What's the coldest that you run or bike on?

Ran this morning in 25* with a slight wind...it was pretty cold leaving but on the way back was shedding some

Much colder and I'll stay on the treadmill

It was 8 when I woke up and forecast is about 22 today with winds in the 15mph range.

I'm soft and staying inside  

I think wind is what is the killer. Did my run yesterday in 9 degree F weather. I was hot and sweating at the end was never cold.

Dress right and I'd run probably to ~0. I can't ride this cold because the roads are ice and snow.

In the south it doesn't get that bad but I am consider crazy here for running when it was 14* at 4:30 AM.

It wasn't that cold on December 26 but I did enjoy my run with snow on the ground.  It was one of my most enjoyable runs.

I've ridden on the road in high 20's, run in single digits (though that is EXTREMELY rare). It's not so difficult to dress for cold temps while running. Riding presents other challenges.

I ask a different question; if the streets are not icy and the wind is not over 20 mph is there any reason to force myself to stay inside?

I despise working out on treadmills and trainers, so I'll run in pretty much anything.  I did several runs in single digit temps when I lived in Chicago.

I haven't done a whole lot of cold weather riding, but as long as conditions are good (not icy, not too windy), I'll probably try it.

Usually not much of an issue here in SoCal...but I went for a 4 mile run with 400' of climbing in 17F temps a couple days ago while visiting relatives in Maine.  Grew up in Wisconsin, so used to running in snow and cold.

Cycling's another matter...went out for an hour ride back here in LA this morning...it was around 38-39F when I started and with the sun not quite full up, I don't mind saying I was pretty cold.  "Wind chill" obviously more of a factor riding at 20 mph than running at 7.5 mph.

Umm...you can take this with a grain of salt since when it comes to running I (esp. when I was a 20-something) tend to have more endurance and enthusiasm than common sense, but....

In the late 80's, I spent a semester in Harbin, China (in the province that borders Russia) and later returned there to visit friends several times in winter. Temperatures were often 10-15 below zero, sometimes down to 25 below in the morning. And I ran almost every day. That being said, a few cautions:

1. Proper clothing. Layers and windproofing are the operative words. Many of the high-tech fabrics such as 3SP and Goretex are great. Back then I relied on layering wool sweaters and tights.
2. Make sure hands and ears are warm. Use lace locks. At those temps, you can't retie your shoes!
3. Don't stop moving, ever. If you have to wait for traffic, run or jump in place.  Run a bus route or past stores or something so you have a safe option if you have to stop (i.e. you cramp up, turn an ankle...)
4. Be aware of wind direction. Run out with it in your face, back with it at your back.
5. If it's below zero, or a low wind chill, you may need to protect your face. I think now they have polypro balaklavas for this; I followed the lead of a teacher who did "polar bear" swimming and smeared my face with a thick layer of Vaseline. Yuck, but it did the trick!
6. Sometimes cold, dry air can trigger asthma--it does occasionally for me. A face mask can be helpful to warm and moisten air. I just stuck a scarf over my nose and mouth for a few minutes.

I would call it quits if there was a lot of ice, unless you can get to a safe off-road venue like a running trail. In Harbin, the local runners, snowshoers, and XC skiiers used parks and an abandoned railway track, so this was an option. Happy polar running!

I will run in just about any temp, have done as low as about -25C.  However, I don't ride much below about +5C - mostly because I just don't have the right gear for it.

Cycling - the low double digits are about it (12-15 with wind is pretty chilly on the bike).

Running - I can handle pretty much any weather New England throws at me.

Will run in pretty much any temp, as long as there aren't very high winds. The windproof outer layer is key!

Running in cold weather doesn't bother me in the least--I actually like it cold, in the 20-40F range.  Did a 20 miler in temps between -5 and 5 degrees last year, which was a little rough, but running in cold doesn't bother me.

HOWEVER, cycling is a different story...for whatever reason I fall apart in temps below 40 degrees, even with good base layers, a good windbreaker jacket, multiple pairs of gloves, etc, etc, I just always feel freezing. 

I just got a bad- pair of cold-weather bibs with full tights so I'm hoping that'll do the trick.  Otherwise I'm fine rocking the trainer for 3-4 months.

Did a 10K race this morning in temps between 5-10F. Snow covered and icy roads. It was fun!

I've run in temps down to about -15F. I don't know if I would go below that, but the opportunity hasn't presented itself. I have skied in temps of about -30F and windchills close to -50F.

Around here for road cycling, I draw the line when the wind is greater than the temperature.  It has happened several times in the last week.  It's so windy here, it can even happen in the summer.  I'd really prefer the temperature to be over 50.  If it's much below 50, my knees start getting cold and it seems to put a lot of stress on them.  In that case, I don't get a very good work out.

I mostly Mountain bike in the winter on trails.  I can do that down to 32 without too much trouble.  If it's much below freezing it's not so much fun.  The one plus about Mountain biking in the cold, if you wreck, you're pretty well covered up and cushioned.

Running, it was 8 this morning.  I ran on the treadmill.  Since I can run in the afternoon and where I run is blocked fairly well from the wind, it will almost always be over 50 degrees.  I had a number of things to do today, so I thought I better get the run out of the way early.  For me, the perfect temperature with no extra covering.

Deb- We are very lucky that here in Vegas we do not have to worry about icy roads. That is the only thing that would make me not bike outside. I think the wind sucks way more than the temp at certain points during the year. That being said, I do a lot of indoor training on the bike due to the time at which I have to workout (evenings- when its already dark). I say outside is your best option, but may not always be the most practical. 

I agree that clothing makes a big difference. Did a bike ride last week with some cold weather biking clothes and was fine.

Edited by jpbis26 2011-01-01 4:06 PM

I am running a 10k tomorrow. Temps in the single digits with winds 10-20 mph. Pretty chilly.

I've run in the single digits and today it was 28 when i began my ride, that's the coldest I have ever started a ride.

Just finished an 11+ mile run in 8 and below temps. My camelback tube froze at about 45 mins. Despite all that never felt bad.

Coldest I bike low 40's and coldest I run high 20's.

I usually stop road riding at about 45*F.  Cyclocross is colder.  Running is a different story.  I'll run down to negative single digits if there's not much wind.  It's all about the right clothes.  I'd like to ride more into the cold weather, but don't want to risk any issues with ice or road salt. 

Running pretty much tolerate anything to avoid the Treadmill however -25 windchill is my limit

Biking 30-40's, however living in WI I generally am inside on the Trainer 

Once or twice, I've biked as low as 20F, but spend most of the winter on the trainer rather than "surprise" motorists by being out on the roads in frigid weather.  I've run in temps as cold as -4F (-20C) and done double-digit runs in single-digit temps.