Cold Weather Riding
and the FLAP
From Dan McCauley
Cold weather riding is fun. However, the actuality is that overheating is usually the biggest problem when winter riding. This occurs when people overdress trying to be warm enough so they are warm and comfortable the minute they step outdoors. This is bad of course for riding. Once this person starts riding, the body core temperature will rise a few degrees resulting in much sweating. Once that person cools down, he/she is toast.

You should always dress just enough so that you are a bit cold when first starting to ride. Once you start riding, you'll heat up and feel nice and comfy. For long rides, its also important to bring changes in undergarments as your undergarments will become soaked after an hour or two of riding.

Another phenomenon most people witness, is the following:

At the beginning of the ride, people will notice that there toes and especially fingers are already starting to become a bit cold and starting to begin the point of numbing. This is NOT caused by the cold temperatures!!!!! What is happening, is your body core temperature senses the outside cold temperature and is restricting the capillaries in your extremities to prepare for this new cold environment. This is bad as reversing this condition (especially) in cold temperatures is very difficult, and IS NOT easily warmed up through exercise. Even strenuous exercise at this point will not relieve this capillary constriction. There is a simple solution however.

Its called the "flap"

The "flap" is an alpine skiing technique which originated in Europe. Although I forget that actual term, I call it the "flap" because of how it looks to others. The flap is a technique basically used to FORCE blood by centrifugal force into your hands and feet to force open the constricted blood vessels. Although the technique looks "funny" especially to others, its EXTREMELY effective and will warm and un-numb the most frozen of hands in a VERY SHORT period of time.

THE FLAP

Very easy. While keeping your arms straight (not bent at the elbows), as forcefully as you can, move your arms back and forth - in front of and behind you. Does this as forcefully as you can. When you do this, you will literally feel the warm blood flowing into your hands. They will start becoming extremely warm. Perform this for about 2 minutes or so until all sensations of numbing and coldness is gone. If it is stopped prematurely, the body will revert back to constricting the blood vessels. Once done, your hands will be warm for the rest of the ride as the blood vessels will be dilated and unrestricted allows your warm exercise blood to come and go out of them.

Although technically this will work for the feet as well, it is much more difficult to perform. The best thing to warm feet and toes is to walk on them. If you feet are really numb, the best thing to do on that next climb is not to ride. Simply pick your bike up and walk up the climb. This is very effective as well.

Dan