What to do if it’s snowed while you’ve been at the office
By Guy Procter -
Riding Skills
20 November 2009 14:13
Cold is the enemy of bike control – causing limbs to stiffen and concentration to recede.
In order to have a safe ride through snow (or any really cold conditions) you must be warm.
Luckily many places of work are rich in insulating materials you can co-opt if you need to improvise.
Bubblewrap
Uparalleled warmth-to-weight ratio. Wrap twice around your torso before putting on your jacket. Also a good insulation layer when cut to shape as insoles for your boots.
Rubber gloves
Often to be found lying in canteens or cleaner’s cupboards (petrol station diesel gloves work well too), rubber is an excellent insulating barrier against the cold and a bar to the effects of windchill. Wear them under your leather gloves.
Newspaper
In the absence of bubblewrap, an old tabloid or section of a broadsheet is good thermal wadding for your core – slip it down the front of your jacket and it’ll block the zip area too, a weak point in your thermal armour.
Plastic bags
Well-known as a way of getting booted legs threaded through waterproof oversuits, but also excellent as a wind- and waterproof layer over your socks inside your boots.
