not perse that I am an Assos fan, but I must say I was extremely impressed with their bibs (yes, they cost a fortune). After 7 hours in the saddle I haven’t felt a thing. Never felt my saddle not once. Can only say that about Fizik bibs, no single other brand helped me accomplish that on long rides.

Another problem may still have been fueling. The last 1h30-2h it began getting really cold and I am bad at eating while riding, especially since my breathing was a bit labored due to the cold damp weather (try chewing when you need air). So I opted for candy and ate about 3-5 pieces of candy every 10-15 minutes for the last 1h30. So perhaps I should have eaten something more substantial, like another bar. But I was drinking endurance sports drink the whole time (with sugar, minerals etc).

I also don’t have experience riding in the cold. I felt confident that good clothing + fueling + knowing that I can ride centuries + sheer motivation will get me there. And yeah well it did, but I think I exhausted myself a bit too much for the performance.

One issue I have with my setup is the sheer weight it adds to my bike. I mean… my bike is aluminium but light by modern standards 7.1kg without bidons and spd peddles). But I had an army of food, a bag, repair kit. It felt like a tank!

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I’ve got the Mille GT Winter which is a step down from the Ultraz. Mine has a breathable panel on the back, the technical features remind me of my ski jackets. So I’ve only ridden in dry conditions from 2C / 36F up to 15C / 59F, and it has been awesome although a bit warm when the temps are 10-15C.

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Dont worry about that when riding in the cold. Your #1 priority should be to stay warm and comfortable, vs. looking to save weight to ride fast. I ride in the snow all winter. And my fatbike + kit is not light!

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I wouldn’t worry about adding weight to your bike. Riding outdoors in the offseason shifts the focus from putting the pedal to the metal on the straights or uphill to endurance-type rides. I live at the coast, but near mountains, and the mountains are off limits once the temperatures have dropped below 0. Black ice and snow doesn’t make for fun rides on a road bike.

When I ride in the off-season, I’m putting on “slow” tires for more grip (Vittoria Corsa Controls in my case), baggier clothes and I wouldn’t hesitate to put on fenders if your bike accepts them. Are fenders pretty? Personally, I don’t think so, but having a dry butt is more important than looks. Ditto for frame bags and extra pieces of clothing. Like your ride that inspired this thread, you can still have some memorable rides, though. And that’s what counts.

If you really cannot take it slow on a road bike, then go out with a “slower” bike (e. g. a mountain bike) and ride off-road.

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Dealing with winter conditions is like wrestling a 400kg gorilla - you don’t stop when you are tired, you stop when the gorilla’s tired.

It does sound like your setup worked up until about two to three hours before the end. Quite likely that it was food intake (or lack of it) earlier in the ride was the problem. If the extra food is too much weight then plan your route so that it passes convenience stores or filling stations where you can restock.

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Kudos for riding for so long in those temperatures.
I think there are no clothing items that will both keep you warm for that length of time and be comfortable/possible to ride a bike in.
I think you were not hypothermic, if you were conscious, and shivering. It’s when you stop shivering and want to go to sleep that it is really dangerous.
I have shivered for a couple of hours after events in much less cold days, and am totally useless , and would be the first to die on an everest expedition. But you can learn to cope with the discomfort, and push through it.(which you did)
The question I have is why did you choose to do the ride? What did you get out of it? Did you enjoy the challenge?
Would you be happy to compromise and choose a shorter distance if weather conditions are so bad?